Pulling the Strings

SHOW TIME When the lights dim and the music begins Eli watches in satisfaction as hours of planning come together in yet another performance that will benefit the Jewish world. “In the end it all boils down to a tremendous amount of siyata d’Shmaya. I never looked to become a producer it just sort of happened. I’m a composer who somehow became a producer. And I keep learning”

If you’re sitting in an audience among hundreds of fellow frum Jews waiting for the lights to dim and the curtain to rise chances are good that Eli Gerstner is somewhere backstage. For close to two decades Gerstner has been producing some of the Jewish world’s most celebrated and legendary performances including the annual HASC concert Rachel’s Place productions and Chabad’s Lag B’omer Great Parade to name a few. 

“I always loved music and composing. My goal was to spread my songs” says Gerstner 37 “so I started producing music for my different groups: The Chevra Menucha and the Yeshiva Boys Choir.” Without any conscious decision that segued into the production end as Gerstner saw his compositions through from their original development in his quiet living room until their colorful debuts on stage. Soon he became an address for other composers and groups as well and he’s spent the last few years producing full-time for non-profits who stage massive shows or plays. Among a public looking for kosher entertainment options these shows are the perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening — and benefit a non-profit organization bettering the lives of their fellow Jews. 

WHEN ELI TAKES ON A NEW PRODUCING JOB his first priority is never the show itself. “At the first meeting with an organization I need to get a feel for what they’re doing” he says. “I can spend a full year planning these events and to really pour everything I have into a show it’s important for me to connect to the cause to feel their mission.”