A veritable lesson in not letting your G-d-given gifts get bogged down by the limitations you can’t control
When people would first see wheelchair-bound SHIMMY RABINOWITZ make his way to the stage, they might have raised a few eyebrows. But today, the popular Tristate-area wedding singer has become a source of inspiration — a veritable lesson in not letting your G-d-given gifts get bogged down by the limitations you can’t control.
Shimmy, a Boyaner chassid who’s been in a wheelchair since toddlerhood, never let the volume on the music in his soul be lowered. He’s been playing keyboard since he was a kid, and as a bochur, would be invited to play at small events.
“It was complicated though,” he admits. “Because of my limitations, I couldn’t schlep my equipment or set anything up myself, so I was always asking my friends to help out. But at a certain point I knew I couldn’t continue like that, so I reassessed — and found a way to remake myself in the world of chassidic music.”
Shimmy was gifted with a special voice from childhood, and at some point, he decided that would be his focus. And so, the new singer on the market — who had just gotten married himself — was soon flooded with bookings. At first it might have been an amusement — why not hire this miskein if he can sing a little? — but audiences soon learned that they were the ones to gain. His independence, his ability to push forward despite the odds, together with a voice that touches hearts, has made him a favorite on the wedding and events circuit.
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