Cantors Assembly Journal of Synagogue Music

lournal

of

Synagogue

Music

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December 19 90 .Tevet5751 .Vol. XX. No. 2

From the Editor Jack Chomsky

3

Articles:

A Self-Study in Jewish Liturgy Samuel Rosenbaum

Introduction

Unit: Liturgy of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf Service Hayyim Kieval

4
6

The Cantor and the Rabbi William Lebeau
Ve Kara Zeh El Zeh Ve-Amac Kadosh

14

The Oldest Jewish Choir Joshua R. Jacobson

24

The Hazzan as Spokesman of the Congregation Max Wohlberg

28

Journals for Cantorial Music Akiva Zimmerman

33

Review Section:

Video Review: "Great Cantors of the Golden Age" Robert S. Scherr

36

Music Review: Ashira Lashem B'chayai Ira S. Bigeleisen
(Testament of Song), Edited by Charles Heller

39

Music Section:

Exoerts from Ashira Lashem B'chayai Charles Heller, editor
(Testament of Song)

42

Mimkomcho Moshe Taube

46

Esa Einai A.M. Himelstein, arr. Ray Smith

52

JOURNAL OF SYNAGOGUE MUSIC, Volume XX, Number 2
December 1990 I Tevet 5751

EDITOR: Jack Chomsky

MANAGING EDITOR: Samuel Rosenbaum

EDITORIAL BOARD: Ira Bigeleisen, Stephen Freedman, Edwin
Gerber, Paul Kowarsky, Robert Scherr, David Silverstein.

OFFICERS OF THE CANTORS ASSEMBLY: Robert Kieval, President;
Nathan Lam, Vice President; Stephen J. Stein, Treasurer; Abraham Lubin,
Secretary; Samuel Rosenbaum, Executive Vice-President.

JOURNAL OF SYNAGOGUE MUSIC isa semi-annualpublication. The
subscription fee is $15.00 per year. All subscription correspondence
should be addressed to Journal of Synagogue Music, Cantors Assembly,
150 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.

Articles and Letters to the Editor should be addressed to Cantor Jack
Chomsky, Editor, Journal of Synagogue Music, 1354 East Broad Street,
Columbus, Ohio 43205. Telephone is (614) 253-8523. Fax is (614) 253-
6323. Articles should be typewritten and double-spaced. Music and
musical examples should be photo-ready. Material can also be sent on
computer disks as follows: IBM -compatible 5 1/4" or 3 1/2" using
WordPerfect5.1 software or Macintosh3 1/2" using Pagemaker software.
For further questions, contact the editor.

Copyright © 1990, Cantors Assembly

FROM THE EDITOR

We are pleased to introduce in this issue Rabbi Hayyim Kieval's self-
study course in Jewish Liturgy. Rabbi Kieval is a long-time teacher of
many hazzanim, both as an instructor at the Jewish Theological Seminary
and as frequent visitor to the national conventions of the Cantors
Assembly. His first contribution examines the liturgy of the Rosh
Hashanah Musaf Service, analyzing the structures and origins of
Malkhuyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot Hazzan Samuel Rosenbaum
provides an introduction to Rabbi Kieval and the concept of the self- study
course in general.

The current issue also showcases two memorable speeches delivered
at recent Cantors Assembly Conventions: Rabbi William Lebeau's "The
Cantor and the Rabbi" from the 1990 Convention, and Max Wohlberg's
"The Hazzan as Spokesman of the Congregation" from the 1988
Convention.

Joshua Jacobson's account of his research into Jewish choral singing
in Yugoslavia will be of interest to the historian and performer alike.
Akiva Zimmerman's summary of Journals of Cantorial Music, spanning
more than a century, is of great value to anyone interested in research now
or in the future.

The Review Section examines " Great Cantors of the Golden Age," a
video produced by Murray Simon under the auspices of the National
Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis University. Charles Heller's collection
of z'mirot, Ashira Lashem B'chayai (Testament of Song) is also reviewed
in this issue.

The Music Section includes excerpts from Ashira Lashem B'chayai
(see above) and two recitatives: Moshe Taube's Mimkomcho and A.M.
Himelstein's Esa Einai. Thanks to Moshe Taube and Paul Kowarsky,
respectively, for submitting these items.

■Jack Chomsky

A SELF-STUDY COURSE IN JEWISH LITURGY

INTRODUCTION

Samuel Rosenbaum

In response to a long-expressed need, the Cantors Assembly is pleased
to provide a home study course in Jewish Liturgy, offering in outline form
a comprehensive review of the inner meaning and the central theological
concepts of the major prayer services of the Jewish calendar.

Offered in the pages of they ournal of Synagogue M usic, the course
will deal with the tefillot recited by the Hazzan on Shabbat, Shalosh
Regalim, Yarnim Noraim, Hanukkah, Purim, Tisha B'Av, and Rosh
Hodesh. The student will fmd references to such primary sources as
Talmud, Mishnah, Tosefta, Gemara, Midrash, as well as such medieval
liturgical classics a&Seder Rav Amram, Siddur Rav Sadiah, Siddur Rashi,

In addition, where appropriate, there will be references to the major
secondary sources, such as Elbogen, Davidson, Goldschmidt, Liebreich,
etc. As the material requires, mention will be made of significant variances
from the Yemenite and Italian rites.

All in all, the course will attempt to provide the professional and lay
reader alike with a major compendium of liturgical information.

We are pleased that the instructor for the course will be Rabbi Herman
Hayyim Kieval, for 22 years Visiting Professor in Liturgy at the Jewish
Theological Seminary. He has also taught at SUNY Albany, served as a
Rosensteil Fellow at Notre Dame University and as Lecturer at Princeton
Theological Seminary. The Burning Bush Press published his major work,
High Holy Days, Book I, Rosh Hashannah, and he was popular contributor
of articles on Jewish Liturgy to the Encyclopedia judaica. He is currently
at work on a second volume on high holy day liturgy, Kol Nidre Night. He
also serves as Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies and the Director of
the Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies at Siena College, Loudonville,
New York.

HAZZAN SAMUEL ROSENBAUM is Executive Vice-President of the
Cantors Assembly.

Rabbi Kieval is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary of

America, where he received hiss' micha as Rabbi and the degree of Master
of Hebrew Literature. In 1971, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of
Hebrew Literature. He was and continues tobc the popular instructor of an
entire generation of graduates of the Cantors Institute.

The course will be divided into units on the various holidays. Unit
One, which follows, will cover the liturgy of the Rosh Hashannah Musaf
Service.

We hope that our readers will find this anthology of liturgy a helpful
addition to their library and that each Cantors Assembly member will take
some private time for study and for a renewal of faith and religious outlook.

In those areas where there are sufficient colleagues to form a group
study course, this program should provide a meaningful curriculum for an
ongoing course from which all could benefit, not only intellectually and
professionally, but socially, as well.

We would appreciate hearing from you with your reactions to this
programs. Your suggestions will be much appreciated and will help to
make the course more useful to your needs.

One of the major aims of the Cantors Assembly over the next few
years in Tikun Tefillah, a plan to make the content, the inner meaning of
the tefillot, and the literal understanding of the text more accessible to
layperson and professional alike. This is an important way in which we can
raise the appreciation of our congregants of the meaning of prayer in their
lives and the role of the Hazzan in bringing the words of the liturgy to life.

If Hazzanut is to survive, it must again become meaningful, moving
and within the reach and understanding of the men and women of our
congregations.

SELF-STUDY IN JEWISH LITURGY

Instructor: rabbi hayyim kieval

Unit: Liturgy of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf Service: The Central
Theological Concepts.-.Zikkaron, Teru' ah/Shofar, and Malkhut

I. Guiding principles in studying Jewish liturgy.

A. The words of the statutory/mandatory prayers (tefillah shel hovah)
were carefully selected by the Tanna'im and Amora'im to express specific
religious ideas. Consequently, the Siddur and Mahzor constitute an
authentic expression of Jewish theology in a popular medium.

B. These theological ideas were derived largely from the Tanakh and
mediated through Midrash Aggadah; the language of the prayers is
essentially Biblical (l'shon ha' mikra). The wording of the mandatory
prayer texts falls under the jurisdiction of Halakhah (Hilkhot Tefillah in
any given code of Jewish law).

II. Biblical sources of the core theological concepts of Rosh Hashanah.

A. The "first day of the seventh month" was not identified in Biblical
times as "the New Year." (The words "Rosh Hashanah" are nowhere found
in the Torah and only once in the Tanakh - in Ezekiel 40: 1, where these
words, curiously, refer to the tenth day of the seventh month, which
corresponds to Yom Ha-Kippurim!). The "first day of the seventh month"
is designated in the Torah in two ways:

1) In Numbers 29:1, it is called yom teru'ah "a day of sounding the
horn" (the Torah sheh-b" a/ peh eventually established the horn of choice
to be that of a ram, shofar shel ' ayyil).

2) In Leviticus 23:24, it is called shabbaton zikhron teru'ah, "a day of
complete rest commemorated by sounding the horn." The phrase zikhron
teru' ah is obscure; the new Jewish Publication Society translation renders
it as "a sacred occasion commemorated with load blasts."

RABBI HAYYIM KIEVAL is Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Siena
College and Director of its Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies. From 1958-
1980, he was Visiting Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

3) The Midrash Halakhah had its own solution for the two
Pentateuchal designations: yom teru'ah referred to a Rosh Hashanah
which fell on a weekday and the Shofar could be sounded, while zikhron
teru'ah referred to a Rosh Hashanah which fell on Shabbat when only a
zikkaron (verbal reminder) of the Shofar could be expressed through
words of prayer.

B. Two theological motifs maybe distinguished in these, the only two
Biblical passages which refer directly to the religious character of this day:

1) The motif of Teru'ah-later also designated as Shofur. The sounding
of a ram's (or any other kosher animal's) horn obviously possessed a real
- albeit obscure - religious significance when it was addressed, like "a
prayer without words" to God.

2) The motif of Zikkaron, "commemoration" or "remembrance."

3) The juxtaposition of these twin motifs is clarified somewhat by
Numbers 10:9- 10.

"When you are at war in your own land against an aggressor who
attacks you, va-bare 1 otem ba-hatzotzerot, you shall sound short blasts on
the trumpets, v-nizkartem lifne 'Adonai 'Eloheikhem, that you may be
remembered before the Lord your God and be delivered from your
enemies. And on your joyous occasions, u-v' mo' ad&kh&n u-v'roshei
hodsheikhem, your fixed festivals and new moon days, u-f ka' atem ba-
butzotzerot, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and
your sacrifices of well-being, and they shall be l-zikkaron //file 'Adonui
' Eloheikhem, a reminder of you before the Lord your God, I am the Lord
your God."

4) The purpose of sounding loud blasts on a horn - whether in time of
crisis or on a festive occasion - was clearly to elicit God's merciful
remembrance of the Covenant, made with the Patriarchs, to deliver the
people who call out to Him through this wordless medium.

5) The liturgy for Rosh Hashanah continually adverts to the scriptural
motifs of Teru' ah/Shofar and Zikkaron. The formal liturgical name for
Rosh Hashanah is Yom ba-Zikkaron; the statutory prayers also use the
name Yom Teru' ah. But Yom ha-Din ("The Day of Judgment") is not used
in the mandatory liturgy because it has no Biblical antecedents, although
Judgment is a frequent aspect of Rosh Hashanah in the Talmudic literature

and became a major motif in the Piyyutim for Rosh Hashanah.

III. These theological ideas were incorporated into the Rosh Hashanah
liturgy.

A. The Tanna'im distinguished the Rosh Hashanah liturgy by
composing prayers which emphasize the Biblical teachings. The most
significant way to incorporate a theological idea into the worship is to
formulate it through a berakhah. In the Musaf service for Rosh Hashanah
(and perhaps originally in Shaharit), these unique berakhot are three in
number: one each for the concepts of Zikkaron, Teru' ah/Shofar, and
Mulkhut.

1) The specific berakhah for Zikkaron is "Praised are You, Lord who
remembers the Covenant" (zokher ha-brit); it culminates t h e prayer unit
known as Zkhronot.

2) The specific berakhah for Teru' ah/Shofar is: "Praised are You,
Adonai, who hears the sound of the blast (of the Shofar) of the people
Israel with compassion." (The word shofar is not in the Hebrew text
because the Tanakh does not specifically relate this instrument to Rosh
Hashanah). This berakhah ends the prayer unit Shofurot.

3) Zikhronot and Shofurot are older than Mulkhuyot as is evidenced
by the fact that the former were already associated together in the ancient
(and virtually obsolete) liturgy for public fast days, along with the teki'ot
(seeMishnahTa'anit2:3). The motif of Ma/k/iutHa-Shemis, of course,
prominent throughout theTanakh but it is not associated with "the first day
of the seventh month." It was only after a lengthy evolution of this concept
that the Tanna'im linked it with Rosh Hashanah and incorporated it into the
New Year liturgy.

4) Even then, however, they failed to provide a separate and distinct
benediction for Mulkhuyot - as they had for Zikhronot and Shofurot. It is
notclearwhether this treatment of Mulkhuyot is due to the lack of a Biblical
source for associating the concept of Divine Kingship with "the first day
of the seventh month' * or because the structure of theAmidah for Rosh
Hashanah was already fixed. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 4:5) records
a debate among the Tanna'im over w/ietfierMalkhuyot should be coalesced
with Kedushat ha-Shem (the third berakhah of the Amidah) or with
Kedushut ha-Yom (the fourth berakhah). The final decision was the latter,
and it has remained in the classical liturgy to this day.

B. The emphasis on Malkhut Ha-Shem, the Kingship/Sovereignty of
God ("kingship" is a more accurate rendering of malkhut than "kingdom")
is seem not only in the Tanakh hut throughout the siddur; some form of the
root mlk may he found on any given page. It is incorporated into the
halakhically acceptable formula for all bcrakhot through the phrase,
melekh ha-'o/am, "Sovereign of the Universe."

1) This Kingship aspect of the Godhead, however, must have assumed
increased importance when the Jews lost their political independence and
came under the domination of powerful empires - like imperial Rome -
which ascribed divine status to their own heads of state.

2) In the recitation of Keri'at Shema, the concept of kabbalat 'ol
malkhut shamayim ("accepting the yoke of God's Kingship") became
prominent (probably) during the war against Rome and the revolt against
the Hadrianic decrees. The twice-daily reaffirmation of allegiance to
Malkhut Ha-Shem served as a protest against human pretensions to
supreme sovereignty. The concept of Gods Kingship, which was only
implicit in the Shema' Yisrael, was made explicit when the Tanna'im
inserted the non-scriptural phrase, Barukh Shem kevod malkhuto l-'olam
va-'ed, (used as a response in the liturgy of the Jerusalem Temple) between
Shema' Yisrael and V-'ahavta. This unprecedented interruption in the text
of the S hema' has become so familiar over the centuries that we no longer
marvel at the boldness of the Tanna'im who first introduced it!

C. In addition, the Tanna' im of the 2nd century C.E., notably R. Akiba,
created a specific prayer unit for the Rosh Hashanah worship to emphasize
this crucial theological belief, namely ,Malkhuyot.

1) The New Year festival was deemed an appropriate occasion for
such an affirmation of allegiance because, in Biblical Israel, human kings
were crowned to the accompaniment of blasts sounded on the shofar.

2) Rosh Hashanah was portrayed as a symbolic Coronation Day for
the Melekh malkhei ha-melakhim. Thus, as a prelude to the early series of
tek/'ot (after Keri'at ha-Torah, known as tekibt d-m'yushav) the 47th
Psalm is recited because it contains the verses: 'Alah 'Elohim bi-teru' ah,
'Adonai b-kol shofar, "God has ascended (the throne) with the sounding of
a horn; Adonai ascends with the shofur blast."

3) The specific berakhah which summarizes the concept of Malkhut
Ha-Shem culminates in the hatimah: "Praised are you, Adonai, me/akh 'a\

to/ ha-'aretz, m'kaddesh Yisrael v-yom ha-zikkaron, king of all the earth,

who sanctifies the people Israel and the Day of Remembrance."

4) So central was this liturgical emphasis on Divine Sovereignty that
the pertinent phrase was carried over from the Malkhuyot finale of Rosh
Hashanah to the corresponding birkat Kedushat Ha-Yom of Yom Ha-
Kippurim, even though theM alkhut concept is not organically related to
the Day of Atonement: "Praised are You, Adonai, mellekh mo/iel v-sole'ah
la-'avonoteinu, King who pardons and forgives our sins, mellekh 'a/ kol
ha-'aretz, King of all the earth, who sanctifies the people Israel and the
Day of Atonement.*'

IV. Evolution of the structure for Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/Shofarot

In their final liturgical format, each of these three complex prayer
units resembles a movement in a symphony or concerto: each has the same
structural subdivisions, followed by an actual "musical" climax, namely,
the teki'ot. The four sub-divisions, in the order of their historical
development, may bedesigned (following the analysis and terminology of
Prof. Leon J. Leibreich) as: Biblical verses, Berakhah, Epilogue, and
Prologue. It should be borne in mind, however, that the overall purpose of
these several prayers is to explicate the theological meaning of the teki'ot.

A. The Biblical verses (proof-texts) for M alkhuyot/Zikhromot/
Shofarot

1) The names of this triad of prayer units were familiarto the Tanna'im
(see Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 4:5-6). The reason for the use of the plural
of M alkhut, Zikkaron and Shofar is that each of the three core ideas of Rosh
Hashanah was first brought into the worship by citing a series of proof texts
from the Tanakh which contained, in turn, one of the three key words. One
Tanna taught that three verses for each concept was adequate (this is the
Halakhah). But the scheme that prevailed presented ten verses each for
M alkhut, Zikkaron and Shofar: the fast three in each series quoted from the
Torah; the next three from Ketuvim (actually, all were taken from the
Psalms); the next three from theNevi' im (all the Latter Prophets), and a
final verse from the Torah again. (The order in which the proof- texts are
cited accords with the ancient practice familiar from the oldest homiletical
Midrashim.)

2) The term Malkhuyot means, literally, the (ten) Biblical verses
which illustrate God's "Sovereignty.'* Each passage cited contains some

form of the root mlk. The 10th verse - from the Torah - constitutes an
exception to the rule, however; it is Deuteronomy6:4 - no less than the
Shema' Yisrael, "Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, The Lord is one." Even
thought it does not specifically contain some form of the wordmelekh,
Pharisaic doctrine had declared that this verse expressed kabbalat 'ol
malkhut shamayim, "accepting the yoke of Divine sovereignty" (see
above).

3) Zikhronot means, literally, the (ten) proof-texts which illustrate
God's "Remembrance" or "Mindfulness" of the Covenant with mankind
as a whole (made through Noah) and of God's unique Covenant with Israel
(made first through the Patriarchs and later with all the people Israel at
Sinai).

4) Shofurot designates the verses which speak of the "role" played by
the Shofar, as it were, in the religious experience of Israel in the past and
its future role as a herald of the Messianic era. The fiit three verses are all
cited from the book of Exodus, where the ram' shorn was sounded to
dramatize the Revolution to Israel at Sinai. All the prophetic verses are
cited from the Nevi'im Aharonim and are Messianic in content.

B. The Berakhah plus "Epilogues" for Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/Shofarot

1) It is probable that, at first, these three concepts were expressed
simply by citing the appropriate verses, but at some point a berakhah was
required to summarize the theological message. In time, the simple
original hut i man was expanded into a petitionary prayer which constitutes
a kind of "epilogue" to the ten Biblical verses (in fact, the "epilogues" to
both Zikhronot and Shofurot include the final tenth verse from the
Pentateuch).

2) Each "epilogue" follows the same literary pattern. It begins with the
formulaic invocation, 'Eloheinu v-Elohei 'uvoteinu. The next word is the
key verb for the particular core concept being expressed: m'lokh, zokhrenu
and t'ka' b-shofar, respectively.

3) For example, the "epilogue" for Shofurot, 'Eloheinu . . . t'ka' b-
shofar gadol l-herutenu, picks up this Messianic theme from one of the
Prophetic proof-texts: V-hayah ba-yom ha-hu yittaka' b-shofar gadol u-
va'u ha- 'ovdim b- 'eretz 'Ashur v-hishtahavu la- 'Adonai b-har ha-
kodesh bi-Yerushalayim (Isaiah 27: 13). Thus, the "epilogue" serves as a
bridge between the Biblical verses and theBerukhah -both of which were

in existence before the three "epilogues** of petitionary prayer wer e

4) As soon as the Berakhah is recited, a series of prescribed notes is
sounded on the shofar. In an earlier age, presumably during the First
Commonwealth, theseteki'ot may have "spoken for themselves;" but, by
the period of the Tanna'im at the latest, they required verbal clarification.
Thus, the liturgical-theological function of Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/
Shofarot was to explicate the religious meanings of the bizarre sounds
issuing from the primitive horn.

C. The 'Prologues" for Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/Shofarot

During the early 3rd century C.E., in the first generation of the
Amora'im, there was a final stage in the evolution of Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/
Shofarot: each was provided with a prayer in the style of the "Prologue"
to the ten Biblical "proof-texts." These "prologues,** respectively, begin
with the phrases: 'Alenu i-shabe'ah, 'Attah zokher, and 'Attah nigleita.

1) The "Prologue" to Malkhuyot is the majestic doxology which
became so popular that, about the 13th century, it was adopted as the
closing prayer for every Synagogue service (some Rites, notably the
Ashkenazic, added the sequel beginning 'Aiken n'kaveh, for daily
recitation).

2) The "prologue" to Zikhronot introduces a new and basic religious
concept, that of Divine Judgement (din). Since God remembers all things
and foresees all things to the end of time, the Holy One also judges -both
nations and individuals: V-'al ha-m'dinot bo ye-'amer 'ezo la-herev v-'ezo
I-shalom. u-veri'ot yippak'du I-hazkiram la-hayyim v-la-mavet.

a) This emphasis in din reflects the gradual changes from the joyous,
festive character of the "first day of the seventh month" in previous

centuries (see Nehemiah 8:9- 12).

b) This change to a solemn Day of Judgment was already reflected in
the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:2): "The world is judged (nidon) at four
periods of the year, on Pesah, for gain; on Atzeret (Shavuot), for the fruit
of the trees; on Rosh Hashanah, kol ba'ei 'olam 'ovrin l-fanav ki-v'nei
maron, all the inhabitants of the world pass before Him like flocks of sheep
(or like a troop of soldiers) . . . and, on Sukkot, they are judged for water."

c) The idea of Rosh Hashanah as Yom ha-Din is common in the
Piyyutim for Rosh Hashanah, notably Unetaneh tokef, which quotes from
the Mishnah above.

3) 'A ttah nigleita is the briefest and least poetic of the three
"prologues". It confirms its references to the Revelation of the Torah at
Sinai to the accompaniment ofshofar blasts.

4) Talmudic literature designates 'A ttah zokher as Ttiki'ata d-be Rav
"the Teki'or (i.e., prayers interpreting the tekibt) according to the School
of Rav." By analogy, tradition has ascribed to this illustrious 3rd century
Amora, famed for his liturgical creativity, also the authorship of the
"prologues" to Malkhuyot and Shofarot; but there is no evidence for this.
On the contrary, we know that 'Alenu dates from as early as Second Temple
times. At most, Rav (Abba Arekha) and his school in Babylonia may have
adapted 'Alenu (and possibly 'A ttah nigfeita) as "prologues." It may be
noted here that Malkhuyot was not assigned a berakhah of its own by the
Tanna'im but was attached to the berakhah of Kiddush ha-Yom, which also
begins with the word 'Attah b'hartanu). According to this scheme, each of
the three sections designated as Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/Shofarot may be
said to begin with 'Attah. We have record of alternative poetic settings for
Malkhuyot/Zikhronot/Shofarot but they gave way at an early period to the
Teki'ata d-be Rav.

THE CANTOR AND THE RABBI
VE KARA ZEH EL ZEH VE-AMAR: KADOSH

WILLIAM LEBEAU

When I was a child, it was my Hazzan and not my rabbi or teachers
who first touched my Jewish soul. Hazzan Willliam Lipson, in Akron,
Ohio, drew me into the Jewish community through his voice and his
enthusiasm, as he taught me the songs of the Jewish holidays and the
emerging State of Israel. It was he who first captured my chevra of Cheder
students. We captured out attention by transforming tedious Hebrew
reading drills into music. We learned Hebrewfrom the Siddur as songs.
Words were brought to life by his feelings and by the rhythm that he
instilled in us. Patiently and insistently he brought a group of vifde chayas
to Jewish awareness by teaching us to spiritedly sing Shema, Alenu,Adon
0/am and Yigdal. And you know it was with our Hazzan, HazzanLipson,
that we, as children, received our greatest approbation as we sang in his
choir and as we performed the skills of leining and davening that he taught
as. And I distinctly remember as a child who came from a non-traditional
home, that when I would go to the synagogue I was somehow fascinated
by his voice as he sang in a way that was part song and part weeping.

As a child I did not fully appreciate the music that springs forth from
your soul, but today I understand why the hazzan' s voice is so compelling
to me and to our people. All of you possess the most effective gift for
communicating the full symphony of Jewish emotions. At a given moment
your voice expresses a Jew's history, longing for God, striving and
triumphs. What you do is to connect not just the intellect, but the souls of
the generations of our people. I regard your special gift as a critical source
for renewing Jewish life. I believe it is a gift that is not fully appreciated
and certainly has not been fully utilized,

Every people, religion and nation has been inspired and united by its
music. Frank Howes, in The Borderland Between Music and Psychology,
writing about music in general, provides a wonderful insight into the
potential for hazzanut tore-ignite a sense of community in our synagogue.
He said, "Aesthetic appreciation of music [read Hazzanut] is impossible
without the gregarious satisfaction obtained by listening to the music with
a large number of people, similarly moved by the homogeneity of feeling

RABBI WILLIAM LEBEAU is Vice-Chancellor of the Jewish Theological
Seminary. This is a transcript of the address which he delivered on May 9,
1990, at the Cantors Assembly Convention.

evoked in the whole congregation." I know that your music evokes such
feelings of homogeneity in all of us.

On the Yamim Noraim, as you daven, I look into the faces of our
congregants and I see people straining to discern the mystery of Kol Nidre
and Unetaneh Tokef. They listen to words without literal meaning to many
of them. Jews are still listening to you. They listen with an intensity and
hopefulness that often surpasses the attention that they will give to even an
effective sermon. They are hoping to understand not just the poetry of the
words, but the mystery of the Jewish soul that is alive within you. They do
so because they sense that somehow their soul still resides within
themselves.

At funerals I often struggled to find the works to offer comfort to
family members who had lost a loved one, only to notice that the strain
seemed to ease from their faces only when my hazzen would stand-up and
chant the familiar moving £/ Male. I understood why they felt that way,
because I also took strength at that moment, when the music would unite
all of us in comfort and in hope.

I am not suggesting that you can command the attention of most
worshippers of today for more than a few brief dramatic moments at a time,
but I would urge you not to be discouraged. In an era when some claim your
artistry elicits little interest among Jews, I think it most significant that on
consecrated days and at high moments in life you can touch them so
deeply, even if only for that moment. I believe that these are moments upon
which we can build longer and more frequent responses to the sacredness
of our tradition through the gift of your voices and the passion of your
hearts and your souls.

Shimon Ravidowicz, in a brilliant essay entitled, "Israel the Ever
Dying People," says that "discouragement is a well-practiced Jewish
trait" In every generation of Jewish history, there have been great scholars
and other creative Jews who were convinced that their special mastery
would end with their lifetime.

Rambam, days after he finished the Moreh Nevuchim, wrote a letter
to a small school of scholars in Lunel, France and said, "you are the last of
the students in the world who care about Talmud and Torah and the words
that I write." Maimonides did not realize that at that very moment, Jewish
schools were proliferating around the world, with students who would
specialize in his own scholarship!

Closer to our era, the great Hebrew writer of poetry Yosef Hayim
Brenner wrote, "I am the last Jew, writing in the language of the last Jews
who will soon disappear without leaving a trace." He could not imagine
that just about a half-century later, there would be a Jewish State where
Hebrew would be the language Jews would speak and in which they would
learn, make love and struggle for the privileges of statehood and freedom!

Similarly, there are those who predict that you are addressing the last
generation that will understand your work. I know that you believe in the
power of music and I believe in the great energy andcollec tive voice of this
Cantors Assembly. I am confident that the hazzanut that you have learned
from those who inspired before you and the hazzanic music that you will
create will again revive eager Jewish souls.

Saying all of this, I do not want to diminish the role of the rabbi in the
renewal that we can create together. I know that the Jewish community
would be lifeless without your music, but similarly, the Jewish spirit would
be inert without the insightful teaching and leadership of the rabbi. Rabbis'
words set vibration and religious feelings in motion, but they must be
blended in to a harmony that unifies the soul with God and one's people and
that is what you must do.

Dr. Heschel left us with wise teachings. He said, "the words of prayer
allow light to enter, but it is music that liberates the soul." Therefore, I have
some thoughts I would like to share with you about our partnership,
partnership which I hope will continue to stimulate discussions that will
strengthen our people for the future.

First of all, our relationship in the synagogue, on the Bimah. Even
through only a few feet usually separate us one from the other, I am afraid
that we often stand isolated from one another. The rabbi speaks - the
Hazzan sings - often serving two separate functions instead of acting in
concert. The Kedushah of the Amidah provides us with a model from the
prophetic words, kakatuv a/ yad riviecha v'kara zeh e/ zeh v'amar-Kadosh.
Let us call to one another fron one side of the Bimah to the other to
complement each other in creating the Kedushah that we both seek in our
lives and the lives of our community. The rabbi is the teacher of prayer -
arousing and guiding through his or her words. The hazzan is the
communicator - uniting through his or her music. It is we, the rabbanim
and the hazzanim of our Movement - knowledgeable and passionately
committed in our love for God and our tradition - who must set the tone for
our services and raise then to the level of dignity andKedushah that we

desire. We must bring words to life and unite hearts and souls in our sacred
calling.

Last night, when Chancellor Schorsch spoke, many applauded when
he said that, " The hazzan should face the Bimah and pray towards God."
In my synagogue in Highland Park we reversed a long standing tradition
of having the hazzan face the congregation. It was one of the most difficult
battles that I faced in my ten years in the congregation, but our hazzan and
I felt deeply that our congregation had reached a level where we wanted
to move them closer to our passion and committment to God and felt we
would do so by having the hazzan face the Bimah. I would encourage you,
if you feel strongly about this, to do it. Set the tone that you want for your
community. If you disagree, certainly continue to teach and sing and lead
in the way you have, but I will share one interesting result of that decision.
When we went to the congregation with our proposal, we first studied with
the Ritual Committee. Then the hazzan and I spoke from the Bimah about
why we wanted to have the hazzan face the ark. From the dispute that went
on for months in the community, I promise you that the congregation
learned more about the hazzan and hazzanut than they had ever known
before! They understood more clearly the passion of the hazzan and rabbi
for God and the experience of prayer.

As we work more closely, who will hear us as we call one to the other?
Certainly those who come to daven regularly, but we must and can reach
others as well. Most congregations are facing decliningattendence, but I
am confident that there are many more congregants who would like to be
in the sanctuary with us. There are Conservative Jews, who though distant
from Jewish traditions and experiences, urgently seek greater Jewish
meaning and sanctity in their lives. Their absence from regular worship is
not a sign of antagonism to the tradition. Prayer has been a human need
from the beginning of time and there are few people that I have met in my
congregations who at one time or another did not ask me to pray with them
or for them, and who were not at least occasionally stimulated by life's high
moments to be with us for prayer.

I believe they want to be there more often, but they are simply not
comfortable. They are not comfortable with the Hebrew they encounter.
They lack knowledge of the prayers of the Siddur. They are unaware of the
deeper meaning of the hazzanut beyond the fine performances, that anyone
with a decent ear for music can hear when they listen to you. So many of
our Jews feel estranged and inadequate in the traditional services that we
wish to maintain in our congregations; and because no one likes to feel

ignorant or be infantilized, they stay away from the synagogue that would
make them feel uncomfortable.

One thing which I believe you and I achieved in the years of our
service to ezh of our communities is that, basically, people like us. They
even love us. They respect us, because they know we are people of
commitment to a tradition to which they still wish to be joined. We can use
our personal relationships which we have worked so hard to establish, to
assist Jews in their quest for the sacred.

To help them, it will be necessary to make them comfortable again in
the synagogue. We have to study prayer with them, teach them proper
nusach and melodies, and teach them Hebrew in order to increase their
comfort level, so they can participate together with us in congregational
prayer. To do that most effectively, they must see us as religious people,
living our lives to the rhythm of Jewish traditions. They must see us at daily
minyan. They must see us in Tefillin and we must have the courage to take
them by the hand and say to them, "you must start wearing Tefillin -begin
praying and observing." We have been too timid as a movement. We have
been afraid that if we "ask too much" of our people, we will frighten them
away. Just the opposite is true. When they know that you and I feel
compelled to put on Tallit and Tefillin every day because it contributes to
the sanctity of our lives, when we share with them how it sanctifies our
existence, and how it can enhance their perspective on life, they will thank
us for giving them a gift of sanctification which all human beings desire.
I have found over the years that encouraging Kashrut and S habbat as a way
of life did not lose friends or congregants. Rather it earned gratitude and
appreciation because it gave them a way of expressing with authenticity
their Jewish feelings.

I know that all of you are concerned about preserving traditional

hazzanut. This is something we as rabbis and cantors must do together: but
the greatest burden for the preservation of hazzanut will be yours.

I am well aware of the tension that exists in many congregations
between the hazzan and the style of congregational singing that has
emerged from Camp Ramah. I understand your anxiety that the popular
will, especially of the young, is moving congregations away from
traditional hazzanut. I do not, however, believe that it is too late to at least
moderate the pace of changes.

Traditional hazzanut will survive as long as you are able to

communicate your music in a way that continues to touch Jewish souls. I
am certain that I willnever forget the counting of the Omer thatl heard
chanted last night. I do not personally know thehazzan who sang, but I was
so deeply moved by those words and the feelings which he awoke within
me. I have said those words every day during the Omer, but yesterday
evening I felt so close to our people. I felt bound to each of you who were
in that room as he chanted those sacred words. I am certain that most
sensitive Jews can be taught to listen to those words in the same way that
we experienced them.

As the rabbi is involved in the process of constantly evaluating
Halachah, you must also be willing to use your creativity to offer new
responses to the interactions our congregants are having with today's
culture.

One of the ways to ameliorate the tensions between the style ofprayer
prevalent at Ramah and our congregations is to increase the presence of
hazzanim at Camp Ramah during the summer. It is not a time for you to
distance yourself from that environment because of disappointment and
anger that you may feel toward the prayer experienced there. While in the
pulpit, I spent time each summer at Camp Ramah. I wanted to go there as
a rabbi to teach. The environment provided me with a laboratory to
observe the response of young Conservative Jews to daily prayer, to study
and observance. As natural critics, the young served as excellent sounding
boards for me. They provided insights into my own teaching. They
challenged me to improve what I said to them, how I said it to them and to
rethink many positions. They made me a much more effective rabbi when
I returned to my congregation. At the same time, Iknow that by being there
I provided them with challenges to their thinking.

So, too, the young people at Ramah and in other settings of
conservative education will respond enthusiastically and positively to
serious encounters with hazzanim. I think they would be open to hearing
your voices because they are so powerful. You could teach them not only
to appreciate the beauty of your voices, but the mystery and the message
that is behind your artistry. By influencing the young in this way, you
would create a whole new generation of Jews empowered with the
knowledge of hazzanut and privileged to feel connected to you. It would
allow them to enjoy hazzanut for the rest of their lives and you would learn
from them and appreciate their needs and their tastes better.

Ramah, our synagogue schools and Solomon Schechter Day Schools

are the primary sites for teaching Jewish music and davening to children.
For Jewish music and prayer to play a significant role in our renewal and
our survival, rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators must be involved in
Jewish life where it is being played out most actively. The preservation of
the Jewish tradition is our responsibility, but stewardship of the changes
that will inevitably come is also a sacred charge given to us. It is you and
I who must give directions to the sounds and the forms that will prevail in
our communities in the future.

To help in all of this, I would recommend an urgent joint project of the
Rabbinical Assembly, the Cantors Assembly and the Educators Assembly
to evaluate together the potential for hazzanut and future directions for
Jewish music that can unify and strengthen our Jewish communities. We
need to expand our congregations' music programming to provide
opportunities for children and adults together to gain deeper insights into
the soul of our people. I urge you hazzanim to direct your energies not just
to children, but to the adult Jewish community as well. I know you have
the skills, the creativity, the artistry and the love to attract them, even if we
have to reach them one, by one, by one. I am certain they are waiting for
you.

Et chata-ai ani mazkir hayom. I know that some of my insights reflect
a perspective that has come with two years away from the pulpit. By
stepping back I have looked at some of the things I have done and I am
saddened for the opportunities lost to include the hazzan and Jewish music
in some of the work that I found to be most urgent and also most enjoyable
to me. I met with every couple that was to be married. They had to commit
at least six hours to study the meaning of the Kiddushin of their Chupah
with me and to talk about Jewish life. I regret that I never asked my hazzan
to give a serious session to talk about Jewish music and hazzanut and
specifically the music they would hear, standing in that sacred place of the
Chupah. Couples listen to the hazzanut of the Chupah for the first time
without understanding the passion and the feelings behind the words you
chant on their wedding day. I would hope that you might assume this role,
if you have not already. I am sure, in other places, other rabbis and
hazzanirn were more insightful than I, so you may already include this as
a part of the program for every couple to be married in your synagogue. I
also regret that, with over 200 gerim studying for conversion with whom
I worked over twenty-three years in the pulpit, I never once asked my
hazzan to teach them about Jewish music. I had a hazzan who taught
history very well and another who taught rituals and observances, but how
they could have been transformed by studying Jewish music!

I will never forget the young woman in my congregation who was
insistent upon marrying a young man who had agreed to study for
conversion. She was deeply in love with him, but as she came to study our
Jewish tradition with him, she felt even more deeply in love with her
heritage. One day she came to express her concern to me about Dean. She
said, "Dean is doing so well in his studies. He now knows more than my
parents about Judaism, but when I look into Dean's eyes there is an
emptiness. Last night, Rabbi, my family celebrated my grandparents'
fiftieth wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful party, but when the
band played Hava Nagilah, and we all begun to sing, I looked into Dean's
eyes, and nothing was there." Just as when I was a child, my hazzan and
his voice and his soul reached me, how much more deeply I believe I could
have effected those two hundred Jews by conversion, for whom I have the
greatest love, had I only involved my hazzan in preparing their souls
through Jewish music.

Let me turn for just a moment to yet another function of our
partnership - the emerging pastoral role of the hazzan. As rabbi and
hazzan join more and more closely as religious leaders, it is clear that the
hazzan is called upon to respond to almost all of the pastoral functions, I
believe it is time for us to review the program of the Cantors Institute and
to train our hazzanim just as thoroughly in the skills that are necessary to
address the needs of our modem Jewish communities. The rabbinate as a
whole has been subjected in recent years to many serious programs of
evaluation concerning the future direction of the rabbinate. These reviews
have led to a serious revision of our Rabbinical School curriculum,
especially in the area of Professional Skills, so from this Assembly must
come the clear, well-defined message from you as hazzanim to our
congregations, to our rabbis and to our Seminary, of your vision of the role
you want the hazzan of the future to play in strengthening Jewish life. I
know that clarifying this vision will also result in the strengthening Jewish
life. I know that clarifying this vision will also result in the strengthening
of the relationship between our rabbinical and cantorial students at the
Seminary as we pursue our common goals.

Finally, one other matter that you and I as rahhi and hazzan absolutely
must pursue to gether, for it is critical for our lives, is the issue of
recruitment. Recruitment is much more difficult for the Cantors Institute
than for the Rabbinical School because not only must you find passionate
people, lovers of our people and traditions, but you must find those that
have been blessed with the giftof exceptional voices to communicate what
you alone can convey of our tradition.

We have to start very simply by insisting that one joke never be told
again in our synagogues and our communities, even though I am a great
lover of humor. It is a joke that begins with aquestion. What kind of a job
is being a rabbi or a hazzan for a nice Jewish boy or girl? That joke and
the laughter that follow it, has suggested that these are not meaningful
pursuits for our young people. The laughter says that a lifetime of serving
God and our people - a lifetime of being part of the continuity of our great
history - of meeting the needs of other human beings is not a worthwhile
endeavor.

We have lost, I am sure, untold numbers of young people who would
have been great leaders of our communities. We must search out and
discover, at a young age, young men and young women who are gifted and
who might be encouraged to devote their lives to our Jewish people. I was
very impressed to learn that one congregation has sent one of those
students, at their cost, to this Cantors Assembly Convention. I met another
young man who said he will be a student of mine in a course in prayer this
summer as he is preparing now to enter thesacred profession of the hazzan.

Inspired leaders are our lifeline. We must find them. I want to quote
Ravidowicz again, who said the real meaning of the fear of the end that
seems to overwhelm us is understood in this way: " A nation dying for
thousands of years means a living nation. Our dying means uninterrupted
living, rising, standing up andbeginning anew. We the last Jews? Yes. In
many respects it seems to us as if we are the last links in a particular chain
of our tradition and development, but if we are the last, let us be the last as
our parents and ancestors were. Let us prepare the ground for the last Jews
who will come after us and for the last Jews who will rise after them and
so on; until the end of days."

The joy, the energy and the depth of Jewish souls that I have observed
at this Convention, in just the few hours that I have been privileged to be
with you, should encourage all of us. We have the ability, we, have the
determination, and we have the love of our Jewish tradition, so that we, like
the last generation, will be able to constantly renew ourselves and inspire
our communities to do the same.

As rabbis and cantors we are the most fortunate people in the world.
Every day, in the work that we have chosen and for which we have been
accepted, we are permitted to speak and to sing of our tradition. We are
able to tell of our love for God, to work in an environment that welcomes
whatwesayandwhatwedo. Weareabletouseourcreativitytocontribute

to the eternal people of which we are a part.

I want to thank you, each of you, for the uplift that you have given me
so many times in my life. Two weeks ago, I visited Akron, my hometown,
and davened at my old synagogue. A 99-year old man, now blind, the
father of my best friend, ascended the Bimah to lead the congregation in
Hallel for Rosh Hodesh. Somewhere from within that soul, planted by
those like you, who taught him to understand and love hazzanut, came a
davenen that praised God in a way that enabled me to praise God.
Hallelujah. I thank you for what youhave planted within me, within us; for
what you yet have to give, to contribute and to inspire for the next
generation. Shiru L'Adonai Shir Hadash. May you, and through you, all
of us together, continue to sing new songs. The same words, perhaps the
same melodies, but with new energies, new passions as we sing together
in praies of God. May His praise and His words always be known among
the pious of our community who are there waiting for all of us to call one
to the other. They will respond: Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Adonai Tzevaot
M'lo Kol Ha-aretz Kivodo.

THE OLDEST JEWISH CHOIR

Joshua R. JACOBSON

Perhaps the title is misleading. I am not referring to the delightful
octogenarians who sing in the Workmen's Circle Chorus. Nor do I have in
mind the Levites performing the Avodah in the ancient Temple in

Jerusalem. My subject is the oldest on-going Jewish Choral society in the
world, the Baruch Brothers Choir of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, whose origins
go back to 1879.

Strangely, the Baruch Brothers Choir has been ignored by virtually
every historian of Jewish music. I found no reference to this organization
in any of the works by Idelsohn, Gradenwitz, Rothmuller, Werner or
Sendrey. Macy Nulman, under the entry "chorus" in his Concise
Encyclopedia of Jewish Music, tells us that "Joseph Rumshinsky, who
pioneered with Jewish choral groups in Lodz, Poland, organized a group
called the Hazomir Choral Society in 1899," but makes no mention of the
Yugoslavians.' A corroboration for Nulman' s assumption can be found in
Rumshinsky' s autobiography. He relates the exaltation he felt in 1899
when, at the age of eighteen, he became the conductor of the Hazomir
Choral Society. "When we stood up and started to sing, a holy musical fire
was kindled by the first Jewish choral ensemble in the world. "2 Clearly,
Rumshinsky was never aware that when he started conducting Hazomir,
the Jewish chorus in Belgrade was already celebrating its twentieth
anniversity.

I fiist encountered the Baruch Brothers Choir in 1986 at the Zimriyah
International Assembly of Choirs in Israel. Three years later, when I spent
a month in Belgrade as a " Distinguished Professor" under the auspices of
the Fulbright Foundation, I took the opportunity to learn more about the
history of this remarkable organization.

IMacy Nulman, Concise Encyclopedia of Jewish Music, New YorkftcGraw
Hill, 1975, p.49.

2 Joseph Rumshinsky, Klangen Fun Main Leben, New York, 1944, p. 189.
Translated by the present author.

JOSHUA R. JACOBSON is Chairman of the Department of Music at
Northeastern University and Director of the University's choral program. He is
also founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, and an authority on
Jewish choral music.

While there are records of a Jewish settlement in Yugoslavia for
thousands of years, in the early sixteenth century the influx of refugees
from Spain created the foundations for a large and active community. By
the middle of the nineteenth century there were accounts of rich musical
traditions in both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities. However, the
concept of choral singing, in the Western sense, was still unknown in the
Jewish community.

Indeed, prior to the liberation from Turkish hegemony in the
nineteenth century, Western music did not have a strong foothold in any
of the Serbian communities, Jewish or gentile.3 There was no choral
singing (in the Western sense) before 1853, when the Belgrade Singing
Society was founded. This ensemble was not alone for long, however, as
Serbs quickly developed a taste for choral singing. The creation of the
Serbian Jewish Vocal Ensemble in 1879 can be understood in the dual
contexts of the increasing popularity of choral singing in the general
community and the opening of the barriers which had separated Jew and
gentile for centuries.4

In a centennial booklet entitle Spomenica, theearlyhistoxyofthechoir
is related:

In 1879, at the time when the Serbian- Jewish Vocal Ensemble
was founded, the Jews in Belgrade lived a strictly patriarchal life,
and were predominantly located in the Jewish Quarter of the
famous Belgrade City district Dorcol. A number of Jewish
intellectuals, stimulated by the status of equality granted to the
Jews in the Balkans (after the Berlin Congress in 1878) had
entertained the thought of organizing a chorus. This was at a time
when musical and social life in Belgrade was still poorly
developed and a chorus was sorely needed. Besides, the idea of
the promoters was that the founding of such a society might
contribute to better understanding and rapproachement between

3 After centuries of political and cultural domination by the Turks, in the
nineteenth century Serbia gradually began to open up to Western influence. In
1878 Serbia finally gained complete independence from the Ottoman Empire.

4 Curiously, the Serbian Jewish Vocal Ensemble, now known as the Baruch
Brothers Choir, is not only the oldest Jewish choir in the world, it is also the

oldest ot till the amateur choirs in Belgrade today.

5 Aleksandar Levi, Spomen/ca, Belgrade: Srbostampa, 1979,p. 112.

Serbs and Jews, relieving thus the isolation of the Jewish
Quarter?

The chorus at first was an all-male ensemble. When women were
admitted in 1899, chaperones were appointed to ensure that no "unseemly
behaviour" would ensue.

In 1934 a second Jewish choir was formed in Belgrade, the Jewish
Academic Chorale. But apparently the Jewish population wasn't
suffficiently large to support more than one choir. After only a few years,
the Jewish Academic Chorale merged with the Serbian- Jewish Vocal
Ensemble.

The Jews of Yugoslavia suffered enormously during the Holocaust.
Of the 10,000 Jews who lived in Belgrade before the war, only 1000
survived.6 In 1941 the Serbian- Jewish Vocal Ensemble was forced to
suspend its activities. But immediately after the liberation in October of
1944, the few surviving members of the ensemble managed to give a
concert in the ruins of Belgrade.

By 1952 the chorus was completely resuscitated, and in 1962 adopted a
new name, "The Baruch Brothers Choir," in memory of Izidor, Bora and
Jozi Baruch, who were killed while fighting in the ranks of the Partisans

against the Nazi invaders.

In its 111 years of existence the choir has been served by some thirty-three
music directors, from Pera Dimic in 1879 to Dejan Savic in 1990. Most
of the conductors have been non-Jews, the most notable of whom was
Stevan Mokranjac (1956-1914), Serbia's greatest choral conductor and
composer.

Presently, the choir enjoys a reputation as one of the finest vocal groups in
Yugoslavia. Although only about 10% of its members are Jewish, the
ensemble maintains its ethnic identity through its strong ties with the
Belgrade Jewish Community Center.7 The repertoire represents a cultural
and religious mixture, including Israeli compositions, synagogue music
by Lewandowski and Sulzer, arrangements of Yiddish and Ladino

6Slavko Goldstein, "Jewish Communities in South Slav Lands, "Jews in
Yugoslavia, Zagreb, 1979,p.76.

7 Interview with Dejan Savic, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, March 12, 1989

8 Interview with Aleksandar Vujic, Belgrade. Yugoslavia, March 22, 1989.

folksongs, as well as oratorios, motets and masses by European composers
and arrangements of Serbian folksongs.8 In 1910 the Serbian- Jewish
Vocal Ensemble had the distinction of participating in the first
performance of an opera in Belgrade: "The Bartered Bride" at the National
Theatre.

Like most of the amateur choirs in Serbia, the Baruch Brothers Choir is
large (over 100 singers) and comprises a wide range of age groups from
high school to senior citizen, and ability levels from professional singers
to rank amateurs. The group rehearses three nights a week (!) and has a full
schedule of social as well as musical get-togethers. There are frequent
tours, both domestic and international.9

What are the prospects for the continued survival of the Baruch Brothers
Choir? Can a Serbian-Jewish musical ensemble continue to thrive in the
21st century? There are several factors that indicate an optimistic
prognosis. Curently the Jewish and Christian communities in Belgrade
enjoy excellent relations. Serbs and Jews have suffered adversity together
on a number of occasions in recent history, including persecution by the
Nazis in the 1940s and the recent friction with the Moslem population in
Kosovo. For several years the Serbian State has been pressing the central
government of Yugoslavia to recognize the State of Israel.

The Jewish community of Belgrade has recently shown some signs of
renewal. Although the intermarriage rate is alarmingly high and the few
remaining synagogues are largely empty, there is a significant renewal of
interest in Yugoslavian-Jewish history and Israeli culture. One Friday
night when I was in Belgrade, while the only synagogue couldn't even
muster a minyan, the Jewish Community Center was bustling withactivity
as preparations were underway for the upcoming Purim pageant.

The Baruch Brothers Choir is blessed with a significant contingent of
young Serbian and Jewish singers, many of whom are in their teens and
twenties. They seem devoted to their ensemble and to its cultural
objectives. Their energy and commitment point to a healthy future for this
unique musical organization.

Anyone interested un further information on the Baruch Brothers Choir
should write to its conductor, Dejan Savic, at 3rd blvd. 118/ix apt. 23,
11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

9 In Yugoslavia many people join a choii primarirj for the coveted opportunity
to travel outside of the country.

THE HAZZAN AS SPOKESMAN OF THE
CONGREGATION MAX wohlberg

Few people realize that the hazzan is the oldest congregational
functionary in Jewish life. While, without doubt, many have observed that
the role of the hazzan is not limited to the conduct of prayers, few, I am
afraid, realize the extent of involvement in our religious life. The hazzan' s
tasks are indeed many fold and multi-dimensional.

While in the main, I plan to comment on the functions and
qualifications of the cantor, I may temporarily digress and discuss briefly
one or two other aspects relating to the profession. Since the hazzan is also
known as a Sh' l/ah Tzibbur, a messenger of the Congregation, a Talmudic
comment relative to the word tzibbur seems proper. The phrase "May my
prayer come before Thee in an acceptable time" (at ratzon) appears in the
Man Tovu. When is it an acceptable time? asks the Talmud and answers:
When a Congregation (tzibbur) is at prayer.

Commenting on the advantages of a tzibbur the Kuzati remarks: Kdei
sheyashlim K'tzatam mah sheyehsar K'tzatam, one congregant may
contribute a quality that another may lack. Hence we altered the text of
many of our prayers by changing singulars into plurals. Thus R'faeini V'e-
rafei, "heal me and I shall be healed" (of Jeremiah) was transformed to
Rlfaeinu Vneirafei, "heal us and we shall be healed."

The Rambam also maintains that since "God does not reject prayers
of a Congregation," one should associate himself with the tzibbur.

Lest, however, one may think that the entity of the hazzan lies outside
the concept of the tzibbur, I hasten to stress the inclusion of the hazzan in
the tzibbur. The sh'liah tzibbur not only leads them in prayer, but is an
integral part of them, praying with them and for them.

The first hazzan seems to have been Moses, who prayed: S'lah Na La-
avon Ha-am Hazeh, "forgive the sins of these people." Another eloquent
hazzan was the prophet Samuel. "Gather all Israel to Mizpah," he said,
"and I will pray for you. And he cried with the Lord and the Lord answered
him."

MAX WOHLBERG is Nathan Cummings Professor of Hazzanut atthe Jewish
Theological Seminary. This article is adapted from an address given atthe
1988 National Convention of the Cantors Assembly.

Incidentally, the word sh'liah - messenger, or, in this context,
spokesman, is found for the first time, I believe, in Jeremiah (42:9): "Thus
said the Lord, God of Israel to whom you sent me to present your
supplications before Him."

Since the hazzan appears in a multiple role, it is of import to discover
the qualifications expected in one placed in so complex a situation.

The first detailed enumeration of these qualifications is found in the
Talmud (B. Taanit 16): experience, modest means, engagement in farm
labor, a home devoid of necessities, pleasant appearance, humility,
acceptable personality, musicality, a pleasant voice, fluency in Bible,
Midrash, laws, legends and in all benedictions. Fortunately, one
individual, Rabbi Isaac, son of Ami, was found to be possessing all
requirements!

Maimonides added a few other qualti ties to seek in the character of the
hazzan: a virtuous reputation, piety, performance of good deeds, a good
name that extends beyond the local community and embraces his parents
well.

A pointed Talmudic tale is relevant to our subject: In a season of a
severe draught Rabbi Eliezer approached the pulpit where, declaiming 24
(Amidah plus 6) benedictions, he prayed for rain. But no rain came. He
was followed by Rabbi Akiva who in his prayers included "Avinu
Malkeinu.. . we have no king but you, Avinu Ma.lkeinu...for your sake have
compassion over us." Immediately rain appeared. Then, in order to keep
Rabbi Eliezer from self-disparagement, a heavenly voice declared that one
of these scholars is no greater than the other but the latter evidenced greater
humility.

Regarding the functions of the hazzan, the author of Siah T'fillah
notes that he instructed and led the people in all areas of life. He replaced
the High Priest and assumed his role in prayers and confessionals. He was,
of course, also assumed to be the possessor of a pleasant voice because
"that attracts the heart of the worshiper."

A Midrash adds emphasis to this latter idea. Ten righteous
individuals, it relates, offered to sing psalms to the Almighty. The Lord,
however, told them that " while all of you are delightful and pious, I prefer
that David do the singing because his is a sweet voice." Thus, it seems that
even the Almighty is partial to a pleasant voice.

The primacy of music in the service of God received at all times
undeniable emphasis at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. King
Solomon designated it as the place where Song and Prayer will be heard.
Music was a corollary of the sacrificial offering. Rabbi Meir was of the
opinion that ShirM'akeiv Et Hakorban, "song has priority over the
sacrifice."

A word should be said about the great value ascribed to music by the
Hasidic movement. Lammatz&ah Milashon Netzah said the Rabbi of
Kossov. "There is a quality of eternity in our music" and "the word of
music is closely related to that of Tshuvah - repentance" observes the
RebbeofPshisk.

The two problems regarding the music of the synagogue that seemed
to concern the Rabbis of medieval times were that hazzanim should not
utilize church tunes and Shdo Ya-ariku Bitfilatam - "services should not
be unduly lengthened."

Here we approach a sensitive area in need of astute analysis and
prudent circumspection. To pose it simply: is there a line or a point in the
chanting of the hazzan when, temporarily relinquishing the role of Sh'liah
Tzibbur, he perhaps subconsciously metamorphoses to a vocally gifted
artist interpreting the liturgy in consonance with his innate endowmwnts
and ability? He would thus appear, albeit temporarily, as a solitary, self-
sufficient agent.

Or, as you presumably will agree, even when he seems to function as
an independent artist, the congregation feels attuned to a partnership and
is pleased since it feels that the hazzan simply gives voice to sentiments,
yearnings, and aspirations it possesses but is unable to express.

One aspect of hazzanut, that of improvisation, seemslikel y to produce
this delicate situation since during it, unexpected inspiration may play a
decisive role.

Not suprisingly, our ancestors were quite aware of this phenomenon.
L'david Mizmor indicates, according to the Talmud, that inspiration
preceded the singing, while Mizmor L'david intimates that inspiration
arrived during the process of singing. As proof of the latter situation, the
Talmud cites the biblical passage regarding Elisha, who asked for a
musician and V haya K'nagen Ham'nag&n Vathi Alav YadAdonai "as the
minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him." Inspiration came

as he played.

To assure his role as permanent sh'liah- representative of his people,
his tzibbur, the hazzan must completely identify with the problems, needs
and aspirations of his people. This desideratum has frequently been
addressed in previous generations.

Sefer Hassidim of the early 14th Century warns "the prayer of one who
does not share in the pain and in the misfortune of others is not answered."
Nathan Hannover in his siddurSha-arei Tziyon (17th Century) suggests
that before the hazzan begins to prey, he should express acceptance of the
positive command of "Love your neighbor as yourself." The Rebbe of
Kossov writes: 'TheS/i'//a/i Tzibbur is the vessel through which flow the
prayers and yearnings of his people. He therefore has to associate himself
with the activity of his people. Then he can fully represent them."

Finally, the saintly Rav Abraham Yitzhak Kook in his Orot Hakodesh
refers to a Shir M'ruba, a four-fold song:

There is one who sings the songs of his own life, and in himself finds
everything, his spiritual satisfaction. There is another who sings the
songs of his people. He aspires towards the heights and he attaches
himself with a gentle love to the whole community of Israel. Together
with her, he sings her songs.

There is another who reaches toward more distant realms, and he goes
beyond the boundary of Israel to sing the song of man. His spirit extends
to the wider vistas of the majesty of man and his noble essence.

Then there is one who rises toward w ider horizons, until he links himself
with all existence, with all God's creatures, with all worlds, and he sings
his songs with all of them.

And there is one who rises with all these songs in one ensemble, and they
all join their voices. Together they sing iheii songs w iih beauty, each one
lends vitality and life to the other. They are sounds of joy and gladness,
sounds of jubilation ami celebration, sounds of ecstasy and holiness.

The song of the self, the song of the people, the song of man, the song
of the world, all merge in him at all times, in every hour. And this song
rises to become the song of holiness, the song of God, the song of Israel
in all its strength, in all its beauty. The name Yisrael stands for Shir Ell,
the "song of God." It is the Song of Songs of Solomon, of Shlomo. And
Shlomo-Melech Shehashalom Shdo - stands for peace and for

I hope and trust that all of us do our utmost to adhere to the high
standards of excellence associated with our profession and will continue
in refining these not easily achieved measures of nobility and sanctity in
our holy work.

JOURNALS FOR CANTORIAL MUSIC

AKIVA ZIMMERMAN

A specific branch in the field of Jewish journalism, which has not been
sufficiently researched in newsprint concerns Cantorial Music - Hazzanut
- and Jewish religious music. Tens of such publications appeared in
Germany, Austro-Hungary, Poland, the United States, Israel, England and
Argentina. Today there are three publications dealing with this subject, all
of them appearing in the United States.

The first paper dedicated to Hazanut, Der Yiddisher Kantor, appeared
in 1879 in Germany. This publication in various versions appeared until
1938. Its last editor was Leon Komitzer, a cantor from Hamburg. He
emigrated to Israel and lived in Haifa. For a time he conducted the choir
of the Main Synagogue in Haifa. He died in 1947.

In 188 1 Die Austerischer-Hungarischer Kantoren Zeitung appeared.
Its editor, cantor Yacov Bauer, born in Hungary, was the Hazzan at the
Sephardi Synagogue in Vienna, "Die Turkische Temple." The journal was
published for 18 years, till 1898, and in 1899 its name was altered to
Warheit.

Another journal, Der Lehrer und Kantor was published in Berlin as
a monthly supplement to the Yuddische Presse, from 1901 to 1922.

The first cantorial journal to appear in Hebrew - The Cantors'

Monthly - was published in Poland in 1896. This was the first Hebrew
publication in the world dealing with musical matters. It was edited by the
Hazzan Abraham Baer Bimbaum, who was born in Poltosk in Poland, and
was a Cantor in Hungary and in Poland. The Cantor's Monthly appeared
in Tchenstochov and Warsaw. Articles and research on cantorial subjects
were published in it, as well as musical compositions. Cantors and
researchers of Jewish music participated in this journal. It was defined as:
"a newsletter dedicated to the song and the chant in general, and to cantors
and worship of God in particular." Lack of funds terminated its appearance
after only four issues.

A further cantorial journal, the organ of the cantors' association in
Poland, began to appear in November 1933. 20 monthly issues were

AIUVA ZIMMERMAN is a frequent contributor on the subject of Hazzanut to

mail) Israeli publications.

published regularly under the name Die Huzonim Welt.

In this case too, there was a break of a year-and-a-half, owing to a
shortage of financial resources, and its publication was later renewed, but
this time under the name of DieShul und die Huzonim Welt Until August
1939, one month before the second world war, 34 issues had been
published.

Die Hazonim Welt in its first guise was edited by Hazzan Pinhas
Schermann and the journalist Pinhas Milkowski (S. Jemueli). After its
renewal Milkowski became sole editor. The Hazzan Moshe Koussevitsky
was honorary vice-editor. The writer of this article has a complete
collection of this journal's issues, containing a wealth of information about
the history of Hazzanut in the world, as well as the history of many Jewish
communities and the various synagogues. DieShul und die Hazonim Welt
employed not a network of professional reporters, but cantors with a gift
for writing, who sent in information of what went on in their congregations
in particular, and in Jewish communities in general, whence they were
often invited to conduct services and give concerts. Hazzan Samuel
Vigoda, was among the participants in this journal, and he still contributes
to American journals for cantorial Jewish music. Another participant was
Wohlberg, now professor of Nusach at the Cantors Institute of the Jewish
Theological Seminary in New York. One of the younger participants was
Mordechay S htrigler, the present editor of the New York Vorwerts There
were also Abraham Zvi Idelsohn, a researcher of the history of Hazzanut,
Ytzhak Ellbogen, a researcher of the history of prayer, and other learned
scholars. The journal was printed in Warsaw,and appeared in Yiddish and
Hebrew.

Die Shut und die Hazonim Welt suffered from lack of funds too, and
from time to time its readers were asked to recruit new subscribers.
Concerts held in the U.S.A. helped to maintain the journal. Gershon
(Hermann) Swett, who was for some time the Chairman of the Journalists
Federation in Jerusalem, was among its reporters in Palestine. The journal
publishedmusical works, monographs of Hazzanim, and also had a section
for folklore and a section which included compositions of chapters for
prayer.

In 1932 there was a first attempt in Boston, by the Yiddisher
Musi kali scher Journal to publish a journal dedicated to Hazzanut and

Jewish music, with a condensed review of it in English. The editor of the
first issue was I.L. Malarnut, and the editor of the second and final issue

was the Hazzan Eliyahu Kantor. Moses Smith was sub-editor. Although
only two issues were published, the material printed in them, which
included musical compositions, was of great value.

Another journal, Yiddisher Musik, was published in America, in
Yiddish and English, from July 1934 to September 1935, edited by Hazzan
Jacob Beimel, this was meant to be a monthly, but it appeared for just over
one year. Its form was similar to that of the Yiddisher Musikalisher
Journal, and contained important material about the history of Hazzanut
as well as musical compositions.

In 1949, The Cantor's Voice, a bi-monthly, began to appear mainly in
English, with some Yiddish and Hebrew. It was published by the Cantors
Assembly. Later, when it was discontinued, the Cantors Assembly began
publishing the Journal of Synagogue Music.

The Hazzanim Farband publishes an annual magazine on the eve of
Rosh Hashana called Kol Lacol. Most of it is in English with some Yiddish,
and it contains articles on cantorial matters and musical works.

The Yeshiva University's Federation of Hazzanim in New York has,
since 1976, published a yearly journal called/ourna/ of Jewish Music and
Liturgy, which contains research work and musical compositions. Its
editor is Hazzan Macy Nulman.

Since 1975 a yearbook of the American Society for Jewish Music has
appeared regularly, entitled Musicajudaica. From 1969 to 1979, a journal
of the Cantors Association, Cantors' Review, was published in London,
edited by Eli deLieb. This review appeared in stencil form, and gave news
of the cantorial world as well as musical compositions.

An attempt to renew the publication of Die Shu/ unddie Huzonim Welt
was made in Argentina. Seven deluxe issues were published between
April 1966 and May 1969, in the form of the journal that had been
published in Warsaw, and many reporters from the entire Jewish world
were employed. This journal appeared in Yiddish, Hebrew and Spanish.
Among its editors were Mordechai Kaufmann, reporter for DiePresse of
Buenos Aires, and Hazzan Dov Shtulbach.

Cantorial and music journals in Israel are aseparate subject and might
be discussed in a subsequent article.

36

VIDEO REVIEW

"GREAT CANTORS OF THE GOLDEN AGE"

Reviewed by Robert S. SCHERR

What was it about the " Golden Age" of Hazzanut, that period in the
first third of this century, which made it "golden?" What made the early
twentieth century such a rich environment, in which cantorial music
flourished with the massive following akin to that enjoyed by the biggest
pop stars today? Was it the newly-immigrated Jewish population in
America which was longing to recapture its life in Europe, and so fixed on
so-called "star hazzanim" as the apex of New World Jewish culture? Was
it the unusual talents of the star hazzanim themselves - Sirota, Hershman,
Roitman, Rosenblatt, among others, whose personalities and voices made
them stars who sang to turn-away crowds wherever they went? Was it the
newly-available technology of the phonograph, to be followed by
primitive sound movies, which made the sounds of hazzanut accessible to
individual homes, as well as public halls?

Whatever the reasons, lovers of Hazzanut and Hazzanim will thrill to
the historical video " Great Cantors of the Golden Age." Recently released
by The National Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis University, this video
for the first time makes available footage of some of the great cantors of
the "Golden Age." Most of the actual film footage, in black and white,
came from the 193 1 film, "The Voice of Israel," and '"The Dybbuk"
(1939). Two segments, performances by Katchko and Hershman, were
not in the original film and are being seen here for the very first time. Film
of hazzanim is eloquently introduced by Professor Max Wohlberg,
acknowledged dean of the American cantorate, whose narration provides
historical and biographical background for the musical selections. The
video was produced by Cantor Murray E. Simon. Executive Producer was
Sharon Pucker Rivo.

These are invaluable historical vignettes. To many, these voices are
known through their audio recordings, but now for the first time, younger
lovers of hazzanut will be able to see these beloved treasures of the
cantorial art. Now our eyes can see what only our ears have known. These
hazzanim are giants of cantorial art. To be able to know, now and in the
future, how these men appeared as well as how they sounded makes this
film a treasured document.

ROBERT S. SCHERR is hazzan at Temple Israel, Natick, Massachusetts

It is essential to note that this video is not a documentary history.
Viewers expecting to find definitive history and analysis of hazzanut at the
turn of the century would be disappointed. What one does find is selected
rare footage of actual performances of these great cantors, and helpful
commentary by Cantor Wohlberg. If it is a bit distracting to have the
original footage in black and white, then cutting to Wohlberg in color, it
nonetheless distinguishes the original footage from the contemporary
commentary.

The performances are classics to be treasured and enjoyed; but they
are also historic documents, visually as well as vocally, of the style of
hazzanut from this period of the early twentieth century. The male choirs
(sometimes of Mayer Machtenberg) surrounding the hazzan in formal
pose remind us of an era gone by. As history, it is invaluable to see and hear
a style which, while gone from synagogues today, was a critical influence
on the music still heard and still beloved by congregants of all ages. Now
one can have a visual sense of the elegance of Rosenblatt, or the pathos of
Hershman. We sense the whole being of these artists, astheir public knew
them half a century before, and it was their "wholeness" which was a
feature of their stardom.

This project, more than 2 1/2 years in the making, was really begun
about 15 years ago when the National Center for Jewish Film acquired the
estate of the late Joseph Seiden and the rights to the productions of his
studio, Judea Films. Cantor Murray Simon became the prime advisor to
Sharon Pucker Rive, Executive Director of the center. Afterobtaining the
film from the Library of Congress where it had been housed, they
identified two primary goals: to preserve the old nitrate film, which was
deteriorating rapidly, onto more permanent acetate film; and to create a
product which could be distributed to make this footage and the historical
documentation it represented available for wide distribution.

Cantor Murray Simon made a number of editorial decisions which
were essential to the success of this film as we now have it. From the
original, deteriorating film, he had to select the best available footage. In
the original film, interspersed with the footage of the cantors and choirs,
were cut-aways to "Biblical scenes" from Seiden' s Yiddish film
production, the appearance of which would have detracted from the film's
presentation to contemporary audiences. Simon instead substituted
footage from the Center's archives of appropriate scenes from European
shtetl life, Ellis Island, and Israel in the early 1900' s. The golden voice of
Gershon Sirota, captured in the film clip from the 1939 Polish film "The

Dybbuk" is the last known recording of that voice. Sirota perished in the
Warsaw ghetto. Simon is also to be credited with the necessary fundraising
among private donors and cantorial organizations which made the project
a reality.

The video format and modest price ($54) make this unique footage
available to a wide audience for the first time. It will be of great value for
aficionados of cantorial music to add to their personal collections of
recordings. It is expected that synagogue libraries will find it particularly
valuable for their collections. Wohlberg's informative narration
introduces each performance, making it a natural "self-contained"
educational program, useful for adult or religious school classes. The
National Center for Jewish Film is located at Brandeis University J_,own
Building 102, Waltham, Massachusetts.

REVIEW OF NEW MUSIC

ASHIRA LASHEM B'CHAYAI - A TESTAMENT OF

SONG

Reviewed by Ira S. Bigeleisen

Ashira Lashem B'chayai, A Testament of Song, by Charles Heller is
a compilation of table songs, folk songs and congregational melodies as
sung in the Beth Emeth Bais Yehudah Synagogue in Toronto, Canada.
This congregation is the result of the merger of several congregations and,
consequently, has members who come from a wide variety of
backgrounds. That this book should contain z'mirot that are so rich and
varied should come as no surprise since the congregation has long had
reputation for hiring outstanding hazzanim and possessing a remarkable
choir. Such a congregation would naturally attract ba/ebat/m who love and
are knowledgeable about Jewish music.

Mr. Heller, Beth Emeth' s Choir Director, has presented us with a
carefully notated volume containing many wonderful melodies. The book
begins with fifteen z'mirot which include melodies for the three Shabbat
meals and, most unusual, one for Sh'mini Atzeret. The melodies cover the
gambit of traditional styles: free chant for Baruch Adonai Yom Yom and
Kol M'kadeish Sh'vi'i, and strictly metrical renditions including
outstanding examples for Shimru Shabotai, Yom Michubad and
M'nuchah V'simchah. I found the rendition of Tsamah Nafshi, which
combines free chant with a metrical refrain, to be one of the most moving
melodies I have encountered, while theBobover version of Yah Ribon,
which uses many different chants for the verses with the same refrain,
should be attempted only by a very sophisticated group.

Mr. Heller next presents a Sephardic version of the Birkat Hamazon
and two English versions of Shir Hamablot. These renditions have
academic interest, especially Freda Lewis' Shir Hama'alot which
probably dates back to the 18th century. Six Niggunim for singing at the
table follow in the next section. They range in spirit from a peppylm
Yisrael Chai to aD' veikus of the Modzitzer Chassidim. Jack Malamud's
Niggun #2 is a very fine example of D'veikus as well and theNiggun of the
Alexander Chassidim has one's foot tapping all the way through.

In the section which follows, Mr. Heller has recorded selections from

IRA BIGELEISEN serves as Hazzan of Beth Shalom Congregation, Kansas
City, Missouri.

the Haggadah. Of the two versions oiAdir Hu which appear, I prefer the
second by Jack Malamud. Beginning on the seventh note of the scale, he
winds his way all through the refrain reaching the tonic only on the last
note. Of the other selections, M'kimi M&'afar Dal by Shkolnik stands out
for its tearful interpretation of the text. This, by the way, is a very famous
composition recorded by many hazzanim, including Rosenblatt.

Of the Niggumin which Mr. Heller has transcribed for Shabbat and
High Holiday services, Eil Adon stands out as a spirited rendition in an
unusual major key, while Jack Malamud's Hayom is refreshing for being
in the Ahavah Rabbah mode instead of the usual minor.

The collection of nine Yiddish folk songs (many of which are to be
found elsewhere) includes a lullaby, Ketsele, Shtil and many ironic,
humorous songs for various holidays, especially Purim. While the
melodies of these songs are not really outstanding, the texts are interesting
and, at times, moving. Aleph, Indinkes contrasts the lot of the rich to that
of the poor. Sung to the tune of Akdamut, it is a parody of the alphabetical
acrostic form of the Piyyut Az Meshiach Vet Kumen pokes fun at the
Kabbalists who claimed that the Messiah would come in 1928. In Suke
reflects the faith in God's protection which has sustained us through the
centuries: though the wind threatens to blow the structure down, as soon
as the author makes Kiddush, the candle burns calmly and the winds are
no longer felt inside. Tsvey Kashes is the humorous story of a wife who
is having trouble with her"shikse." First the "shikse" treifs up a meat pot
by putting milk in it. The Rebbe tells the wife to kasher it by scrubbing it
with ashes and putting it in the ground for three days. He recommends a
similar treatment tokasher her husband when he starts fooling around with
the same servant A wedding song, two Purim songs and a song which
covers the cycle of Jewish holidays complete the section in a merry way.

The musical selections in the book end with three simple choral
arrangements: Ein Kelokeinu and two niggunim. Mr. Heller has been
faithful to his sources in his arrangements of these melodies. They sound
authentic and are moving even if the arrangements don't always follow the
rules of harmony and counterpoint.

It is clear that a lot of thought went into making this collection easy
to use as well as informative: the spring binding lies open easily on the
piano; suggested chords appear above the melody line for performance
with accompaniment; the print is clear and large. Mr. Heller includes a
short biography of each informant and excellent translations of each text.

Each text (except the Birkat Hamazon and Ein Ketokeinu) is included in

its entirety and the Yiddish songs are completely transliterated as well. An
appendix gives variants of several of the melodies, and a transliteration
guide and bibliography at the end show that Mr. Heller was serious about
making this volume of musicological value as well as an obvious labor of
love.

In his forward, Mr. Heller explains that, for the sake of clarity and
utility, he converted the pronunciation of the Hebrew songs to Sephardit
and corrected the word stresses. While it is difficult to fiid fault with such
an approach, I, for one, feel that some of the ta'am is lost with only the
Sephardit pronunciation available. The destruction of European Jewry
imposes on us a tremendous obligation to preserve as much of that culture
as possible. Mr. Heller has recorded these wonderful melodies. Through
his biographical sketches, he has made us feel part of a tradition which is
all but lost, but where are the delightful accents about which he speaks so
lovingly in his notes? Above all, I am not sure that anything is really gained
through Mr. Heller's approach: most of the songs are clearly Ashkenazic
in origin, are clearly composed with the "wrong" stresses, and can only be
shifted over to "correct" stresses unnaturally. Even Mr. Heller recognizes
this and has left many of the stresses as they were originally, e.g. Ba-ruch
kEil el-yon a-sher na-tan m'nu-chah. Why not be consistent, and record
things as they were really sung? This is a small point however, especially
considering that Mr. Heller has collected so many European melodies
which appear nowhere else and has cast them into such a usable form. This
volume would be a valuable addition to anyone's collection.

42

MUSIC SECTION

Experts from Ashira Lashem B'chayai (A Testament of Song),
Edited by Charljes Heller

© 1990 Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue
Reprinted couresy of Charles Heller.

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