Herman Zalis – conductor, composer, organist, teacher. He was born in 1885 on the territory of the Russian Empire.
He was a choir of the Odessa synagogue of Brodsky, whose choir regent was David Novakovsky. It was Novakovsky who became the first music teacher for Zalis. Later, Zalis managed to enroll in the St. Petersburg Conservatory, in which he studied in the composition class with Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 1916 the tour of Clara Jung, which toured in Petrograd, put his operetta “Khatskele Kolboynik” on the libretto of Yehuda Leib Baumvol (directed by Wolf Zilberberg).
In 1923 he immigrated to the United States, where together with actor Wolf Shumsky wrote for the New York theater “Hopkinson” the operetta “Velv shaygets / Velvet hooligan”, which premiered on December 31, 1924.
By this time, Zalis had already taken office as chorus master of the Temple Emanuel synagogue in Borough Park, New York. From that moment until his death, he remained in office. For 45 years, Zalis has worked with such outstanding cantors as Zvulun Quarters, Benjamin Levitt, David Kusewitsky. Their cooperation continued beyond the synagogue. For Zvolun of the House, Zalis recorded and prepared for publication a three-volume collection of liturgical compositions and recitative: “Zmirot Zvulun” (New York, 1928). Zalis was also a long-time accompanist of the Apartment, with whom in 1924 he made a series of entries for Brunswick, and Koussevitzky, with whom he worked for Columbia and Tikva. In addition, for 12 years, Zalis worked as an orchestrator of the department of foreign music RCA-Victor.
Among his students were the cantors Henry Wahrman, Paul Sheldon and Louis Danto.
Herman Zalis died in April 1969 in New York, USA.
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa ๐
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wifeโs sister was my stepmother, so Iโm interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wifeโs daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. Iโd like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemerโs โSheleg Al Iriโ. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew ืืงืืื ืขืืืื . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
ืฉืืื ืฉืืขืื!
ืื ืฉืืืชื ืืืชื. ืขืืืชื ืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืคืืจืืืจ 1998 ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ื ืืืืืืกื ืืงืื ืืช ืืขืืจื ืืืงืฆืืขืืช ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืงืืืืช ืื ืืืฉืจืื. ืื ืกืืคืืจ ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉื ืืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื. ืืื ืืื ืื ืื 9. ืืขืช ืืื ืื 36 ืืืชืคืงื ืืืืคื ืขืฆืืื. ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืขืชืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืจื, ืืืืจืื ืืคืืื ืฆืืืช, ืืื ืืืื ืฆืจืืืื ืืขืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื ืจืืื!
ืืฉื ืงืื ื
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!