Zawel Zilberts waS a conductor, composer and arranger. Born November 7, 1881 in the town of Karlin (suburb of Pinsk, Minsk province, Russian Empire, now Belarus). Father – Rab Baruch-Hirsch Zilberts, a famous cantor, in whose choir he began to sing at the age of nine. In his childhood, Zilberts also learned to play the violin. Later he graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory in the class of the piano and in the composition class.
In the years 1903-1906. was the conductor of the chorus of the society “ha-Zamir” in Lodz (the Kingdom of Poland, the Russian Empire, now Poland). According to contemporaries, Zilberts achieved significant success in this work. At the same time, his first compositions of his own are included: cantatas for the choir, folk songs and their piano arrangements, various arrangements. As a result, an invitation was invited to lead the choir of the Great Moscow Synagogue, which he directed for 8 years. In 1914, Zilberts returned to Lodz, where he again headed the choir of the society “ha-Zamir”. During this period he expanded the traditional repertoire of the choir, including the oratorios of Haydn and Mendelssohn, and so on.
In 1920, Zilbets left for the United States, where he soon became the regent of the North American Cantor Association choir. In addition, he decided to take advantage of his rich European experience and in 1923 in the image and likeness of the ะปะพรณdัะบะพะณะพ society “ha-Zamir” founded the same society in Newark, New Jersey. In 1925, he organized and headed the Silberts Choral Society in New York, and in 1930 – the Zilberts Choral Society in Newark.
Headed by Silberts, the choirs performed in the most prestigious halls of New York: Carnegie Hall and Town Hall. In addition, he established himself as a brilliant teacher: his student was Richard Tucker.
Most of the compositions written by Silbets in the United States belong to the area of โโthe Jewish liturgy. The most significant are the cantata “The Dream of Jacob” written in 1934 and the collection “Synagogal Music” published in 1943.
Zavil Zilberts died at the age of 67 in New York, on April 25, 1949.
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!