Joshua Samuel Weisser (Pilderwasser) was born in 1888 in Novaya Ushitsa, Ukraine.
Joshua Samuel Weisserย was renowned in cantorial circles in America as a cantor, teacher, cantorial critic, and composer of traditional liturgical settings as well as recitatives for student cantors. He was born in Novaya Ushitsa in the Ukraine, and he studied with a number of local cantors in the region. After accepting his first cantorial post in 1909, he became a pupil of Cantor Eliezer Mordecai Gerovitch (1844โ1914), one of the most learned and classically oriented cantor-composers in the Russian Empire, whose own music in many ways exemplifies the eastern European modernizedย khor shulย in its blend of cantorial tradition and Western musical sophistication.
Weisser immigrated to the United States in 1914, where he proceeded to serve several New York synagogues and to establish a coveted reputation as a teacher of cantorial artโat a time when formal cantorial schools had yet to be established. Among his students were many who went on to become internationally famous cantors, including the young Rueben Ticker, whoโthough he remained a devoted functioning cantor throughout his lifeโsubsequently became known as Richard Tucker, one of the reigning tenors of the Metropolitan Opera, recognized throughout the world as one of the eraโs leading operatic virtuosi. Weisser served as general secretary and, eventually, as president of the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association (Hazzanim Farband)โthe principal cantorial association at that time in the greater New York areaโand acquired the status of a โdeanโ of cantors in the region. His home is said to have been a regular meeting place for students, cantorial colleagues, choirmasters, and others who sought his counsel.
Weisserโs published recitatives and choral settings embrace virtually the entire liturgy of the annual cycle. He also notated Hassidic melodies, wrote original songs of Hassidic character, and composed Yiddish quasi-art songsโmostly in the style of elevated folksongs. He contributed articles aboutย hazzanutย and other aspects of Jewish music to various journals and periodicals, delivered papers at cantorial meetings, and, in a number of articles inย Di khazonim velt[Di shul un di khazonim veltย ]โan international cantorial newspaper published monthly in Warsaw from 1933 to 1939 but widely disseminated outside Polandโhe reported on the state of cantorial art in America and on related professional matters and issues.
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!