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An Annotated Translation of Pinchas Szerman's Poilishe Khazones In SCRIPTA JUDAICA CRACOVIENSIA Vol. 14 (2016) pp. 99–109 doi: 10.4467/20843925SJ.16.007.5666 A A T P S’ Pਏਉ਌ਉਓਈਅ Kਈਁਚਏ਎ਅਓ ਉ਎ Fਁ਒ਇਁ਎ਇਅ਎ਈਅਉਔ ਕ਎ Tਚਕ਋ਕ਎ਆਔ [T P C P F], 19241 Benjamin Matis (University of Kansas) Key words: Hazzanut, Poland, Cantor, Jewish Ministers Cantors Association, Pinchas Szerman, Moshe Koussvitsky, Gerson Sirota, Great Synagogue of Warsaw Abstract: A translation of a Polemic essay by Cantor Pinchas Szerman, second cantor at the Great synagogue of Warsaw. The essay discusses the many difficulties experienced by cantors in his time, especially the ones who had not be educated. In Szerman’s opinion, the only way to ease the burden – especially the financial burden – was to create a class of educated and professional cantors. The many customs of Polish Jewry that are forgotten today have been annotated as well as basic biographical data on highly influential earlier cantorial masters. Introduction The role of the cantor, or khazan in Hebrew and khazn in Yiddish, is to recite the often very lengthy and rather wordy liturgy. The cantor essentially prays on behalf of the congregation (the Hebrew title Shliach Tzibbur means exactly that), many of whom cannot read Hebrew, and before the printing press even fewer had a prayer books at all. The worshiper needed only to respond “Amen,” to the blessing recited by the cantor to have fulfilled the mitzvah (commandment) of prayer. Unlike a Catholic priest, a cantor or rabbi need not be of some special category: anyone with a decent moral character, Jewishly literate, and had a pleasant voice can serve as khazan. Unfortunately, there were issues relating to the cantor that had to do with showman- ship as well as mangling the liturgy with constant Hebrew mistakes: All complaints on this score, however, were of no avail.2 Cantors were continually censured for vanity and according to Asher ben Jehiel they sang only what was most likely to win ap- 1 Szerman, Pinchas, Poilishe Hazzanus in Past and Future, in: A. Rosen (ed.), The History of Hazanuth, 1st ed., NYC: The Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of America 1924, 49-51 (in Yiddish). 2 See “Bet Yosef” on Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 53; Moses Minz, Res ponsa, No. 87; Judah b. Moses Selichover, “Shire Yehudah”; Isaiah Horwitz, “Shene Luḥot ha-Berit,” section “Tefillah”; Solomon Lipschütz, “Te’udat 2-łamanie.indd 99 2017-01-13 14:23:43 100 B M plause. Their singing was sometimes too loud, and their frequently incorrect pronunciation of Hebrew [text] … [was] constantly a subject of complaint.3 From this passage one can determine that the need for “applause” outweighed all other considerations. Applause could have meant any of a number of things, from actual clapping to the much more desired monetary reward. There were a number of customary pledges made on a Sabbath or Holiday if the cantor was to recite a particular blessing or prayer for someone. The most common term amongst cantors was mishebeyrakh-gelt explained below. It is then entirely possible that if offered a significant enough sum, a cantor could sing a mishebeyrach in a very lengthy and artistic way, much to the dis- satisfaction of others. The perception that the cantor made errors in reciting the liturgy because he was either unlearned, or did not care, as he concentrated solely on his voice and improvisa- tion, developed partly out of the notion of the cantor as artist and ergo not quite religious enough. In the words of Jeremy Lockwood: The crux of what follows hangs on the issue of perception of the saintly rabbi and the frivolous cantor. The identity of the cantor as a holy man, a spokesman for the community, is often in disharmony with the frustrations to which the cantor is susceptible. The liminal quality of the occupation of cantor, which sits in a grey area between the holy, Torah-upholding Jew and the less respectable role of a semi-obscure artist, often led to the suspicion that cantors were not pious and God-fearing Jews.4 The problem with pledges made on Sabbath and holidays was that the cantor then had to collect the fees after the Sabbath or holiday ended. This was not so easy. As salaries were far less than sufficient (see below), cantors considered such oaths for payment quite seriously. Rav Yoel ben Eliezer Sirkis cantor of Leipa in Bohemia (today, Česká Lipa, Czech Republic) was the author of Reiach Nichoach, a broadsheet that was a refutation of an earlier, scathing broadside of unknown authorship from the late 17th century.5 Sirkis first included a complete copy of the text of this anonymous critical broadside, therefore preserving it. The rebuke included all the usual items: Hebraic ignorance, moral deca- dence, and over-the-top musical showmanship.6 Further are charges of gluttony, singing more like shouting, and odd vocal production habits, among others. Of particular inter- est regards the collection of the fees owed a cantor. Apparently some cantors were quite Shelomoh,” No. 21 in C. Adler, M. Schloessinger, J. Jacobs, and A. Kaiser, s.v. Hazzan, Encyclopedia Ju- daica, 1906 Online Edition, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7426-hazzan, accessed 10 August, 2015. 3 Ibid. 4 J. Lockwood, “Legendary Voices: The Education of the Great Cantors (sic): Cantor Samuel Vigoda Opens a Window Onto a Nearly Lost Era,” http://jewishcurrents.org/legendary-voices-the-education-of-the- great-cantors-34100, accessed August 13, 2015. -cf. Bava Metzia 75b). The text and bib) ”נענין ואינן צועקין שלושה“ The broadsheet itself bears the title 5 liographic entry may be found in: “Tadel der Kantoren.” Zeitschrift für Hebraeische Bibliographie 1911, 155-158. 6 Matthew L. Klein (2011), Reiach Nichoach, a Pleasing Aroma: Prayer Leadership and Cantorial Mus- sar in the 18th Century. Unpublished, n.p. 2-łamanie.indd 100 2017-01-13 14:23:59 An Annotated Translation of Pinchas Szerman’s Poilishe Khazones in Fargangenheit un Tzukunf... 101 zealous in their collections and insisted they be paid the fee that was pledged, even if it was a voluntary donation of sorts: Anonymous: And as concerning voluntary donations – why, they consider them as obliga- tions as if they had been lent money to invest. “And such taskmasters are urgent” and take by force. They don’t take a little – but rather a lot! – But it is not written: “Some give a little and some give a lot?”7 Sirkis: And that which was gossiped about hazzanim concerning oaths and vows, God tests both minds and hearts: If so, the author is a miser or a thief or a robber! For is not the hazzan in the place of the high priest? As it is written: “And the high priest was greater than his brethren” [how can this be] if he is poor and has the least? And hazzanim do not take by force! Thus hinders our author in his slanderous course.8 Exposition Pinkhas Szerman (1887-1942) was the khazzan sheini [literally “Second Cantor”] at the Great Synagogue of Warsaw. In 1924, Szerman authored an essay for the thirtieth anniversary gala book of the Khazzonim Farband, also known as the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association, that was entitled The History of Chazzanuth in English and Di Geshekhte fun Khazzones in Yiddish.9 The volume itself is a treasure-trove of charming anecdotes about the truly greatest generation of Khazzanim, when the music of the can- tor was at its cultural and commercial apogee. Szerman’s essay, entitled Poilishe Kha- zones in Fargangenheit un Tzukunft,10 [The Polish Cantorate in the Past and the Future] was neither one of self-congratulation nor praise of the American Farband, however. Sz- erman’s announcement the formation of a Khazzonim Farband in Poland and concluded the essay with a sagacious appeal for funds from the members of the American Farband, many of who were Polish Jews. Szerman’s appeal comes at the very end of an essay that is comprised of pathetic vignettes of abuse, poverty, and humiliation. However, he believed that only by follow- ing a Haskalah-like program of education and professionalization could cantors achieve 7 Ibid., n.p. His first point of defense is that salaries for cantors were almost always inadequate, and that moreover the cantor was like the High Priest, a comparison also made in Teudat Shlomo. Voluntary donations to the cantor in exchange for prayers for health, memorial prayers and so on, usually made over the Torah scroll on a Monday or Thursday morning, were vitally important to his livelihood. Pinchos Szerman attests that these were sometimes very difficult to collect, see below. 8 Ibid., n.p. 9 The History of Hazzanuth: Issued to the 30th Anniversary of the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of America, ed. Aaron H. Rosen, New York 1924. The volume is bi-lingual and can be opened from either side of the book, depending on the language. This volume has considerably more Yiddish than English, while the 1934 volume was completely the opposite. It was self-published by the Farband and printed by the local Pin- ski-Massel Press on the Bowery. Some of the advertising is in Yiddish and some in English. Some included both languages. Advertisements included piano manufacturers like Hardman, Peck or Becker Brothers, seller of pianos as well as phonographs (Brunswick and Victor); Yiddish newspapers like Der Tug and Tageblatt; Kosher catering establishments for weddings; banks; restaurants; trusses; cocoa powder; salad dressing; teas and coffees; several steamship lines. 10 Ibid. 2-łamanie.indd 101 2017-01-13 14:23:59 102 B M a higher social status and ultimately a decent living. This was not unique to Polish Jewry; from the later half of the 19th century, cantors in Austria-Hungary and the German lands strove for the same sort of respect.
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