Huzzah! hazzanut concert at the Tower of David
For many in the Jewish faith, the high holidays represent a chance for penance, forgiveness and renewal. For many cantors, though, the lengthy liturgy of Rosh Hashana and the all-day prayathon of Yom Kippur also offer a chance to show off their stuff. As the high holidays quickly approach, a number of cantors are getting into the holiday spirit (if such a thing can be said about a time that is termed in Hebrew as the Days of Awe) by flexing their vocal chords for the paying public at the Tower of David.
As in years past, the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem's Old City, fresh off a party with much more earthly pursuits, will be hosting a nighttime concert of some of the best cantors, or hazzanim, around, singing those very songs that make the High Holiday services so long, yet special, and throwing in a few other "hits" as well.
Many of these hazzinim will be performing at synagogues around Israel and the world for the holidays; many of the larger, upper-crust venues bring in the big guns in hazannut to highlight the services (there's nothing like a tone deaf Hinneni to ruin everybody's Yom Kippur).
According to concert director Motti Freidman, who runs the Herzl Museum, this year will see a changing of the guard from the giants of hazzanut past to a newer class of singer. While Asher Hainovitz will bear the torch for the old school alongside up and comers Shlomo Glick (seen here in a past concert), Yochanan Hoenig, Simon Cohen, Reuven Pinsky and Yechezkel Klang.
"These are really the up and coming stars," Freidman said.
This year, the 18th of the concert series, the concert is paying tribute to legendary cantor Mordechai Hershman, who toured all over pre-war Europe, before becoming the hazzan in residence at a Brooklyn synagogue in the 1920's. Though they were actually friends, Hershman was seen during much of his career as the "rival" to the more famous Yossele Rosenblatt, and actually sang at Rosenblatt's Jerusalem funeral in 1933. (The Tower of David paid tribute to Rosenblatt in 1996). Though Hershman never composed any music, he popularized several melodies still in use today.
The Hershman focus on the concert means that though many of the cantors are used to praying to God in Hebrew and Aramaic, for the concert they will perform several songs in Yiddish, the newer Jewish language hybrid.
Freidman said the choice of the Tower of David for the concert is an obvious one.
"Jerusalem at night, at the Tower of David, there's something magical about it," he said.
The concert will take place on September 8 at 8:30 p.m. under the stars in the Tower of David's amphitheater. It's a good introduction to the impending high holidays and Jewish prayer-music for the expert and uninitiated both.
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