Yom Tov Ehrlich

[Sam Weiss <samweiss...>]

<ro (at) panix(dot)com> <mailto:ro (at) panix(dot)com>writes:

     >I was wondering (as I dig out from the piles recently scrounged 
    from old record stores) if
     >anyone can provide a little information on the maker of one 
    Chassidic tape I came across.  My >phonetic reading is only fair, 
    but I believe this tape was made by "Yom Tov Erlich".

Yom Tov Ehrlich was a gentle diminutive chassidic badkhn who plied his 
trade (in this country, at least) in post WW II Williamsburg.  "Badkhn" 
doesn't quite describe him; "musical maggid" is closer to the mark.  His 
Yiddish lyrics areminiature sermons heavy with citations from Jewish 
lore, and evocative moralizingdescriptions of the Old World chassidic 
lifestyle and its heroes.  He didperform at weddings, either singing at 
the microphone or playing rudimentary accordion as a sideman in the band 
(conspicuous against the tuxedoed instrumentalists with his "kapote" and 
flowing beard) but he did not necessarily address the bride and groom.  
He was also conspicuous in this Hungarian Jewish community with his 
Lithuaninan Yiddish pronunciation. (A Lubavitch turncoat? A Misnagdic 
convert?).  He performed mainly at communal events and on his 3 dozen 
orso recordings. 

     >The title of the tape is, I think "Emunot Tzadikim" (The Faith of 
    the Tsadik?).  Its a good >listen, I wonder if anyone can tell me a 
    little more... Of course, it may be that this was made by > the 
    "Emunot" tsadiks, (never heard of them, but that proves nothing) and 
    that they  are holiday >songs and I don't get erlich.

The title "Emunas Tzadikim" can mean "The Faithof the Tsadik," as you 
say, but also suggests "Faith in the Tsadik".  "Yom Tov" is the artist's 
first name, so there's no necessary connection with "holiday" implied -- 
though the observance of Shabbes and Yontef is a common theme of his.  
His surname "Ehrlich" means "pious, upstanding" -- so his real name also 
had the ring of a stage name in his chosen career. 
BTW, Avraham Fried, the chassidic singing star, has produced two albums 
of Yom Tov Ehrlich's material ("Yiddish Gems" and "Yiddish Gems II") .  
The tender persuasion of Ehrich's original style gives way to the 
superstar's elan, but it's a good introduction to the material.  You can 
check out the audio samples at

http://www.mostlymusic.com/albumdetails.asp?albumid=2529

______________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ

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