Subject: Hazzan Simon Kandler 1901 - 2001 - Shloyshim Program on The Yiddish Voice

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

>From: "Mark H. David" <mhd (at) world(dot)std(dot)com>
>Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 12:43:57 -0400
>
>Boston's beloved cantor, Rev. Simon Kandler, passed away on August 7,
>2001, at age 100.  At the time of his death he served as Cantor
>Emeritus of Temple Emeth, Chestnut Hill, MA, where he had served
>actively until 1999, making him at that time the oldest professional
>practicing cantor in the world.
>
>I had the privalege, as host/producer of The Yiddish Voice, Boston's
>weekly Yiddish radio program (http://www.yiddishvoice.com) to work
>with Khazn Kandler on many programs featuring his wonderful voice, his
>irreplaceable Yiddish and Cantorial musical style adding so much to
>our programming. He was a wonderful man to encounter, always friendly,
>always encouraging, and always interested in talking about Yiddish and
>Jewish culture, and especially music. I was especially honored to know
>that he was a devoted listener to our program, and he remained so
>until the last days of his long, wonderful life.
>
>Our chief announcer, Hasia Segal, worked with him at Temple Emeth for
>many decades. And together they trained many hundreds of bar and bas
>mitsvahs.
>
>Our program on Sept. 5, 2001, will honor his memory, featuring Hasia
>Segal's Hesped, words in his memory by Khazn Morton Shames and
>Rev. Meyer Loketch, shamus of Young Israel, and of course many great
>recordings of Khazn Kandler singing -- on WUNR, 1600 AM, Boston,
>Weds., Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m.
>
>Following is a longer obituary prepared by the family.
>
>Wishing all 'a gut yor, a ksive vekhsime toyve',
>
>Mark David, Yiddish Voice, http://www.yiddishvoice.com
>
>
>Mark David (Brookline, MA)
>September 2, 2001
>mhd (at) world(dot)std(dot)com
>
>=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
>Hazzan Simon Kandler died on August 7, 2001, at the age of 100 (plus 1
>month).
>
>Hazzan Simon Kandler, Cantor at Temple Emeth in Brookline, MA since
>1941, was born in Libau, Latvia, in 1901.  Music was a part of his
>upbringing, and at age six, he joined his two older brothers in the
>choir of the Chor Shul in Libau.
>
>Hazzan Kandler studied voice in Berlin at the Stern Conservatory and
>was a member of the choir at the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue under
>Cantor Klein.  He arrived in Boston on November 1, 1923, on the
>Carmenia, one of the last passenger ships to leave Liverpool for the
>U.S. before the Immigration laws were changed in January, 1924.  He
>still has his Boarding Pass from that journey.
>
>>From 1923 until 1939, Hazzan Kandler supported himself through work in
>retailing men's clothing, and also sang in many theater productions
>and on the radio.  In 1933 he was a prize winner in the vocal division
>of the Boston Traveler - Metropolitan Theatre Voice and Piano Contest;
>second prize in the piano division went to Leonard Bernstein.
>
>In 1941, Hazzan Kandler was engaged for the High Holidays by the
>Southern Brookline Community Center, which was later renamed Temple
>Emeth.  He became full-time cantor in 1948, following the completion
>of his tour of duty in the U.S. Army as an Assistant Chaplain at Camp
>Edwards on Cape Cod in MA.  As of July, 2000, he became Cantor
>Emeritus at Temple Emeth.
>
>Cantor Kandler was the recipient of the Hazzan David Putterman Award
>for Exemplary Service, Northeast Region, Jewish Theological Seminary
>in 1994.  There is a Scholarship Fund in his name at the Seminary.
>Hazzan Kandler has been an active member of the Jewish Ministers
>Cantors Association of Boston since 1945, and is a charter member of
>Cantor's Assembly of America.  He received an Honorary Doctorate from
>the Jewish Theological Seminary in February, 1998.
>
>Cantor Kandler was married to his wife Deborah (Shore) for 53 years,
>until her death on the 5th day of Chanukah, 1995, at age 92.  Cantor
>Kandler's daughter, Miriam is married to Jeffrey Sokoloff.  Their
>children are Chava, who is married to Jeff Traurig; Leah, who is
>married to Avi Greengart; and Shoshana, who is married to Harold
>Zazula.  The Cantor has three greatchildren, Aharon Yaakov and Adina
>Esther Traurig and Netanel Zvi Greengart.
>
>
>
>

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+