The Amazing Goldfarbs

[SamWeiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 10:15 AM 12/14/01, you wrote:
>granddaughter of Samuel Goldfarb, whom she names as composer, and S. S. 
>Grossman as lyricist. This woman, Susan Wolfe, also claims that Sam and 
>his brother Israel wrote the melodies for Shalom Aleichem, the Friday 
>night Kiddush, Adon Olam and the "traditional" Birkhat Hamazon.

... and Kol Nidre, and Hatikvah, and Maoz Tzur, and (Just kidding.)

Anyway, the Goldfarbs were very influential in gnerating American 
congregational singing, and they did write the melody for Shalom Aleichem, 
but not the other 3 that are listed.  Maybe Susan Wolfe confused having 
these songs included in the copious Goldfarb songbooks with the brothers' 
having composed them.  Many of the songbook items are listed as 
"traditional" or "adapted" while others name the composer other than 
Goldfarb.
The Friday night Kiddush comes in many strains and variations, but the 
popular "tune" that starts with "ki vanu vacharta..." which is included in 
the Goldfarbs' "Friday Evening Melodies" was written by Louis 
Lewandowski.  The standard Adon Olam is generally attributed to Cantor
Eliezer Gerowitch (1844?1914).  As for the Birkat Hamazon, this was was an 
arrangement by cantor Moshe Nathanson (who also composed Hava Nagila) of 
the German nusach for these prayers.

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

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