Re: Hazanim in NYC w/ tradl Nusach

[Allen Davis <adavis...>]

My father (Ben Davis) was a yontoivim chazzan, with interviews and 
auditions every year at small, semi-starving shuls in South Phila. I 
accompanied him to some of these, and young as I was, I still remember the 
shameful way he was treated. I watched as he forced himself to smile 
through the abuse and insult (and praise, almost simultaneously!).

If "Chasendl oif Shabbes" is the positive view in song of this auditioning 
process, does anyone know whether there is a negative view featured in 
Yiddish song?

Allen


>Cantors in NY have not often had a golden age.  My uncle, Dr. Samuel
>Margoshes (who is best known for his dailty front-page column in Der Tag),
>was a co-editor/author of a book that described in detail the Jewish
>community in NYC in 1917, when all but 2-3% of the synagogues were Orthodox.
>A chapter by a cCantor is sad.  He described how it was the regular practice
>to ask Cantors to audition for a position, without pay, and repeat this
>weekly for as long as months before hiring one, who they might then fire in
>less than a year.  It is no wonder that those who could took their talents
>to the theater.
>

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