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Yossele RosenblattNot only was Josef Rosenblatt known in every corner of the cultured world (Jewish and non-Jewish), but the single word “Yossele” became synonymous with “Wonder-Chazzan.” Unlike many Chazzanim, Rosenblatt never served as a chorister; he was tutored by his father and first officiated at the age of nine. Born in a city of cantors his family moved westward to Sadagora, and he eventually served as a cantor further west in several Austin-Hungarian cities, before settling in the United States in 1912.All of these influences, along with an astounding vocal instrument and compositional creativity, bore fruit in a career in which he commanded unprecedented salaries and recorded around 180 predominantly original compositions. Of all the Chazzanim in America, none enjoyed the stature of Yossele Rosenblatt, who first recorded around 1905. Though born and trained in Europe, Rosenblatt gained his chief renown in America. His appointment by the New York Hungarian community’s synagogue Ohab Tsedek in 1912 and his subsequent American recordings were a coup for this congregation. His first recordings were successful both artistically and commercially. Rosenblatt’s long-standing popularity stems not only from his stunning talents as a singer but also from his unswerving religious faith and his willingness to suffer for it. The oft-repeated story of Rosenblatt’s demurral of a lucrative offer from the Chicago Opera to appear in a production of “La Juive” because it was inconsistent with his religious role did as much to cement this perception as his ultimate descent into popular entertainment against his desires. Rosenblatt was referred to as “The Jewish Caruso”. Rosenblatt’s transition into profane contexts for his chazzanut was made necessary by his naive failed investment in an Orthodox newspaper and a luxury ritual bath, in order to repay the monies to those whom he had also convinced to invest. Rosenblatt agreed to enter the secular performance world; he made movies (two musical shorts for the Warner Brother’s Vitaphone company — Omar Rabbi Elozer and Hallelujah before appearing in their 1927 feature film The Jazz Singer). With thanks to Cantor Sam Weiss |
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