Rosenblatt, Josef, 1882-1933

<p>Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882 – June 19, 1933) was a Ukrainian-born chazzan (cantor) and composer. He was regarded as the greatest cantor of his time.[1]<p>

<p>Rosenblatt was born on May 9, 1882, in Bila Tserkva, Russian Empire. The scion of a long line of cantors,[1] Rosenblatt's devoutly religious upbringing prevented him from receiving formal musical training at any of the great academies of his day. He began his career as a member of the local synagogue choir. Quickly lauded as a "wunderkind", or child prodigy, Rosenblatt's solo career was launched.[citation needed] At the age of 7, he moved with his family to Sadigora, Bukovina (Austria).[2]</p>

<p>When he was 17 years old, Rosenblatt went to Vienna for several months, during which he officiated in the largest synagogues of the city. He informally studied with Jacob Maerz, an accomplished singer and musician as well as a wealthy merchant. Rosenblatt's stay in Vienna was followed by an extensive tour of the communities of the Austro-Hungarian empire including Budapest.[3]</p>

<p>At 18 he married Taube Kaufman and accepted his first full-time position at the Chasidic community of Munkacs, Hungary. Shortly afterwards, in 1901, he relocated to Pressburg (Bratislava). Five years later he occupied a position in Hamburg, Germany. In 1912, he moved to Harlem to take a position at the Ohab Zedek orthodox congregation.[1] In August 1927, he left his position at the Ohab Zedek congregation. During the following High Holy Days, he led the services in a hall in Chicago and, on Sukkot, in Detroit. During the succeeding months, he traveled throughout the United States, leading services in cities such as Minneapolis, Seattle, Indianapolis, Columbus, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. In Washington, D.C., he met with then-President Calvin Coolidge. In 1928, he signed a 10-year contract with First Congregation Anshe Sfard, located in Borough Park, Brooklyn.</p>

<p>Rosenblatt's fame extended beyond the Jewish world earning him large concert fees, a singing role in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, and the sobriquet "The Jewish Caruso".[1]</p>

<p>
In the early 1920s, Rosenblatt was approached by two men who wanted to start a new Jewish newspaper in New York – they asked him to be a part of the enterprise. It excited him. He thought it would lead to a lot of money and at last financial freedom, so he signed on. But by signing on, he signed on as what appears to be a guarantor of the financial success of the venture. It was not financially successful, Rosenblatt used up his savings as well as a lot of his current income, but the creditors kept gaining on him.</p>

<p>In January 1925, the failure of the newspaper venture forced Yossele Rosenblatt to file for bankruptcy.[4] Although legally freed of most of his debts, he vowed to repay them anyway.[5]</p>

<p>
Rosenblatt was then offered a chance to participate in the making of a film in Mandatory Palestine. Although payment would depend again on the financial success of the film, he decided to take another chance. For one thing, it would get him away from his creditors, and for another, it would allow him to see Israel, where he had never been.</p>

<p>With his wife and two youngest children (some of his older children were adults, and they took in their other younger siblings to permit their parents to travel), he went to Israel, where he decided he would stay, although he apparently was not sure he could support himself in this small colony.</p>

<p>
He died of a heart attack at the age of 51 on June 19, 1933, in Jerusalem.[6]</p>