Countless men have served the Jewish People as Chazan and became beloved to their congregants who come to admire them for their devotion to their holy calling.

As well as those who became famous, there were also those who toiled on behalf of their members, but whose name did not spread much beyond their own community. Many of them, had the opportunity arisen, might also have made wider names for themselves, but they were content to serve their their own community. I would like to celebrate the lives of these Chazanim too and provide a place where they may be remembered.

Many of the items here are taken from a series of articles that I originally wrote for the Daf Hashavua of the United Synagogue, London. Others are taken from the, now defunct magazine ‘The Cantors’ Review.’ Those from the Cantors’ Review are longer and more detailed.

I would like to include as many as possible, from all parts of the world.

If you would like to contribute to this list, please send your article to me, (rav@shisler.com) together with a suitable photograph, if possible, and I will be very happy to add it.

If you can add anything that I’ve omitted from any of these articles, or correct any errors, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

I would also like to have a photograph of every person on the list. If you can supply me with one that’s missing, or you have a better one that the one I’ve already uploaded, likewise I would appreciate hearing from you.

Rabbi Geoffrey L Shisler

Reproduced above is an historic photograph of Chazanim and Shul musicians from the mid 1930’s. It was taken in the Ernest Schiff Hall of the Great Synagogue, Dukes Place.They are (with Synagogues served, where known):

Front row, left to right;
Rivlis (Great, Dukes’ Place). Fuchsman (East London), Hoffman, Davis, Prince (St John’s Wood), Alman (choirmaster), Mayerowitz (2nd Reader, Great, Duke’s Place), Slavinsky (North London), Boyars (Hampstead), Adelman, Klein (Borough), Elfand (Brondesbury), Halter (Cannon Street Road).
Second row:
Tesler, Grundstein, Morgenstein, Isaacs, Shechter (Cricklewood), Morris (Brixton), Kibel (2nd Reader, New), Krezelman, Hersh, Freilich (Hampstead garden Suburb), Milch (Bethnal Green Great), Feder (Finsbury Park), Gotlieb (Montague Road).
Third row:
Rochman, Kezelman (Jubilee Street?), Smus, Davidson, Genzler, Palatnick, Frank, Levy, Grossman.
Back row:
Kremer, Lawrence and Marcus (accompanist)