Yossele Rosenblatt
Ashkenazi chazzan and composer who shaped cantorial music's Golden Age.
Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882 – June 19, 1933) was an Ashkenazi chazzan and composer.
Born in Bila Tserkva, then part of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), Rosenblatt came from a family of cantors. His religious upbringing meant he never received formal musical training at major academies. He started singing in his local synagogue choir and was soon called a child prodigy, launching his career. When he was seven, his family moved to Sadigora, Bukovina.
At seventeen, Rosenblatt spent several months in Vienna, leading services at the city's largest synagogues. He studied informally with Jacob Maerz, a wealthy merchant who was also an accomplished singer and musician. After Vienna, he toured communities across the Austro-Hungarian empire, including Budapest. He married Taube Kaufman at eighteen. His first full-time position was with the Hasidic community of Munkacs, Hungary. He moved to Pressburg in 1901, then to Hamburg, Germany in 1906, and finally to Harlem, New York City, in 1912 to serve at the Ohab Zedek orthodox congregation.
In the early 1920s, two men approached him about starting a new Jewish newspaper in New York. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, he agreed. The contract, however, made him a guarantor of the paper's success. When the venture failed, he drained his savings and much of his income to cover the debts. He filed for bankruptcy in January 1925. Though legally released from most debts, he vowed to repay them anyway. He left Ohab Zedek in August 1927, leading High Holy Day services in Chicago, then Sukkot services in Detroit. Over the following months, he traveled across the United States, leading services in Minneapolis, Seattle, Indianapolis, Columbus, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., where he met President Calvin Coolidge. In 1928, he signed a ten-year contract with First Congregation Anshe Sfard in Borough Park, Brooklyn. His fame spread beyond the Jewish world, earning large concert fees, an offer of a role in the 1927 film *The Jazz Singer* (which he declined), and the nickname "The Jewish Caruso."
Rosenblatt was offered a role in a film to be made in Mandatory Palestine. He took the chance, even though payment depended on the film's success. The opportunity got him away from his creditors and allowed him to see Eretz Yisrael for the first time.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1882-05-09
- Birth Place
- Bila Tserkva, Russian Empire
- Death Date
- 1933-06-19
- Death Place
- Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
- Genre
- Jewish music
- Occupations
- Cantor, hazzan, singer, composer, conductor, actor
- Years Active
- 1886–1933
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Rosenblatt was born into a long line of cantors in Bila Tserkva, Russian Empire. His devout upbringing prevented formal musical training, but he began as a synagogue choir member and was soon labeled a child prodigy. His family moved to Sadigora, Bukovina when he was 7. At 17, he officiated in Vienna's largest synagogues and informally studied with Jacob Maerz. He married Taube Kaufman at 18, then held positions in Munkacs, Pressburg, Hamburg, and finally Harlem, New York City at Ohab Zedek in 1912.
In the early 1920s, he was approached to help start a Jewish newspaper in New York. He agreed, but the contract made him a financial guarantor; when the venture failed, he drained his savings and much of his income to cover the debts. He filed for bankruptcy in January 1925 but vowed to repay everyone. He left Ohab Zedek in August 1927, traveling across the U.S. to lead services and even meeting President Coolidge. In 1928, he signed a ten-year contract with First Congregation Anshe Sfard in Borough Park, Brooklyn. His fame earned him large concert fees, an offer to appear in the 1927 film *The Jazz Singer* (which he turned down), and the nickname "The Jewish Caruso." A popular but unverified story claims that Enrico Caruso was so moved by Rosenblatt's singing of 'Elli Elli' that he rushed the stage and kissed him—though this tale is apocryphal and not established fact.
Reader's Guide
Rosenblatt's significance lies in his transformative impact on cantorial music. He led the transition from a freestyling, cadenza-laden approach to a more structured, metered style. He pioneered techniques such as the krekhts (a deliberate sob) and a realistic soprano falsetto to ease vocal strain. His recordings, first issued on 78 RPM records, have been reissued on LP and CD, including the set Od Yosef Chai. His influence extended to the broader music world: Toscanini sought him for an opera role, but Rosenblatt declined, stating he would only use his voice for religious service. He also turned down a 'golden hello' from the Chicago opera house due to religious principles. His legacy includes over 180 preserved compositions and the adoption of his techniques by cantors worldwide. His great-grandsons include rabbis Jonathan Rosenblatt and Andrew Rosenblatt.
Did You Know?
- Rosenblatt was offered a singing role in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer.
- He met President Calvin Coolidge while in Washington, D.C.
- He died of a heart attack at age 51 in Jerusalem.
- Enrico Caruso was reportedly so moved by Rosenblatt's singing of 'Elli Elli' that he ascended the stage and kissed him.
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