CANTOR HIRSCH LAIB KATZ 'M'LOCH'

One of Our Unsung Heros

Cantor Zvi Yehuda Katz, 1903 -1995 was born in the Carpathian Mountain town of Sanok, Galicia in Poland. As a child, with the onset of World War I, he emigrated with his family to Antwerp, Belgium where he was eventually engaged by Linath Hazedek Congregation. As an omed kunstler, synagogue artist, he would travel with his brother and manager, Yitchok Maier, on Pullman trains, all over Europe to sing in countless synagogues for Shabes and concerts. By the time he was 30 years old, he had conquered the synagogues Europe -- vocally.
Young Cantor Katz, in his early twenties, had to receive special dispensation from the Chief Rabbi of Paris so that he could sing in the Great Synagogue of Paris because he was not yet married. Having received this dispensation he was invited to Baron Guy Rothchilde to his home during his stay on the Sabbath while in Paris.
He later went to England where for eighteen years 1936- 1954 he occupied important positions as First Cantor of the United Synagogue. He officiated with Dayan Morris Swift and Chief Rabbi Brodie of the British Empire at the Brixton Hill Synagogue. Other pulpits and congregations that were fortunate enough to hear him were: The Cricklewood Synagogue, Catford Synagogue, the New Synagogue of London, The North Manchester Synagogue and the Greenbank Drive Hebrew Congregation of Liverpool, England.
In 1937 he married his wife, Rachel Fertleman. At their betrothal ceremonies (Tanoim) in London, most of the dynastic hassidic families were represented because both he and Rachel were related to: Tzadi Gerer, Primishlana, Twersky and Satmar families. Together they had three children. During the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, Cantor Katz continued to fulfill his duties on the bimah. During the continuous daily bombardments by the German Luftwaffe and the unbearable knowledge that his entire family, only a few kilometers away had undoubtedly perished on the streets of Belgium or in the concentration camps. He stood firm as both a Shaliach Tzibur and one to whom one could look towards for spiritual succor.
In 1954, upon his arrival in the United States, Cantor Katz settled with his family in Boro Park, Brooklyn and was engaged Congregation Shomeray Emunah, Congregation Talmud Torah of Flatbush and finally, Congregation B'nai Brith Jacob of Savannah, Georgia.
For those who did not hear Cantor H. L. Katz, it is necessary to describe his voice and talent because it was one of those voices and cantoral personalities that was truly indicative of the age which gave birth to the Golden Age of Chazzanuth. Although classically trained and in possession of the very best qualities of one who sang with the bel Canto method; he did not pursue a career as a concert or opera singer. He was known to have taken his mother to a performance of Wagner's Parsifal in Brussels only to have her run from the theater at the sign of genuflection.
As to his voice, he possessed a beautiful timbre, (often compared to Benjiamino Gigli), a highly-trained lyric-dramatic tenor of considerable range, with a beautiful mezza di voce and a solid B natural above the staff. He received his training from foremost instructors in voice and cantors of the cantoral art which included such giants as Gantmann and Rabincoff from Odessa and eminent professors of voice: the great tenor, Sylvano Isalberti 1875 -- 1940 in Brussels and Bialsky respectively.
Cantor Katz also had a repertoire of the finest liturgical interpretations (recitativi), operatic arias, Yiddish and Israeli folk songs. Aside from his vocal gifts, what makes him perhaps more interesting than most cantors of his day is that he documented, in the form of meticulous manuscripts, the Eastern European Nusah Ha-Tefilah which was not fully known to us today. In 2003 through 2005, some 1300 manuscripts, which he had personally transcribed in the 1920 and 30s were given to Prof. Sylvan Kalib for inclusion in his maxim opus, The Musical Tradition of the Eastern European Synagogue. Encyclopedic in scope, it is designed to comprehensively document and explain the totality of that musical-liturgical tradition, developed in Eastern Europe and transplanted in the United States. This study was published in 2002 by Syracuse University Press.
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