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Ben Zion Shenker
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Ben Zion Shenker
Ben Zion Shenker (1925–2016) was a world-renowned American Hasidic composer and hazzan (cantor), associated with the Modzitz hasidic dynasty. Shenker was born in the heyday of the American hazzan. He became interested in the art as a child, and was performing on radio by his early teens. Soon after, he became close to Rabbi Shaul Taub, the Holocaust-surviving Modzitz Grand Rabbi, who was known for his mystical Hasidic compositions. He dedicated much of his life to recording and publishing the large stock of pre-war Modzitz songs, as well as Taub's post-war work. Shenker created a music label, Neginah, for the purpose of recording those songs, and himself became a composer of hundreds Modzitz moded songs.
Shenker's parents were Mordechai and Miriam Shenker, Polish hasidim who came to America about 1921. Their son was born four years later, and they raised him in Williamsburg. He had two brothers and a sister.
Even as a child, he showed interest in cantorial music, preferring to listen to greats such as Yossele Rosenblatt rather than play with toys. Joshua Samuel Weisser (originally Pilderwasser), known as the leading New York cantor of the 1930s, took Shenker into his choir at age 12. Weisser had a Yiddish-language radio program at the time, and Shenker was a soloist on it, with his own 15-minute weekly segment. In performance, mostly during prayers, he was described as having a reedy tenor and perfect pitch. Shenker also studied with teacher and conductor Seymour Silbermintz.
He attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, where he received weekly leave to go to the radio studio for his show, so long as he returned in time for the next study session.
He recorded an album at age 13.
When he was about 14 or 15 he visited Rabbi Shaul Taub's house. Taub was the leader of the Modzitz Hasidim, who were known for their often lengthy and sophisticated musical compositions. While there, the young Shenker sight-read some of Taub's sheet music, which surprised Taub, who asked him to serve as a music secretary. Part of Shenker's job was to write musical notation for Taub, including early drafts of unrecorded compositions.
Shenker continued his studies in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and was ordained a rabbi. He married Dina Lustig, a Cincinnati native, in the late 1940s.
He started the Neginah label in 1956. The name is Hebrew for "playing of music." For its first album, Shenker trained a choir at the residence of the Bessers in Manhattan, former members of the congregation in Crown Heights. The selections consisted of devotional songs for the Saturday night meal known as Melave Malka.
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Ben Zion Shenker
Ben Zion Shenker (1925–2016) was a world-renowned American Hasidic composer and hazzan (cantor), associated with the Modzitz hasidic dynasty. Shenker was born in the heyday of the American hazzan. He became interested in the art as a child, and was performing on radio by his early teens. Soon after, he became close to Rabbi Shaul Taub, the Holocaust-surviving Modzitz Grand Rabbi, who was known for his mystical Hasidic compositions. He dedicated much of his life to recording and publishing the large stock of pre-war Modzitz songs, as well as Taub's post-war work. Shenker created a music label, Neginah, for the purpose of recording those songs, and himself became a composer of hundreds Modzitz moded songs.
Shenker's parents were Mordechai and Miriam Shenker, Polish hasidim who came to America about 1921. Their son was born four years later, and they raised him in Williamsburg. He had two brothers and a sister.
Even as a child, he showed interest in cantorial music, preferring to listen to greats such as Yossele Rosenblatt rather than play with toys. Joshua Samuel Weisser (originally Pilderwasser), known as the leading New York cantor of the 1930s, took Shenker into his choir at age 12. Weisser had a Yiddish-language radio program at the time, and Shenker was a soloist on it, with his own 15-minute weekly segment. In performance, mostly during prayers, he was described as having a reedy tenor and perfect pitch. Shenker also studied with teacher and conductor Seymour Silbermintz.
He attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, where he received weekly leave to go to the radio studio for his show, so long as he returned in time for the next study session.
He recorded an album at age 13.
When he was about 14 or 15 he visited Rabbi Shaul Taub's house. Taub was the leader of the Modzitz Hasidim, who were known for their often lengthy and sophisticated musical compositions. While there, the young Shenker sight-read some of Taub's sheet music, which surprised Taub, who asked him to serve as a music secretary. Part of Shenker's job was to write musical notation for Taub, including early drafts of unrecorded compositions.
Shenker continued his studies in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and was ordained a rabbi. He married Dina Lustig, a Cincinnati native, in the late 1940s.
He started the Neginah label in 1956. The name is Hebrew for "playing of music." For its first album, Shenker trained a choir at the residence of the Bessers in Manhattan, former members of the congregation in Crown Heights. The selections consisted of devotional songs for the Saturday night meal known as Melave Malka.