The Unwavering Spirit: Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt's Sacred Stand

Cleofonte Campanini was at a loss. "Nobody says no to me!" he repeated time and again. "Anything can be bought with money," he added, tugging at his beard.

Campanini, the manager of Chicago's "Grand Opera," one of the most prominent cultural stages in the U.S. during the 1930s, stumbled upon a Jewish cantorial concert in 1931. He was profoundly impressed by the cantor's unique voice and style, and immediately offered him a $17,000 contract to participate in a Jewish opera at the Chicago Opera House. It was a fortune in those days when laborers earned a dollar a week. To his surprise, the Jewish cantor refused. Campanini promised him that he would perform exclusively with Jews and on Jewish themes. But the cantor replied, "I am a cantor in a synagogue, praying the High Holy Day prayers. It is not respectful for me to appear in an opera house that represents secular culture." Campanini was persistent and directed his request to the Great Synagogue of New York, where the cantor performed. However, the synagogue managers replied that indeed, it was not respectful. The cultural world was stunned by the Jewish cantor's adamant refusal to accept such a considerable sum, despite being promised all the necessary conditions.

This cantor was Yossele Rosenblatt, who, unlike many other cantors of that era, was meticulous about both the small and great matters. He also respected Jewish tradition and prayer, seeing himself as a representative of the community and not as an entertainer profiting from his talents.

Yossele was known for his generosity, often volunteering at fundraising events across America. A year earlier, Yossele had committed to a charity event on the West Coast, but unforeseen circumstances led to a lack of public transportation. He chartered an entire train to reach the event, saying, "Millions of charity dollars depend on this." Indeed, the story spread, and the event raised an unimaginable amount of charity funds, as guests were amazed by the dedication of the famous Jewish cantor.

Later, the Warner Brothers approached him to produce one of the first talking films in history, featuring a Jewish cantor who becomes a jazz singer and then returns to his roots. They again offered a significant sum for his participation, but Yossele replied that a cantor of sacred prayers is not an actor in a film. However, due to financial pressures stemming from his generosity, he agreed to record cantorial pieces for the soundtrack, which would serve as background music for the film. During the recordings in Hollywood, he met the famous actor Charlie Chaplin, who confessed to him that whenever he felt sad, he listened to his cantorial music, which uplifted his spirits. Yossele's cantorial music, with six hundred recorded songs distributed to this day, is indeed touching and moving and considered of the highest order of all known cantorial music.

In 1933, Yossele was invited to visit the Land of Israel and perform cantorial works connected to the places he visited. He responded positively and with enthusiasm, as he had never visited the Land of Israel, and his sensitive soul yearned for it. He arrived in the spring of 1933. Festive receptions were held in his honor wherever he went. On the first night of Passover, he prayed in the "Ohel Shem" hall in Tel Aviv, and on the seventh day of Passover, he was in the Mea Shearim yeshiva in Jerusalem, at the Sdeger Rebbe's tish, and elsewhere. After Passover, the tour of historical sites began. On Lag Ba'Omer, he performed in Meron, singing from the melodies of Meron. Two weeks later, he traveled to the Jordan River, and while sailing, he sang "The Jordan Turned Back," a very well-known scene. In the month of Sivan, he headed towards the south. At Rachel's Tomb, he sang his famous composition "A Voice Is Heard on High." The film crew traveled with him to the Dead Sea to film some more songs, but the Israeli climate, to which he was not accustomed, took a toll on his breathing and health. He was rushed from site to site in severe heat and exerted himself greatly to perform the songs and cantorial pieces. During one performance, a blood vessel burst in his head due to exertion. He collapsed by the Dead Sea and passed away shortly after, at the age of just 51.

The Jewish community was in shock. In Jerusalem, a work stoppage was declared, and thousands followed his coffin to the Mount of Olives. Rabbi Kook eulogized him: "My lyre and peaceful music have become a mourner's lament." Indeed, Yossele Rosenblatt managed to sanctify Hashem's name through his creation and moving prayer, maintaining a prestigious spiritual lifestyle befitting a community representative.