Nissan Spivak (18241906, born Nissi Belzer) was a Jewish

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

and composer.

Career

Born in , he was cantor in Bălţi (''Beltsy''),

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

, and was generally known as ‘Nisn Beltzer’. Later he was cantor at Kishinev (Bessarabia) and from 1877 at

Berdychiv Berdychiv (, ) is a historic city in Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Berdychiv Raion within the oblast. It is south of the administrative center of the oblast, Zhytomyr. Its population is approximat ...

(now in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

). In his childhood he had an accident which damaged his voice but he had an extensive reputation primarily as a composer and choir conductor. It was his vocal handicap that led him to develop original synagogue music in which the choir, instead of being merely an accompaniment or used for responses, was assigned lengthy ensembles - with solos and duets - reducing the role of the cantor. Spivak attracted many students to Berdychiv, including

Boris Thomashefsky Boris Thomashefsky (, sometimes written Thomashevsky, Thomaschevsky, etc.; ) (1868–July 9, 1939), born Boruch-Aharon Thomashefsky, was a Ukrainian-born (later American) Jewish singer and actor who became one of the biggest stars in Yiddish th ...

and

Lipa Feingold Lipa Feingold (, 1878–1945) was a Russian Empire, Russian-born American songwriter, pianist, composer, and jeweler. The peak of his popularity as a composer was in the 1920s and 1930s; his pieces were performed by many well-known New York Jewish ...

, and took his choirs to other centers, including Hasidic courts. Spivak died in Ukraine and was survived by his son Joseph Spivak.

References

Bibliography

Notes

1824 births 1906 deaths Jews from the Russian Empire Bessarabian Jews Hazzans Jewish composers People from Bălți People from Beletsky Uyezd People from Berdychiv 19th-century male singers from the Russian Empire {{Moldova-bio-stub