Rabbi Yom-Tov Ehrlich () (1914–1990) was a renowned

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

musician, composer, lyricist, recording artist, and popular entertainer known for his popular

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

music albums. He was born in Kozhan Gorodok and raised in the nearby

Davyd-Haradok Davyd-Haradok or David-Gorodok is a town in Brest Region, Belarus. As of 2025, it has a population of 5,658. History Within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Davyd-Haradok was part of Brest Litovsk Voivodeship. In 1793, Davyd-Haradok was acquired ...

, both then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. He survived

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

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. Later, he moved to

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...

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, United States. Ehrlich was born to a family of Karlin-Stoliner Hasidim. His grandfather, Yom Tov Simcha Ehrlich, was an aide to Rabbi Aharon of Karlin, an early leader of the Hasidic movement. Ehrlich himself was a Hasid of the late Rabbi Yochanan Perlow of Karlin. Some of Ehrlich's favorite songs were later recorded by other popular Hasidic entertainers, such as

Mordechai Ben David Mordechai Werdyger (; born April 16, 1951) is an American Israeli Hasidic Judaism, Hasidic Jewish singer and songwriter who performs under the stage name Mordechai Ben David () or simply MBD. He has released over 46 albums while performing intern ...

, Lipa Shmeltzer,Levy Falkowitz and

Avraham Fried Avraham Shabsi Hakohen Friedman (; born March 22, 1959) better known by his stage name, Avraham Fried, is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish American singer. Career Fried was encouraged towards a music career by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneers ...

, although Ehrlich himself used Russian classical and folk melodies to accompany his own Yiddish lyrics. His most popular songs include: "Yakkob", the tale of a Jew in

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

during the Holocaust; "Shloof mein kind" ("Sleep, my child"), the song of a Jewish woman who finds a child alone in the woods during the Holocaust; and "Williamsburg", a song about Hasidic Williamsburg during the 1950s.

Discography

* The Wandering Jewish Folk Singer *Yiddish Nachas (1960) * Torah (1961) * T'shuva (1962) * Shema B'ni (1963) * Ameritchka (1964) * Emunah (1965) * Shabbos (1967) * Luksus (Double Album) (1967) * Chevlei Moshiach (Double Album) (1969) * Shabchi Yerushalayim (1970) * Middois (1973) * Dai (1974) * Shelo Asani Goy (1975) *Journey Through Song 1 - Lamnatzeach B'naginos (1975) *Journey Through Song 2 - Mizmor L'sodah (1975) *Kol Mevaser (1977) * Yetzias Mitzrayim (2 Volumes) (1978) * Chessed * Elliyohu Hanuvee * A Shabbus Mitten Rebben * Der Satmerer Rebbe (2 Volumes) (1981) * Der Baal Shem Tov (2 Volumes) *Emunas Tzadikim *Shoshanas Yaakov *Ashreinu (2 Volumes) *Hallel *Rannenu Tzadikim (2 Volumes) *Modeh Ani *Bitachon

References

External links

Brooklyn Rail about him

An academic article by Tzipora Weinberg about Yom Tov Ehrlich's music and the primacy of women within it
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehrlich, Yom Tov Hasidic entertainers Hasidic music Yiddish-language singers of Russia Yiddish-language singers of the United States American Orthodox Jews 1914 births 1990 deaths Musicians from Brooklyn People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn People from Mozyrsky Uyezd Soviet emigrants to the United States