Amsterdam's Choir of the Great Synagogue 1935

November 1935, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the NIHS Jewish Community of Amsterdam (orthodox Ashkenazi congregation started 1635) the dutch film factory Polygoon brought this unique cinema sound newsreel of the Amsterdam Choir of the Great Synagogue led by choirmaster Samuel Henri (Sam) Englander, with a solo perfomance by chazzan (cantor) Izrael Eljasz Maroko in the Great Synagogue (inauguration building 1671) - now home to the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, Holland (Ref 1).
As the Amsterdamsche Joodsche Koor (Amsterdam Jewish Choir), the choir also performed in non-religious venues, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw (Ref 2). The choir’s repertoire was expanded to include what were referred to as Eastern European Jewish folksongs and modern Palestinian-Jewish songs (i.e., contemporary Hebrew songs).
The Choir of the Great Synagogue and Amsterdam Jewish Choir was composed of the following singers (those marked with an asterisk sang during synagogue services):
Giacomo Aletrino (tenor)
Marcus Bonn (bass)
Joop Delcanho* (tenor)
David Duque (bass)
Michel Gobets (tenor)
Nathan Gobets Sr.* (tenor)
Barend Levie Muller* (bass)
Meijer Nebig* (baritone)
Lou Nieweg* (tenor)
David Peeper* (baritone)
Louis Polak (bass)
Jo Rabbie* (baritone)
Sal Stodel (baritone)
Bernard de Wit (bass)
Louis de Wit* (bass)
Of all of them, only Lou Nieweg is known to have survived the Second World War.
NL (dutch)
November 1935, ter gelegenheid van het 300-jarig bestaan van de NIHS Joodse Gemeenschap van Amsterdam (de Asjkenazische gemeente Amsterdam of 'Nederlands Israëlitische Hoofd Synagoge') kwam het Polygoon bioscoopjournaal met deze unieke geluidsfilm van het Amsterdams Koor der Grote Synagoge onder leiding van koordirigent Samuel Henri (Sam) Englander, met een solo van oppervoorzanger Izrael Eljasz Maroko in de Grote Synagoge in Amsterdam (inwijding gebouw 1671) - nu het Joods Historisch Museum (Ref 1).
Het koor trad ook op als het Amsterdamsche Joodsche Koor op niet-religieuze locaties, waaronder het Amsterdamse Concertgebouw (Ref 2). Het uitgebreide repertoire van het koor omvatte ook zogenaamde Oost-Europese Joodse volksliederen en moderne Palestijnse-Joodse liederen (d.w.z. hedendaagse Hebreeuwse liederen).
Het Koor der Grote Synagoge en het Amsterdam Joods Koor bestond uit de volgende zangers (die met een asterisk gemarkeerd, zongen tijdens synagoge-diensten):
Giacomo Aletrino (tenor)
Marcus Bonn (bas)
Joop Delcanho * (tenor)
David Duque (bas)
Michel Gobets (tenor)
Nathan Gobets Sr. * (tenor)
Barend Levie Muller * (bas)
Meijer Nebig * (bariton)
Lou Nieweg * (tenor)
David Peeper * (bariton)
Louis Polak (bas)
Jo Rabbie * (bariton)
Sal Stodel (bariton)
Bernard de Wit (bas)
Louis de Wit * (bas)
Alleen van Lou Nieweg is bekend dat hij de Tweede Wereldoorlog heeft overleefd.
References
1. De Eerste Zichtbare Synagoge Van West-Europa. Amsterdam (Netherlands) : Joods Historisch Museum | jck.nl ; (accessed 2019 Aug 30). Link URL: jck.nl/nl/long...
2. Anton Kras. The Choir of the Great Synagogue, Amsterdam, Holland. Tel Aviv (Israel) : Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot | www.bh.org.il ; (accessed 2019 Aug 30). Link URL: www.bh.org.il/...
Credit / Edit / Source info :
Source: Polygoon-Profilti courtesy of Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision (Public Domain - Open Images).
Amsterdam's Choir of the Great Synagogue 1935 (20190830) Michel van der Burg | miracles.media - CC BY 4.0 .

[@2xanaida]

That is beautiful - and tragic that they were so mercilessly swept away just 5 years later: but God’s people endure

[@michelvanderburg]

thank you

[@deyoungaza]

THESE were my people. THIS was my music.

[@divemylollol6152]

Amazing

[@antoniodepombo1672]

My great grand father belonged to this tradition. Beautiful.

[@rhondaclark4173]

Thank you for putting this online

[@breuers2gether998]

This is the most amazing thing I have seen on the internet recently!

[@michelvanderburg]

yes .. one of the first sound films too

[@elirab52]

Thank you for posting!

[@bernardovid2855]

Thank you for posting this

[@gabrielhefez5377]

Buenísimo escalofriante ;???

[@clivekandel6057]

"Ma'oz Tzur" (Hebrew: מָעוֹז צוּר Māʾōz Ṣūr) is a Jewish liturgical poem or piyyut. It is written in Hebrew, and is sung on the holiday of Hanukkah, after lighting the festival lights. The name is a reference to the Hasmonean stronghold of Beth-zur. This Hebrew song is thought to have been written sometime in the 13th century. It was originally sung only in the home, but has been used in the synagogue since the nineteenth century or earlier. In more recent years, of its six stanzas sometimes only the first stanza is sung (or the first and fifth

[@natibanet1133]

This is indeed the classic melody of Ma'oz Tzur as we know it. However, the words that are being sung here are from the Hallel that is cited during jewish holidays (also Hanukkah!) and at the beginning of a jewish month.

[@clivekandel6057]

@@natibanet1133 are we related? Banet in my family. Look up Arnold De Vries my cousin. [e-mail]

[@carlabroderick5508]

Thank you, I once heard some choir music in Hebrew, sounded as though from the classical period. Now one can watch Kol Nidre on CZcams by great cantors, but this the Great Synagogue in Amsterdam in 1935! Beautiful cultural treasure.

[@marcvcivsnoveboracensis]

BD"E.