I recently heard that Teddy Silbermintz, Choir Director at my elementary school who recruited me to be in his High Holiday shul choir, passed away recently. First I heard it from Fran & then yesterday I received an email out of the blue from his daughter, Sandra Silbermintz.
I really haven't spoken to the man since 1975. I don't think we've had any contact since I left his choir in 9th grade, but the more I think about it, the more I realize the impact he had on me & what turned out to be my career.
I sang in his High Holiday choir for 5 years. For 5 years from 5th grade thru 9th grade I left my family for Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur. For 2 years we sang in East Flatbush in Rabbi JJ Hecht's shul. I believe I stayed in the shul one year & one year with Tillie & Lou Fisch who lived in that neighborhood. Then for 3 years we sang at the Brighton Beach Jewish Center which coincidentally was where my parents got married. The Chazan there was & amazingly still is, Herzl Pineles, whom I have recently been in touch with thru the CCA Conventions. It was he that I first saw walk down the aisle while singing "Hinneni".
I think I used to get paid $75 & then when I became a soloist, maybe $100. Back then Selichos night the shul would be packed & it would take a good 2 & a half hrs. The ladies still used to cry during davening.
I guess I was a bridge connecting the tail end of the previous generation of old-timers to the current generation where so much has changed.
I wish I was in contact with the other kids in the choir. I often search on Facebook for those few names that I remember, but haven't stumbled on anyone yet.
Nothing humorous or cute here, but I just wanted to put this down in writing somewhere & share this with the family.
Hope all you Yankees survived the Great Earthquake of 2011. I just had this vision of Meir about to miss the winning putt when the earthquake hit causing the ball to double back & sink that "eagle".
Click here to read email exchange with Sandra Silbermintz.
Wow Abba, both the e-mail and the post you put up are very nice. Don't you have to write an article for the inside ASBEE around yomin noraim every year ( I remember when you wrote about becoming a zaidy when Yossi was born). This seems like a good type of thing to write in an article around that time. Just a thought. Love ya and miss ya! We don't have any natural disasters here bli ayin hara, just record August heat of 116 degrees.
ReplyDeleteI emailed Sandra but haven't heard from her yet. suri - Isn't a sand storm considered a natural disaster? or maybe a phenomenon
ReplyDelete