Renowned Cantor Chaim Adler, Holocaust Remembrance Advocate, Dies at 86
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- Renowned cantor Chaim Adler died at 86.
- He was a leading figure in Ashkenazi cantorial music.
- Adler served as chief cantor in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
- He was a dedicated advocate for Holocaust remembrance.
- Adler was honored with lighting an Independence Day torch.
Chaim Adler, an internationally acclaimed cantor and a prominent figure in Ashkenazi cantorial music, passed away on Saturday, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, just one day before his 87th birthday. Adler, who served as the chief cantor for the Great Synagogue in Tel Aviv and later the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem, was recognized for his powerful lyrical tenor voice and his ability to blend various musical traditions.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1939, Adler began his cantorial journey at a young age, singing alongside his father and later in various choirs. He studied at the "Chafetz Chaim" yeshiva in Kfar Saba and later at the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem. After his military service in the Armored Corps and marrying Shoshana, he received professional training from the renowned cantor Leib Glantz. Throughout his extensive career, Adler served congregations and synagogues in Israel and abroad, including prominent ones in New York, London, and New Jersey.
Upon returning to Israel in the early 2000s, he was appointed chief cantor of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem, a position he held until 2015. Adler was known for incorporating the Hebron Yeshiva tradition, Ashkenazi customs, and Hassidic melodies from the Modzitz and Radomsk dynasties into his performances. Beyond his concert appearances and recordings of cantorial music and Yiddish songs, Adler dedicated significant effort to Holocaust remembrance.
For approximately 15 years, he served as the cantor for the March of the Living in Auschwitz-Birkenau, recited the "El Maleh Rachamim" prayer at memorial sites and former concentration camps in Europe, and led the "Yizkor" prayer at major Siyum Hashas ceremonies. His contributions were recognized with several honors, including being chosen to light a torch at the 2009 Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl, receiving the Jerusalem Prize in 2012, and being named "Yakir Ir" (Distinguished Citizen) of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 2013.
Adler is survived by his wife Shoshana, five children, including singer and grammer Israel Adler, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, among them cantors Simcha and Yisrael Rotenberg.
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