I would have enjoyed Gary Rosenblatt’s wonderful column, “Rosenblatt … But Not that Rosenblatt” (Sept. 14), even if he had not mentioned my late father, Cantor Avraham Davis. Over the years, I, too, have often been approached by people who wanted to know if I was related to the Cantor Davis who made those recordings. I was proud to say that he was both my father and my teacher. He actually pioneered the making of educational liturgical recordings in the early 1950s in a way that was both beautiful and practical. (Easier said than done).
Interestingly enough, my father’s favorite chazzan was Yossele Rosenblatt. In fact, a few days before my father passed away (a little more than a year ago) my children and I went to see him in his hospital room and brought a recording of “Yossele” singing his beautiful version of “Rachem Nu.”
Abba weakly but accurately sang along with Rosenblatt note for note. I have no doubt that my father’s “neshama” was smiling as we read your article last week.
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, Manhattan
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