After a series of sessions, extending over two days, the Committee on Synagogue Music and Revision of Union Hymnal of the Central Conference of American Rabbis completed its task here tonight. Under the general chairmanship of Rabbi Louis Wolsey, the following rabbis participated in the sessions: Sidney E. Unger, Philadelphia; James G. Heller, Cincinnati; David Marx, Atlanta; Harry H. Mayer, Kansas City, Jacob Singer, Chicago; Nathan Stern, New York City; Abraham Holtzberg, Trenton; and A. W. Binder, musical editor of the “Hymnal” and instructor of music at the Jewish Institute of Religion.
As a result of the two days’ deliberation, new music was adopted to seventy-five new hymns. One hundred and four new verses were adopted. For these, music is now being written. Some of these new verses were written by Rabbi James G. Heller, Cincinnati and Rabbi Jacob Singer, Chicago.
The manuscript of the new hymnal will be completed by May 15, and will be presented for adoption at the next general meeting, to be held in Providence, June 25.
Some of the composers represented in the new hymnal are: Samuel Alman, London; Joseph Achron, New York; J. Jasinowsky, New York; M. Lindey Norden, Philadelphia; Jacob Beimel, Philadelphia; James H. Rogers, Cleveland; Hugo Bier, Cincinnati; Harry Row Shelley, New York; Max Grauman, New York; Jacob Weinberg, New York; Eugene Haile, New York, and M. Nowakowsky, Odessa.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
