The Interwar Period
Religious Life
Chazanut - Cantorial Music
Jacob Goldstein: Head cantor of the Great Synagogue in Vilna, 1920 - 1935
Many cantors came to Vilna seeking work in the city's synagogues – the Great Synagogue and the "Taharat Hakodesh" Synagogue – despite the modest salary, because the title of "Vilna Chazan" (cantor) presented its holder with great opportunities to be employed by larger and wealthier communities. Indeed, cantors from Vilna moved to Warsaw, Odessa and even abroad – to England, South Africa and Eretz Israel. Some of them returned later to Vilna, for guest performances. Many cantors also hailed from among the members of the two large synagogue choirs in Vilna.
Video Testimonies
Jewish Religious Life
in Interwar Vilna: Holocaust Survivor Testimonies
