1964 Proceedings - Cantors Assembly

MONDAY, MAY 25TH, 1964
EVENING SESSION
YIZKOR SERVICE
LEIB GLANTZ - IN MEMORIAM
Hazzan Nathan Mendebvn
Cong. Shaar Hashamayim, Montreal
There is a description in the Talmud of the death
of Rabbi Judah the Prince: Go, said the sages to
Bar Kappara, “and investigate (Rabbi’s’ Condition) .”
He went and finding the (Rabbi) was dead, he tore
his cloak and turned the tear backwards. (On returning
to the sages) he began.
“The angels and the mortals took hold of the holy
ark (I.E. Rabbi, known as Rabbenu Hakadosh, our
holy teacher). The angels overpowered the mortals
- and the holy ark has been captured.”
How shall we characterize this “Ari Shebachavurah,”
this unique personally, this brilliant musician, this
inspired hazzan, Leib Glantz, "Zichrono liv'rachah?"
We may characterize his life by the first verse
of Psalm 147 :2 Halleluyah ki tov zam’ rah elokenu,
ki na--im nav-ah t’hillah. “Halleluyah; for it is good
to sing praises unto our God ; for it is pleasant, and
praise is comely.”
How fitting in this connection is the second verse:
Boneh Yerushalayim Haahem nid'chei Yisrael y’chaness.
“The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, he
gathereth together the dispersed of Israel.”
Indeed, we had all hoped for the fulfillment of the
third verse : Harofeh lish’vure lev um’chabesh l’atzvotam,
“Who healeth the broken in heart and bindeth
up their wounds.”
But it was not to be; and here at this convention
assmbled, we sit amongst his family and “B’toch sh
or avelei Tzion Viyerushalayim,” for indeed all of Israel
mourn and lament the passing of this “N’im Z’mirot
b’Yisrael”
We who are students of prayer are told by our
sages in the G’mara Brachot. “Eizehu ben olam habu?
Kol hasomech g’ulah lit’fillah.” Who is a Ben Olam
Haba, a true “man of the future?” He who associcates
closely Redemption with prayer, who so identifies
Prayer with Redemption that the word is translated
into the deed.
Such a man, such an idealist, such a whole-hearted,
warmly pulsating personalty was Lieb Glantz. What
was the secret of his life? What in Hazzanut fascinated
him? Was it the thrill of being a Sh’liah Tzibbur,
the people’s deputy in petition before the Lord.
No doubt this was one element. Was it the pursuit
of the elusive scales of Jewish music and the modes,
the Nushcaot associated with them, from which these
scales are derived by the musicologist’s investigation
and analysis ? Of course. Was it the curious, romantic
tragic and inspiring history of the evolution of the
Shazzan, with all the roles he has played in the community
in past ages, all he does in the expanding
picture of Jewish community life today, all we anticipate
from the hazzan in future days of glory?
Again the answer is yes. Yes to all of these.
Leib Glantz demonstrated by his deeds as well as
by his words, his readiness to work and toil and
sacrfiice for the advancement of the cause of out liturgic
music, our folk music and our art music in the
land of Israel and abroad.
But what was his striving, his inner compulsion, the
springs of his being, the source of his Mayan Hamitgaber,
which kept him always Ra’anun, young and
fresh, even as he approached his older years? What
was this inner urge? It was his self-imposed role
as the M’chayeh hametim, the reviver of the dead.
Now what do I mean by this phrase? You know
we recite the Amidah and in repeating the Amidah we
recite the K’dushah. Just before the K’dushah we say
- Baruch Atah Hashem, M’Chayeh Hametim. Why
before Kedushah? And who are these Metim whom
the Lord is M’chayeh daily? My friends and colleagues,
it is you and I and all of the congregation
of the House of Israel. Even those of us who are
the most vitally alive amongst us must confess that
from time to time the words can become routine.
Despite the adage of our fathers, “Al ta’aseh t’filat’cha
keva,” we do make our prayers a routine burden,
“Mitzvot anashim m’lumadah.” This was the problem
always, as it is the problem today. We forget that
the words we are saying must have the K’dushat
Hashem in them.
“N’kadesh et shim’cha ba-olam,” let us be M’kadesh
the name of the Lord in the world, even as they are
“Makdesh” his name in the upper heavenly spheres.
My friends, all of us are idealists and philosophers,
when it comes to theory. We are “Makdishim Bish’me
Marom” we set our ideals on a high and holy pedestal,
but when it comes to “N’kadesh et Shim’cha ba-olam.”
when it comes to the point of dedicating our actions to
the ideal, of translating our ideals into actions, we are
often sadly wanting.
Not so Leib Glantz! Hare was a man, as our
revered colleague and inspiring friend Hazzan Israel
Alter, Yibadel Lachcayim, has said, here was a man
who was “M’shugga l’oto davar,” M’shuga for Hazzanut.
But - he had a perfect right to be thus. He
gave up position, comfort, livelihood and security in
order to make Israel his home and there develop
his sacred art. He was not merely Makdesh, like the
angels on high and like the pure idealists living in
the empyrean blue of their philosophy, but he was
m’kadesh et Hashem ba-olam,” he made the concept
real, concrete, brought his ideal into realization,
sanctifying the Name of Heaven here on earth. This
was one area where he performed the miracle of
“M’chayeh Hametim.”
And there is another area. Words without spirit
are dead. The “Otiot” must be “por’chot ba-avir.”
When a man prays in the spirit of “Rachcamim V’tach’
nunim," mercy and petition before the Divine Presence,
then the letters and the words fly about, hover in the