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-PAGE 24 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 25, 1986 ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ Yossele Rosenblatt on Washington Street by Joseph Glazer You may remember that vener able Chevra Thillim at Ahavath Achim in the old days, the Free Loan Association as it turned out to be. Maybe you will also recall their annual fund-raising concerts which were the talk of the town. Those galas, plus the year-round ongoing drives for more members (at $10 a head), were meant to °l//esgPul£/Aes jfins S^/cuxloy METRO WIDE DELIVERY MAJOR CREDIT CARDS BY PHONE FLOWER SHOPS 255-7127 5975 Roswell Rd Hammond Festival Center make up a fund which the “Chevra” could dispense in the form of small loans to any member in need, with out adding on one red cent of interest! I’m sure I don't have to tell you what a blessing this was for many of us in the Great Depres sion, and what a still greater bless ing it turned out to be in the post war years when the new wave of refugees arrived and needed help...about that some other time. But the “Yerliche” (yearly) con certs. ..that is what I want to talk about now. It went something like this. Every year they brought down a famous personality from up North for the arranged evening. Some chazzan with a big name. Some body who could bring out the crowd and make it pay two hard- earned dollars for the pleasure. Every year it was more or less the same format, unless it happened to be one of those stunt concerts like a child-chazzan, some gifted high- pitched wunderkind who knew all the prayers and could be counted on to make all the women in the audience cry and really enjoy themselves. This was, always, a guaranteed one hundred percent financial success. But the year I’m recalling was nothing like that. It was regular with a grown man. Except that the chazzan selected was the world-renowned, univer- sally-beloved Cantor Yossele Ro senblatt, may his memory remain Yossele Rosenblatt for a blessing forever and ever, amen. You probably don’t know who Rosenblatt was, but maybe you do. Remember “The Jazz Singer” with A1 Jolson? They still run it after the late show sometimes. It’s a real heart-tugger with an old- fashioned plot and climax. In the middle of the film A1 Jolson takes off to a concert in Chicago to hear this same Cantor Rosenblatt, be cause Jolson’s father also was a cantor and the young runaway son just had to go and see what he had turned his back on. Well, any way, Mr. Rosenblatt stands up there on the stage, a picture of a classic Jewish man—with a square yarmulke and two-pointed beard — singing away like a superstar from the Metropolitan in New York City. As a matter of fact, it was said the Met had offered this very fam ous charismatic man a contract to sing Italian operas, but Rosenblatt refused, because he wasfroom and wouldn’t think of performing with women, or on Shabbos. It was this very same Rosenblatt who was the guest cantor the year I’m talking about, and you can guess the rest. The whole shul was sold out—standing roomjpnly, as they say. The whole city turned out. Rosenblatt! The real thing! The artist on the Victor records with that dog on the label! And here 1 must add that at this time, our own chazzan at Ahavath Achim was that jovial, corpulant Cantor Aaron Lipitz, an oldtime Jewish “performer.” Naturally, he was to appear on the program too, because it was customary in those days for any visiting star to share the podium, just a little, with the We Would Like To Invite You To Our TVE MEMBER BRUNCH We will discuss: Our Philosophy As a “Traditional Synagogue” Religious School Information High Holiday Schedule & Information Rabbi Juda Mintz, Staff & Board Members will be available to answer questions on Sunday, August 10, 1986 at 11:00 a.m. at the Synagogue Social Hall Informal Attire Reservations Required For more information and reservations, please call the synagogue office — 257-0537 or Jane Krischner 700 Mount Vernon Highway Sandy Springs local man. Like out of courtesy, a song or two...you know. Besides, this year our chazzan had just recently been elected secretary or president of all the chazzanim in the United States and Canada. He was, therefore, considered a fig ure in the cantorial field and Rosenblatt knew this, of course. He asked Cantor Lipitz to do a little more than the customary couple of songs, if he cared to, and that he gladly did. You didn’t have to ask our chaz zan twice. He readily took his stand on the bima and began to fill out the program, as it is called. He almost monopolized the entire show...and, Oy, did we resent it! We had paid to hear the great Rosenblatt and what did we get? Chazzan Lipitz, he whom we could hear every Saturday of the year for free. But you know the old saying, “If you open up the door the wind will blow in.” There was nothing we could do about it. And Yossele Rosenblatt was so gracious. He actually came down from the bima, sat down at our old upright piano which had been brought up to the sanctuary for the occasion, and accompanied Can tor Lipitz as yener stood there on the stage letting go with everything he had. Rosenblatt accompanied Lipitz! It was something to behold. And would you believe it, the old trooper played an excellent piano. He knew all the accompaniments by heart. Yes sir, this was some thing different, a concert you’ll never see in another million years. OK, OK, so it comes down to this. After the passing of all those years, we—that is to say those of us who remember—have forgotten all resentment, and 1 actually look back to this particular concert as one of the best cha^zenishe even ings 1 ever was privileged to attend. I’m telling you the truth, it was one of the greatest ever. I wake up some nights and just smile thinking about it. 1 remember it so vividly. 1 can still see him, that wonderful human being, the renowned Yos sele Rosenblatt sitting at our old upright at the old Ahavath Achim on Washington Street playing with such nachas as our cantor is stand ing up there singing from the bima. 1 even remember the last rendition Cantor Lipitz sang that memora ble evening: “The Last Rose of Summer.” I hear him clearly as he enunciated it: Theeee La-ah-ah- ahsi Ro w -oh-oh-hose-of-ah- Zoomer, in English yet, as Yossele Rosen blatt accompanied him perfectly. You can still buy a Rosenblatt record or two from Victor even now, and if you are lucky you can catch him after the Johnny Carson show in the Jolson movie. But we on Washington Street had the pleasure of hearing him “live,” playing a part only an emmeser professional could. Patronize our Advertisers they help bring you The Southern Israelite