Memory Lane: The Chazzonim of Boro Park

Today, we take a walk down memory lane, profiling some of the chazzonim who davened in Boro Park of yore, and inspired the crowds who stood in the pews in Boro Park’s large shuls. 

The profiles that are featured here come from the book “Chazzonus” which was published in 1937 by the Union of Chazzonim of the United States and Canada in honor of its 40th anniversary, and holds dozens of profiles of chazzonim who came to America to inspire the congregations of America of yesteryear. 

Chazzan Chaim Alentoff 

The chazzan was born in the city of Belinitz, in the Mohilev region. He received a good upbringing in Judaic studies, as well as in the Russian language. At the age of eight years old, possessing a beautiful alto voice, he sang with some of the chazzonim in Mohilev and Orsha (Belarus). 

At the age of seventeen, he became a melamed in the local Talmud Torah, and for a number of years he established his own private cheder, and gave private lessons in Hebrew and Russian. 

Arriving in New York, and possessing a beautiful tenor voice, he received his first position at Congregation Tiferes Yisroel on 42nd Street in Boro Park. Afterward, he held a position for three years at Cong. Ohav Zedek, Howard Avenue (Brownsville), Brooklyn. Later he was the chazzan in the First Romanian Congregation Shaarei Tefillah, Watkins and Glenmore Avenue; three years at Congregation Chevra Tehillim Kesser Yisroel, Thatford and Dumont Avenue. From there, Chazzan Allentoff returned to Boro Park where he served as the chazzan at Beis Yisroel and Talmud Torah, 63rd Street and 18th Avenue. 

Chazzan Leibele Blumenstein 

Chazzan Blumenstein hails from a very frum family. As a child, he sang along with his father, Reb Moshe Dovid Blumenstein, who was known in his time for his sweet interpretations of the tefillos., and who was the chazzan of his kehillah for thirty years. Later, Leibele sang by the chazzonim Reb Boruch Kinstler, R’ Boruch Schor, and R’ Zeidel Rovner. 

Arriving in America, he was a chazzan in the following congregations: The Lemberger, The Grayever, the Kurlander-Lidaer, Bnei Yehuda of East New York, and Bnei Israel of Linden Heights (still located at 9th Avenue and 46th Street). Today, Chazzan Blumenstein occupies the chazzonus position at Congregation Kochav Yaakov, 54 Pitt Street, New York City, where he is accorded great honor. 

Chazzan Abrohom Duber Charlaf 

Renowned under the name “Berele Chaflaf”, a son of the legendary chazzan Yitzchok Yaakov Charlaf. He learned in the Slominer Yeshiva, and in the Kriniker Yeshiva by Rav Zalman Sender [Kahana-Shapiro, the father of the Kovno Rov] and later by Rav Hirshl Maitcheter in Suvalk. He sang for a while by his father, and later came to Warsaw, where he learned by Chazzan Eliyohu Zaludkovsky. From there he went to Odessa, and later Svintzian (in Lita).     

Twelve years ago (1925), he came to America and has spent the ensuing years in New York. He became a chazzan in one of the nicest shuls in Boro Park (earlier, he was a chazzan for three years at Cong. Emunas Yisroel [presumably, this is the Shul by that name on the West Side]).

He is very beloved by all his colleagues chazzonim, and earns great honor in his cantorial position. In addition to the fact that Chazzan Charlaf sings beautifully and has a finely-honed dramatic tenor voice, he is also very musical, and his compositions have been received with great excitement in chazzonus/musical circles. 

Chazzan Chaim Gertler 

Chazzan Gertler was born in 1896. When he was six years old, his father took him to a Mizrachi meeting where he sang Hatikvah, and from then on, he began to sing with his father, Chazzan Avrohom Gertler, in the Parnas Shul in Lublin. 

Due to the economic crisis, he left his position in Harlem when his term was over, and he accepted the invitation of Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Boro Park, which he has been associated for the last five years, and davens there with great honor and is very beloved. 

The mispalelim of the shul express wonder at Chazzan Gertler’s beautiful lyrical tenor voice, his coloratura, and his nusach hatefillah.