Wikipedia

Sol Zim

Sol Zim (born Solomon Zimelman on August 17, 1939) is an American cantor. He lives in Queens, New York.

Sol Zim
Birth nameSolomon Zimelman
Born (1939-08-17) August 17, 1939 (age 85)
Occupationcantor
Websitewww.solzim.com

Sol Zim is known for his classic Jewish songs. He has been featured in The New York Times,[1] Daily News,[2] The Chicago Tribune[3] and newspapers from Brazil,[4] South Africa[5] and the United Kingdom.[6]

Notable works

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In 1960, he performed with the Jewish Minister Cantor Association at Madison Square Garden.[7] In the late 1970s, many religious rock operas were produced including Zim's David Superstar which borrowed from Jesus Christ Superstar.[8] Released in 1974, Zim was inspired to write it after attending a Kiss concert with his sons.[9] It was performed one night at the Hollis Hills Jewish Center in 1974[citation needed] and was a minor hit.[10] He also was part of a Jewish group that performed in front of the Pope John Paul II, being the first time in history that such a large group of Jewish clergy men officially met with a Pope.[11]

Zim composed the commonly used rendition of the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel in 1988, which was popularized by chief cantor of the Israeli Defense Forces Shai Abramson as a tribute to fallen soldiers.[12]

Sol Zim is Professor of Jewish Music in New York at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He has been featured on books about Jewish music like "And You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Our Vinyl".[9][13] He has also written books on Jewish music.[14]

In 1992, the Academy for Jewish Religion of New York added a Cantorial Program directed by Kenneth Cohen, which was further developed by Sol Zim and Ram’n Tasat.[citation needed]

Education

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Sol Zim graduated at the Jewish Theological Seminary Cantorial Institute, and he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music. Zim studied with other musicians as Kurt Baum, Julius Rudel, Samuel Weisser, and others.[15]

Family

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Sol Zim is the descendant of five generations of cantors.[16] Zim's father, Samuel Zimelman, served as cantor of the Hochschule Synagogue in Łomazy, Poland, and Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh in Portland, Maine.[17] Zim's brother, Paul Zim, has served as cantor for B'nai Jeshurun in Manhattan.[17] Zim's other brother, Sidney Zim, was the rabbi at Flatbush Jewish Center in Brooklyn.[18]

Awards

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  • "Hazzan Max Wohlberg Award" for Composition, from The Cantors Assembly.[19]
  • "The Yuval Award" for his contribution to Synagogue Music, from The Cantors Assembly.
  • The Jewish Music Leadership Award, for his advancement of Jewish Music throughout the world, from The Academy for Jewish Religion.
  • The Amit Humanities Award, in recognition of his achievements in preserving the Jewish Heritage for future generations through his musical work.
  • Honorary fellow of the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Discography

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  • Shabbat Rock: An Original Friday Evening Rock (1974)[20]
  • Joy of Shabbos: A Family Singalong (1978)[21]
  • Chanukah: A Children's Sing Along (1979)[22]
  • Family Celebration (1986)[23]
  • Live in Concert (1991)[24]
  • Passover Seder: A Passover Sing-Along (1997)[25]
  • The Joy of Israel: Jewish-Israeli Ballads[26]
  • The Joy Of Cantorial Prayer (2000)[27]
  • Cantor Sol Zim Sings Avinu Shebashamayim: A Prayer for the State of Israel, and Much More (2013).[28]
  • Jewish Memories of Papa[29]
  • Greatest Yiddish Memories[30]
  • The Joy Of Israel: Jewish-Israeli Ballads[31]
  • America's Best Loved Jewish Singer Sings[32]
  • Sings Jewish Memories[33]

References

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  1. ^ Kozinn, Allan (June 10, 1998). "Capturing The Spirit of Cantorial Tradition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Lighting the Way". Daily News. Retrieved 4 December 2002.
  3. ^ "Temple of Inspiration". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  4. ^ "CIP e o Departamento da Juventude presentaram mães com muita música e show de Sol Zim". Sol Zim. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Cantor-entretainer Zim "unforgettable"". The Argus. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Sol Zim superstar sings!". Manchester Jewish Gazette. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  7. ^ "The Cantors Union rocks Madison Square Garden". Idelsohn Society. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  8. ^ Slobin, Mark (2001). "Jewish Music". In Koskoff, Ellen (ed.). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. The United States and Canada. Routledge. pp. 933–945. ISBN 9781315086453.
  9. ^ a b Bennett, Roger; Kun, Josh (2008). And You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Our Vinyl. Crown Publishers. pp. 42–43. ISBN 9780307394675.
  10. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 10, 2008). "A Bagel-Flavored Beat Rocks Its New Fans". The New York Times.
  11. ^ "Pope John Paul II". ColombiaLink. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  12. ^ Lockwood, Jeremiah (2023). Golden Ages: Hasidic Singers and Cantorial Revival in the Digital Era. University of California Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-0-520-39644-9. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Tracking Jewish History Through Vinyl Albums". NPR. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Books by Sol Zim". Abe Books. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  15. ^ "Sol Zim". Idelsohn Society. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  16. ^ Turner, Gustavo (May 7, 2010). "Superstar of David (Guest Bloggers: The "Jews on Vinyl" Project)". L.A. Weekly. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Samuel Zimelman, Long a Cantor And Father of 2 Leading Cantors". The New York Times. July 7, 1980. p. D13. ProQuest 121246617.
  18. ^ "Temple Lists Music By Zimel Brothers". Syracuse, New York: The Post-Standard. May 24, 1967. p. 6.
  19. ^ "8th Annual European Cantors Convention, London". European Cantors Association. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  20. ^ Zim, Sol (August 16, 1974). Shabbat Rock: An Original Friday Evening Rock. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  21. ^ Zim, Sol (February 13, 1978). Joy of Shabbos: A Family Singalong. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  22. ^ Zim Sol (October 1, 1979). Chanukah: A Children's Sing Along. Zimray Enterprises.
  23. ^ Zim, Sol (February 13, 1986). Family Celebration. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  24. ^ "About Sol Zim and the Capetown City Hall Concert" (PDF). Recorded Sound Archives. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  25. ^ Zim, Sol (March 31, 1997). Passover Seder: A Passover Sing-Along. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  26. ^ Zim, Sol. The Joy of Israel: Jewish-Israeli Ballads.
  27. ^ Zim, Sol. The Joy Of Cantorial Prayer. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  28. ^ Zim, Sol (2013). Cantor Sol Zim Sings Avinu Shebashamayim: A Prayer for the State of Israel, and Much More. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  29. ^ Zim, Sol. Jewish Memories of Papa. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  30. ^ Zim, Sol. Greatest Yiddish Memories. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  31. ^ Zim, Sol. The Joy of Israel: Jewish-Israeli Ballads. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  32. ^ Zim, Sol. America's Best Loved Jewish Singer Sings. 'Zimray Enterprises Inc.
  33. ^ Zim, Sol. Sings Jewish Memories. Zimray Enterprises Inc.
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