Louis [Leibele] Waldman

Louis [Leibele] Waldman (1907-1969)

Cantor Louis Waldman born on June 22, 1907 in New York of a family of Galician immigrants. He began his studies as a youngster at an institution later known as the East Side Talmud Torah and subsequently at the Yeshiva of Rabbi Shlomo Klieger. It was during this period that his inherent musical and hazzanic talents were first noticed.

Affectionately referred to as Leibele (as he would be throughout his career), the young hazandl began to appear with frequency in a number of local synagogues. Realizing the importance of a musical background he then studied solfeggio with a local East Side musician, Shabtai Weingarten. Following his studies with Weingarten, Waldman also studied hazzanut with Cantor Solomon Beinhorn, who is represented on this with several compositions.

When his voice changed during the years of adolescence, Waldman became a choir leader, conducting on the high holidays in the Wayne Street Synagogue of Jersey City, 1924; the Livonia Street Synagogue of Brownsville, 1925; the Flatbush Jewish Center with Cantor Samuel Katzman, 1926; and the Galician Synagogue of Passaic in 1927. In 1928 he assumed his first adult cantorial position, officiating on the high holidays at the Beth Israel Synagogue on Columbia Street in Cambridge, Mass. In 1929 Walman became the yearly cantor of Temple Emanuel of Passaic, where he remained until 1934 (to be succeeded by Richard Tucker). Waldman then served one year at the Mount Eden Jewish Center with Joel Feig as his choir leader.

Cantor Waldman then elected not to accept yearly cantorial positions. Upon the recommendation of Samuel Stern, prominent choir leader, Waldman officiated on the high holidays of 1935 at the Beth Jacob Synagogue of Brownsville. Over the next quarter century Waldman officiated in many of this country's most prominent positions including the 3400 seat Hunts Point Palace (Holidays of 1936 and 1937), the Bronx Winter Garden, 1938, the Concord Hotel and Grossinger's Country Club.

While the great cantors of Europe achieved fame by officiating in prominent synagogues on a regular basis, Waldman became well known primarily because of the results of twentieth century technological advances: the radio, the motion picture, and the phonograph record.

In the late twenties and early thirties, at the beginning of Waldman's adult cantorial career, he was featured in about a dozen motion pictures, including “The Voice of Israel” where he appeared with Rosenblatt, Hershman, and Roitman, among others. Shortly thereafter he began to sing on a regular basis for several radio stations. First under the sponsorship of Harris Mogolevsky of “The World Clothing Union”, Waldman sang for over a quarter of a century on the airwaves, appearing on stations WTBS, WMCA and the station of the Forwards Association, WEVD.

During these years when record production was largely limited to RCA Victor and Columbia, most international recordings were discontinued. With the rise of local Jewish radio programs, particularly on WEVD, Waldman initiated a series of recordings, produced by Moses Asch, and issued on his label, ASCH Records. Waldman later recorded for Stinson, Disc, Banner, and following the war, RCA Victor. After RCA discontinued Jewish record production in the early fifties, Waldman recorded for ABC and later for a private label, MALOH Records. During most of these years, he recorded with Oscar Julius as his conductor and Abraham Ellstein as his accompanist.

Leibele Waldman died on 31 August 1969 and was buried at Beth David cemetery, Long Island, New York.

Barry Serota

Chassidic Kaddish (Jacob Gottlieb)

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

Maloh MLP-8001

Efen Oyf Dem T'hilim (Lipa Feingold)

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

Maloh Recordings JO7P-2890

Hashomayim Shomayim Lashem (Sholom Zvi Zemachson)

Leibele Waldman

Hineni Muchon Umzumon

Leibele Waldman

78RPM

Banner B-2030 B

Ikh Dank Dir Got Far Amerike (Harry Schlecker)

Leibele Waldman

Ovinu Malkeinu

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

Maloh Recordings MLP 5001

Shabos Kodesh (Avrom Singer)

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

Maloh Recordings MLP-6001

Shehekheyonu (Meyer Machtenberg)

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

ABC Recording 350

Shuvi Nafshi (Mendel Shapiro)

Leibele Waldman

78RPM

Disc Asch Recordings 10-6000

Tal

Leibele Waldman

78RPM

Banner B-2074-A (A-308)

Vekhol Hakhaim (Solomon Beinhorn)

Leibele Waldman

Ven Di Zun Veln Kumen Tsurik (Harry Schlecker)

Leibele Waldman

Yismach Moshe

Leibele Waldman

33RPM

Maloh Recording MLP-8001

Zochrenu Bezikoron

Leibele Waldman

Last update 25-03-2026