Mendel Berlin and his Grandfather’s Nigun

Among the Chabad nigunim in the online archive are two sung by a Mendel Berlin who heard it from his grandfather “Reb Zalman.” Do we know who they were?

By Anash.org staff

The story posted about the online archive of niggunim sung by Reb Shmuel Galperin, a”h made waves, and brought on much discussion about some of the other nigunim in the same collection.

One nigun that drew attention was the tune “Khabadnitse,” which is song #11 on CD#3. In age-old Chabad jargon, Chabadnitze is the nickname for the dedicated cheder sheni – side room – in Lubavitcher shuls where chassidim could daven at great length, b’avodah.

The one singing the tune is “Mendel Berlin” and he is singing a tune sung by his zeide “Reb Zalman.”

Who is Mendel Berlin and who was his zeide Reb Zalman?

At first, some thought that Mendel Berlin must be related to Reb Shaya Berlin, son-in-law of Reb Schneur, the son of Reb Nochum, the son of the Mitteler Rebbe. Reb Shaya was also a grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek, since his mother-in-law, Roda Freida, was the Tzemach Tzedek’s daughter. Reb Shaya was a great gevir and was a major supporter of the Rebbe Rashab’s public projects.

However, Reb Shaya passed away on 12 Tammuz 5668/1908 and, sadly, did not have any children. Thus, Mendel Berlin could not have been his descendant.

However, we do know of a Mendel Berlin, who was Reb Shaya’s wife’s nephew and an adopted eynikel. This Mendle Berlin’s maternal grandfather was a prominent chossid by the name of Schneur Zalman – Reb Schneur Zalman Fradkin, author of the responsa Toras Chesed.

The “Toras Chesed,” as he is known, was one of the great chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek. He was a great gaon known for his phenomenal memory. He was known as “Reb Schneur Zalman Liadier,” since he originated from Liadi, though he later became the rov in the prestigious communities of Polotsk and Lublin.

In 5652/1892, Reb Schneur Zalman moved to Eretz Yisroel and established a chassidishe Beis Din there. For a short while, he also accepted a rabbonus in Yerushalayim. He passed away on 5 Nissan, 5662/1902, and is buried in the Chabad chelkah (section) on Har HaZeisim.

According to genealogical websites, Mendel Berlin was born in 5644/7884 and was therefore only 8 years old when his zeide moved to Eretz Yisroel in 5652/1892. It’s nonetheless plausible that he heard it as a young child and remembered it or he heard it from his parents who heard it from his zeide.

Some may challenge that this Mendel Berlin lived in Riga and then London. However, this recording has no location marked, so it may not have been recorded in the shtetlach as the other recordings. So it may very well be that the one singing is Mendel Berlin, grandson of the Toras Chesed, and he is singing his illustrious grandfather’s nigun.

One reader brought to our attention that there was a shochet in Shventzyan near Vilna named Reb Moshe Mendel Berlin. In fact, Reb Shmuel Dovid Raichik mentions him as being of assistance to the Otvotzker Bochurim who were escaping the Nazis and were on the way to Vilna in late 1939/5700. Was he the singer perhaps? Did the An-ski research even reach those areas?

What do you think? Please contribute to the discussion in the comment box below.

Listen to the nigunin:

11. Khabadnitse 0:34
A tune without words. Performed by Mendl Berlin, 56. The performer heard this melody from his grandfather, Rabbi Shneur. The place and date of the recording are unknown [1910-1920’s]. Cylinder #1165/1.

12. Redele 0:20
A round dance. Performed by Mendl Berlin, 56. The performer heard this melody from his grandfather, Rabbi Shneur. The place and date of the recording are unknown [1910-1920’s]. Cylinder #1165/2.

Discussion
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  1. /www.geni.com/people/Mendel-Berlin/6000000083528681006#/tab/media

    whats about this mendel berlin

    his age makes more sense

    but i dont know who he is and if he was a chasid

  2. יש להוסיף בכל זה, דדלפי האתר gnen מענדל ברלין נכד התו”ח נולד בשנת 1884.
    באתר ההקלטות נרשם שמענדל ברלין הקליט הינוגנים 1910-1920’s והי’ בגיל 56. כך שהגילאים לא ממש מסתדרים.
    אך לכאורה אין בכך לקעקע לגמרי ההשערה שבכתבה, כי הרי בנוסף לכך שיש לעיין אם כל התאריכים כאן נכונים, ידוע שבאותן שנים להרבה אנשים היו מסמכים עם גיל יותר מבוגר מהגיל שלהם.
    בכלל כנראה שמשפחת ברלין היא משפחה רחבה, וכדאי לעיין אם יש עוד חסידי חב”ד בשם מענדיל ברלין נכד לסבא בשם ר’ שניאור.

  3. In the back of the sefer האח (the famous children newspaper) they have a מפתח שמות. See בערלין and ברלין.

  4. BH

    With all due respect, it is hard to countenance that this Singer Mendel Berlin was the adopted grandson of the Reb Yeshaya Berlin.

    There are way too many issues with this theory. It is one thing, had it been written black and white, that this is the individual in this record. However, all it says, is the name Mendel Berlin, and nothing more. Berlin was the name of more than one extended family in Chabad, and on the other hand, there are way too many issues for us to assume that this would be this specific Mendel Berlin.

    [See here in note 3 for more details in regards to the berlin family https://chabadlibrary.org/books/arum/chabad-russia-czarit/4/1.htm#_ftn264 .

    And there were other illustrious members not mentioned in this note]

    Here the following issues.

    1. Mendel Berlin’s son Isaiah recorded his father as being born in 1883. We know that this recording took place between 1910’s and 1920’s (And according to what has been known till now, it was mostly recorded before world war 1). The Mendel Berlin in this recording is officially 56. Yeshaya Berlin’s adopted grandson would have been 37 in 1920. Theoretically, we can say that the project went on till 1929 (though this is highly unlikely and I really believe that the project didn’t last to 1929 anyway). In that case, the latest date possible to ascribe to it is 1929. Mendel Berlin would have still been 45-46, some 10 years younger than the age attributed to the singer. This would be a real stretch to say that the person is one and the same (one can attempt to say that the documents were not accurate, but to go that far, is an utter stretch).

    2. Reb Yeshaya Berlin’s adopted grandson was unfortunately not Frum, and had gradually wandered far away from a Chasidish and Jewish lifestyle. He did have some sort of feelings to Chasidim, but he was so far removed that his son actually looked at Chassidim like they were utter crazies.

    In the meantime, in the early 1920’s after running around Russia back and forth the last twenty years beforehand, he moved to London where he remained for many years.

    It is quite inconceivable, that instead of going to a real regular Chossid (like the Schochat Galpern), they went to a Frie person, who was either very young (far from 56) running around Russia, or a bit older (still far from 56) living in London.

    3. This is, in addition, the issue that he would have had to have lived with songs he had heard from his grandfather before the age of 9, and since then he never forgot it and lived with it, all the while he was living his hedonistic lifestyle. 

    Now I must admit that Mendel it sounds as if he was not completely cut off from the culture of Chasidim. Mendel Berlin did go to the Lubavitcher shul in Riga. Isaiah says that as a kid he wasn’t forced to come, but he says he would go 7-8 times a year. So Mendel definitely went at least occasionally to Shul. However, a guy who goes to shul 7-8 times a year, is the type of guy who is remembering and living the songs which he heard at the age of nine to the extent that they are going to him to obtain a recording of the Nigun? And when he moved to London it seems like he did completely drop everything. 
    Today it is very easy to keep in touch while far away through the use of technology, not something that would be easily done at that time.

    In conclusion, it is very hard to believe that this Mendel Berlin was Reb Yeshaya Berlin’s Grandson. Again had it stated this as a fact, then I could have employed many various ways to try and attempt to reconcile these various issues. However, when it is only a mere השערה, then I see no reason why anyone should think that this is indeed the person singing in this Record. We all know the principle that Yesh Le”yashev Be’dochak, but we do not say Yesh Le’hakshos Be’Dochak. Suggesting such a problematic identification is akin to Yesh Le’Hakshos Bedochak, especially since the Berlin Family was a large and extended one with many branches, and the singer could have easily been someone else.

    1. I agree with your that there are a few holes here.
      On the other hand, your words “However, all it says, is the name Mendel Berlin, and nothing more” are so far from the truth.
      You fail to recognize that there is another major hint given – Mendel Berlin’s grandfather’s name was “Rabbi Shneur”. Meaning: A) his grandfather’s name was Shneur. B) His grandfather was recognized as a Rabbi.
      So it’s more than just a random guess to say that we are talking about the famous Rabbi Shnuer Zalmen Fradkin’s grandson.
      Of course, more research should be done into this.

      1. BH

        While true, there could have been many Mendel Berlins, whose grandfathers went around by the name Shneur. Just like one can have a Menachem Mendel the grandson of a Sholom Ber.

        1. Of course that is true, but your original comment was not correct. The fact that his grandfather was: A) a Rabbi. B) Shnuer, narrows down the options allot.

      1. BH

        Actually, it does not look like they were doing any new recording at that time. That part of the operation finished well over 10 years beforehand.

        In addition, as this was an operation running in Soviet Russia, it is highly doubtful that they had outsiders in London participating at that time.

        But even if that were to be a mistake (and they punkt got in and cataloged his recording right before the soviets shut them down), the fact is that he wasn’t near 56 even in 1929.

        So it is really a stretch.

  5. BH

    A friend of mine wrote to me the following comment:

    The Toras Chesed lived in Lublin from 1858 until he traveled to EY in 1892. His grandson Mendel Berlin lived in Riga. While the grandson may well have spent some time with his grandfather, considering he was only 8-9 years old when he moved to EY, it is all the more difficult to imagine this little child spending enough time with his grandfather that lived very far away to be able to remember these nigunnim so many years later, even after he had long abandoned a Chabad lifestyle.

  6. Very plausible that is indeed Mendel Berlin father IB. Mendel was steeped in chassidic culture even if not openly observant and the Berlins liked nigunim and singing.
    Mendel Berlin writes that he was born in 1883-4 in the house of Torah Chesed in Lublin. MB writes that remembered his early childhood in Lublin in the house of the Toras Chesed, and he used to say that Toras Chesed loved him and played w him a lot. He attributed Toras Chesed’s special love to the fact that he appreciated that a grandchild of his was at the same time a great grandchild of the Zemach Zedek.

    1. BH

      Highly plausible? I would say highly highly doubtful. 

      The thesis here ignores some of the other issues with identifying him as the singer in the recordings.
      However, I would like to deal with the core point. I am not not going to get involved in an extended discussion as to how steeped he was in Chassidic tradition, as it is a side issue to my core counterpoint (though we should be clear that he was frei. There’s no question of that. And he wasn’t hanging out with Chassidim in London. In Riga he did go to shul sometimes, about 7-8 times an entire year).
      To quote a message a friend of mine wrote to me:
      Mendel Berlin was born in Lublin and did remember his grandfather. But he says they left Lublin and moved to Vitebsk when he was 4. He describes his grandfather as he remembered him and makes no mention of hearing any Nigunim from him. His description of his grandfather is that he almost never left his room, only eating with the family on Shabbos. It’s extremely difficult to believe that the 4-year-old Mendel learned Nigunim from his grandfather. If the little child had remembered Nigunim from his grandfather I think it would have been remarkable enough to warrant a mention in his detailed description of what he knew and remembered from his grandfather. 

      P.S. One can find Mendel Berlin’s memoir in the end “The Book of Isaiah.” One may be interested in reading his description of his grandfather here:
       https://books.google.com/books?id=X6kTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA273&lpg=PA273&dq=mendel+berlin+lublin&source=bl&ots=x70GSF0o7e&sig=ACfU3U1hxtStWPT0oiDVbpdwhMV1t4BIyw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-8LyBk6zpAhXwmHIEHeVSAuwQ6AEwCXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=mendel%20berlin%20lublin&f=false

      If one wants to read IB interviews where he discusses his family and lineage, contact me privately, and I will send it to him.

  7. “I curiously still remember my very early childhood in Lublin… I can remember exactly the flat of my grandfather, and himself as well. He loved and played with me often… I remember when he was convalescing from an illness, he asked for me to be brought into his bed and play with me; I remember not to have been overawed by him but to address him frankly and boldly…”
    Mendel Berlin on the Toras Chesed.

    Obviously cannot definitively state who was recorded and it certainly may very well be another Mendel Berlin.

    But it is very plausible that it could have been MB father of IB.
    His lack of religiosity does not make it implausible for him to sing a niggun.
    His being a young child when he knew his Zeide does not make implausible for him to have either remembered a niggun (they were clearly very close) or perhaps it could have been taught to him by others (we know, for example, that Mendel B. was tutored for a while and was very close w his great uncle Levi Yitzchok Fradkin, brother of his grandfather the Toras Chesed).

    It is also apparent that MB was proud to be the grandson of the Toras Chesed and he clearly treasured his memories of the times spent w him.

    So we don’t know, but it is is very plausible (reasonable/probable) that it could be him… and silly to rule out based on the info you wrote.

    I Berlin’s interview transcripts have been available online for years.

  8. After reading this discussion , while I’m not coming to any conclusion, I’d like to disagree about the likelihood for a young child of 8-9 to remember a Niggun heard from his grandfather. (As some commentors said it’s not likely
    This, I don’t think is a valid point:)
    1. This isn’t a whole complicated Niggun, rather it’s more like two תנועות. Geshmak and simple.
    2. Tunes speak to the soul and can be engraved in it if one is touched by it. Child or adult .
    3. If his Grandfather was fond of these 2 תנועות, and sang them often, then it is very likely he caught onto them. I myself have learnt a couple of Tunes/Niggunim from my grandfather Sheyichye just from eating some shabbos meals by him.
    4. Not mentioning it in his Zichronos of his grandfather doesn’t have to prove the contrary. Niggunim isn’t the first (or second..) thing that comes to mind when I think of my grandfather.

    Also, the fact that he attended shul 7-8 times a year, imo shows that indeed he still felt quite a strong connection. We know of many today who attend “synagogue” on high holidays and purim passover and feel very much affiliated. Of course these “standards ” probably vary according to different societies, but something it does seem to show. At least enough to “not have forgotten ” a sweet childhood tune…

    [As for the age, I wouldn’t know how to reconcile that unless we explain how one of the versions had the wrong number…]

    (I haven’t read his interviews. everything about Mendel B I know is basically based off this discussion. )

  9. BH

    I don’t know who you are (and it would be nice that when one engages another directly, that person identifies himself), but anyways.

    “So we don’t know, but it is is very plausible (reasonable/probable) that it could be him… and silly to rule out based on the info you wrote.”

    Very plausible, reasonable, and probable are actually three different metrics.

    In any case, while you can go ahead and claim that what I write is silly, I can always make the very exact claim on the reverse, that is not really a way to interact.

    What is interesting is, that your measure of confidence totally ignores the other important point, that there are a number of other difficulties with the attribution, and this is only one of them.

    However, In regards to this specific point, I will just say this: So it’s very reasonable that a 4-year-old remembered Nigunim from his grandfather. There’s nothing I can say to counter that. Someone that thinks that’s reasonable can think so, many others would disagree.

    Wouldn’t someone that remembered Nigunim he heard from his grandfather as a 4-year-old mention that remarkable fact in his memories of his beloved grandfather? If he remembered them so many years later he must have cherished them greatly.

    And again: When one puts together “all” of the significant problems with the attribution, then it is an extremely unlikely attribution, to say the least.

  10. Relax, It may very well another Mendel Berlin.
    As you noted, it was a big family. I am just saying that it is very plausible that MB could have known a niggun.
    I was only pointing out that much of your reasoning isn’t compelling.
    It would be interesting to research if the Toras Chesed had any known “Tnuos”.
    Gd bless.

  11. Who is Motel Shiroker?
    The Rebbe’s uncle Reb Shalom Shlomeh (Reb Leviks brother) was the rav of the town שיראקא. He was the Son-in-law of the Radatz Chein.
    His father, Reb Baruch Shneur, writes in reshimos Horevash about Reb מרדכי, the Shochet and Chazan of שיראקע. Teh Revash is telling the Rebbe Rashab things he heard from this Reb Mordechai. Fascinating.
    look it up.
    Page קיט

  12. I am almost 54 yrs old . Just want to comment that my parents stayed married till I was 4 yrs old & I remember songs my father use to sing as he played the piano . I sing those songs all the time ! I never heard him sing them after I was 4 , but I remember from age 3-4 his singing ,songs , 🎹 playing . My father visited 3days out of a yr & did not sing after my parents separated . I did not grow up religious but I brought my children up religious . / This nigun feels holy and I think that’s what cts

    1. BH

      You make a good point, however as noted above, he had such fond feelings for his grandfather yet he makes no mention of such songs, unlike you who clearly makes this point.

      In addition, it does not seem from anywhere that the Toras Chesed sang Nigunim. As a matter of fact, based on Mendel Berlin’s, he seems to have come across as being highly anti-social.

  13. I read the article and comments. According to the totality of information available. I think.

    1. “Mendl Berlin, 56” — Mendel Berkovich Berlin (Zukerman) father of Isaiah Berlin.

    https://www.geni.com/people/Mendel-Menachem-Berlin/6000000001320660275

    2. “his grandfather, Rabbi Shneur” — Schneur Nakhimovich Schneerson

    https://www.geni.com/people/Schneur-Schneerson/6000000001324172525

    3. “[1910-1920’s]” — this is a false assumption, as previously written — “The place and date of the recording are unknown”

    In this case, the correct date of recording is 1940-41, and the place is London. If possible, look at the cylinder and show it to a specialist. It may be possible to localize the country of origin.

    4. Another Mendel of Berlin who would have had a grandfather, Rabbi Schneur. And also the opportunity at 56 to register for a phonograph. I think it will be difficult to find.

  14. BH

    I am not sure what has been added in this comment which would tilt to your conclusion.

    In addition, Mendel Berlin does not even mention that he even knew his great grandfather R. Shneur. And he would have if he did.

    In addition, the assertion that it would have been recorded in 1940, is obviously not the case (from everything that we know about this project (see the links provided above).

    In addition, it seems that you understand these recordings to have been made by people at home and sent to an archive. That’s not what this was at all.

  15. The songs on this CD are from the Z. Kiselgof Collection, he died in 1939, and I didn’t find any evidence he left the USSR, for sure not after the revolution.

    “He moved to St. Petersburg in 1906, where he became a teacher at OPE (Society for the development of education among Russian Jews) and a conductor of children’s choruses. He also continued his personal education – at the Lesgaft’s Open University, and then – at the Petersburg University (physics and mathematics faculty). From 1920 until his death he was a Director of National Jewish School # 11 and Children’s home #79 in Petersburg-Leningrad. He was arrested in 1938 and put into jail. Next year he was discharged owing to his illness and shortly after that, in 1939, he died.”

  16. There’s another unpublished recording from Mendel Berlin in the collection.
    Azamer Bishvachin אזמר בשבחין
    Performed by Mendl Berlin, 56. The performer heard this melody from his grandfather, Rabbi Shneur. The place and date of the recording are unknown [1910-1920’s]. Cylinder #1165/3.

  17. I spent some time figuring out the time and circumstances of Z. Kiselgof. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the arguments set forth in the 3rd paragraph of my post are not correct. Records could not be made in 1940, in London. So Mendel Berlin (Zukerman) does not fit the formal criteria. I also found information about these records from the Kiev archive. I decoded them, they are in Russian. I will bring them as is. You can also read pdf, maybe there is something interesting for more accurate dating.

    ===
    http://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/everlib/item/er-0001884

    http://www.irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/E_LIB/PDF/00000059%2Epdf

    страница (page) 704, 705

    2633
    1. А 1165.1 // К 47.1.
    2.
    Khabadnitse. Хабадница.
    3. –
    4. Напев без слов.
    5. –
    6-15. Материалы по расшифровке отсутствуют. Материал для публикации в антологии ЕМФ не отбирался. Материал с фоноцилиндров расшифрован не был. В изданиях М. Берегового данный материал опубликован не был.
    13-14. Сведения о дате и месте записи отсутствуют.
    15-16. Берлин Мендл, 56 лет. Исполнитель перенял напев от деда, раввина Шнеура.
    17-23. Запись на фонограф З. Кисельгофа. Параллельная запись текста не осуществлялась. Материал с фоноцилиндра расшифрован не был. Фоноцилиндр имеется; сост. 4а.

    2634
    1. А 1165.21 // К 47.2.
    2.
    Redele. Хоровод.
    3. –
    4. Напев без слов.
    5. –
    6-15. Материалы по расшифровке отсутствуют. Материал для публикации в антологии ЕМФ не отбирался. Материал с фоноцилиндров расшифрован не был. В изданиях М. Берегового данный материал опубликован не был.
    13-14. Сведения о дате и месте записи отсутствуют.
    15-16. Берлин Мендл, 56 лет. Исполнитель перенял напев от деда, раввина Шнеура.
    17-23. Запись на фонограф З. Кисельгофа. Параллельная запись текста не осуществлялась. Материал с фоноцилиндра расшифрован не был. Фоноцилиндр имеется; сост. 4а.

    2635
    1. А 1165.1 // К 47.1.
    2.
    Azamer bishvakhin. Воспою хвалениями.
    3. Текст канонизирован
    4. Гимн первой субботней трапезы, сочинение кабалиста Исаака Лурия из Цфата.
    5. –
    6-15. Материалы по расшифровке отсутствуют. Материал для публикации в антологии ЕМФ не отбирался. Материал с фоноцилиндров расшифрован не был. В изданиях М. Берегового данный материал опубликован не был.
    13-14. Сведения о дате и месте записи отсутствуют.
    15-16. Берлин Мендл, 56 лет. Исполнитель перенял напев от деда, раввина Шнеура.
    17-23. Запись на фонограф З. Кисельгофа. Параллельная запись текста не осуществлялась. Материал с фоноцилиндра расшифрован не был. Фоноцилиндр имеется; сост. 4а.

    ЕМФ — Еврейский музыкальный фольклор
    сост. — состояние

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