Rare Recordings of Legendary Chabad Chazan Emerge

Two newly discovered audio recordings of the legendary chazan, composer, and Tomim Reb Shmuel Kantarof have recently been recovered and uploaded, offering a rare opportunity to hear the voice of one of the great baalei tefillah of the early Lubavitch community in America.

The two recordings feature chazzanus from parts of the Rosh Hashanah davening. The compositions were composed by Reb Shmuel, who was known not only for his remarkable, deeply emotional, and soulful voice and musical abilities, but also as a deeply devoted Chabad Chassid.

Reb Shmuel was born in Kremenchug in 5645 (1885) to Reb Yehoshua Efraim Kantarof. He was among the earliest students of Tomchei Temimim and became known as an outstanding chazan, baal tefillah, and baal menagen.

He performed across the world and attracted a huge following. Most notably, in 5694 (1934), he was selected to chant the Kel Moleh Rachamim at the funeral of Mendel Beilis, the historical figure who had been acquitted in the infamous 1913 Kyiv blood libel trial. The funeral, held on New York’s Lower East Side before thousands of people, made international headlines.

Despite being a highly successful chazan, Reb Shmuel remained throughout his life a yerei Shamayim and a tremendous talmid chochom.

In 5687 (1927), Reb Shmuel moved to America, where he became a member of Agudas Chassidei Chabad. He held positions in various communities across North America and Mexico before eventually settling in Brooklyn.

When the Frierdiker Rebbe visited America in 5689 (1929), Reb Shmuel was among those who went to greet him at the pier. He called out in a loud voice, “Baruch Haba!”

Reb Shmuel also participated in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Sukkos farbrengen in 5690 (1929), together with the famous chazan Yossele Rosenblatt, where he sang for the assembled.

Throughout those years, Reb Shmuel was present at many Chabad events, where he would lead in singing and chazzanus, often helping raise funds for Lubavitch institutions.

He was also one of the founders of the Nichoach project, which sought to preserve and record Chabad niggunim. He served on the committee responsible for reviewing the recordings and ensuring that the niggunim were reproduced accurately. A number of the niggunim familiar to Chabad today were taught by him.

Reb Shmuel passed away on Shevi’i Shel Pesach 5713 (1953), at the age of 68, and was laid to rest in Montefiore Cemetery.

Reb Shmuel left a substantial sum of money in his will to Tomchei Temimim. For whatever reason, although he was buried in an Agudas Chabad cemetery plot, the plot had apparently never been paid for.

In a letter to Reb Moshe Pinchas Katz, the Rebbe addressed the matter and instructed that part of the money Reb Shmuel had left to Tomchei Temimim should be used to pay the yeshivah’s fair share for the burial plot. The Rebbe emphasized that “one should not trifle with such matters,” stressing the importance of properly settling the cost of the plot.

LISTEN