Katz, Sholom

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KATZ, SHOLOM

KATZ, SHOLOM (1919–1982), ḥazzan. Born in Oradea, Romania, Katz studied voice in Budapest and Vienna and was ḥazzan in Kishinev, Bessarabia, until he was deported in 1941. At the Bralow, Ukraine, concentration camp, he was taken out to be shot but requested permission to sing the prayer for the dead. The officer in charge was so impressed by his voice that he spared him and allowed him to escape. In 1947 he emigrated to the U.S. and became ḥazzan of the Beth Sholom Congregation in Washington, d.c. A powerful tenor with an extensive range and exceptional voice control, Katz developed an individualistic, unhurried and dramatic style.