The Three Dictators

Over the years, hundreds of composers of Jewish music sent my father their original compositions in the hope that he would sing them on his radio show and consequently make them famous. Many in the field were aware of his sense of humor and that his preference was for the unique selection rather than the standard Yiddish tunes of the day including some that were quite humorous, an example of which was “Dus Fleschel” – The Flask - sung from the point of view of the flask. Another, written specifically for my father that he sung on the radio and at concerts but unfortunately never recorded, is called “The Three Dictators” which is a spoof of the famous Yiddish song, “A Chazzan Auf Shabbos.”

So how does a serious Cantor pull off a spoof of this kind? Perfect Yiddish, a theatrical flair, and a twinkle in your eye, was all that was needed, and indeed my father possessed all three.