New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-26
Bv II. E KREHBIEL.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: | have been much interested IN
Mr.. Krehbiel's articles on the patriotic
songs Of the warning nations which are
appearing In The Tribune. Although
the series is not yet concluded l fear
that. owing 10 a widespread misappre-
hension, Il will not occur 10 him 70
touch upon the national anthem OF my
people, who are bravely fighting ana
dying, 100000 strong, on all the battle
fields Of Europe. We are not any more.
OF. as prefer 20 put II, not yet ma
ton in the full sense OF the term in
that al the present time we are the
political masters Of our country. But
we have a national belief. national
ideal and a national anthem, OF which
I am sending you q copy in the hope
that you may become interested in II.
Concerning the music the Rev. Dr.
D. de Sofa Pool, Of the Spanish and
Portuguese synagogue Shearith Israel,
has been kind enough. in answer TO my
request, 10 give me the following in
formation i quote from his letters:
The melody occurs In a work en-
titled The Ancient Melodies Of the
Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.
published in London in 1857 by my
great-grandfather. the Rev. d. A. de
Sofa. II Is there printed on Page 80
as Melody 40 In the historical intro
duction 70 the book. on Page Il, the
editor states that no melody has been
inserted IN the collection which ia not
as far as ! have been able TO investi-
gate. AT least a century and hall old.
The Rev d. A. de Sofa himself could
recall the melody as being IN constant
use on festive occasions In the Am
sterdam synagogue where he was
brought I'D at least as far back as fifty
years prior 70 the publication Of this
volume, and he never had heard the
melody spoken Of In any other way
than as being traditional.
I'VE may well assume. therefore. that
there was no one living 81 the be
ginning % the nineteenth century
within whose memory the melody
had been introduced into the Am
sterdam Spanish and Portuguese con
gregation. This gives US as the latest
possible date for It's composition about
the year 1850. or course. the melody
may be considerably older. but cannot
trace II further back than this. Its
hrst appearance In print IL In the vol
ume which ! have referred TO. The
melody was and IL still used In the
Spanish and Portuguese synagogues OF
Amsterdam. London, Manchester. New
York. Philadelphia. Montreal. Kingston
jamaica. etc. as an old character
site melody. 70 which Psalm III and
parts Of Psalm lls are sung.
when the Zionist movement wa.
Young. less than a score Of years ago
Naftsli Herr lmber. a Hebrew poet
composed Hebrew poem singing the
nationalist hope OF the Jew 20 return
20 the land Of his fathers. Although
lmber. who is generally recognized as
having been the model for Zangwills
fascinating character. Melchitsedek
pinchas. was a curious rather than a
noble figure. his poem brea,hes the un-
dying spirit OF the Jew. At the time
imber lived In London. although later
he came 20 New York. His poem
'Hatikyoh' was set TO music by the
cantor Of the Finsbury Park Syna-
eogue in London. a man by the name
of Perlzweig Pcrlzweig borrowed the
melody. which was well known 10 him
as . student Of Jewish music. from the
Spanish and Portuguese congregation,
and nedifsd it slightly into The fern