I’m the Son of a Son of a Cantor…The Sixth Cantor in The Sherman Family, all born in Poland except me, BORN IN THE USA! NYC, now in Florida. My Great Uncle Pinchas was Cantor in The Great Synagogue in Warsaw for over 30 years. Each day he led the morning/evening prayers, Shabbat and Yom Tov. He perished in Warsaw in the Shoah in 1945. His older brother and teacher was my Grandfather, Cantor Abraham Isaac Sherman, who left Poland for a Cantorial position in Toronto in 1922. Smart guy, that’s why I’m here today.
The Great Synagogue, (The Tlomackie Synagogue) was the largest Jewish house of worship in the world, located on Tlomackie Street in Warsaw. It was blown up in May 1943, the last act of destruction by the Germans suppressing the Revolt of the Warsaw Ghetto.
The Germans had been deporting Warsaw’s Jewish population of 500,000 to the Warsaw Ghetto. The Ghetto was 1 square mile, surrounded by walls that they built. They struggled between survival and death, from disease or starvation.
When the order came to annihilate the Ghetto in April 1943, Jewish fighters launched the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. When the fighting ended, almost all survivors were massacred.
This past June 2022, I thought of traveling to Warsaw, to Daven in a Synagogue, some 100 years later. I contacted The Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Shudrich, he saw its importance, and invited me. I arranged travel for September 8-11, only 4 days as I was uncomfortable being in the country that slaughtered half of my family.
I stayed in a luxurious Westin Hotel, 11th floor, with concierge access, just blocks from the Ghetto, Surreal.
Piotr Kowalik, a Prayer leader at Nozyk Synagogue, personally guided me through the remnants. I was also accompanied by my 45 year old son Steven and his 16 year-old daughter Alexa.
The congregation for Shabbat at Nozyk, was about 50 men downstairs and 25 women upstairs. In the congregation there were a few Ger Hasidim which was the largest Hassidic Dynasty in Poland. They wore black pants tucked into their high white socks, payus tucked under their yarmulke, a spodik which is a high circular fur hat different from a shtreimel.
Davening was going to be a challenge for me, the custom in Nozyk is for the leader to stand as far forward as possible so the prayers can be heard without a microphone. Facing a wall was a problem I had to overcome. Their custom is that the Cantor cannot repeat words. The night before I took out my highlighter and Post-Its to mark up my Art Scroll Siddur.
They Davened Shlomo Carlebach Style, where everyone joins in. I was educated in Orthodox Yeshivas, and Shuls in New York, I was comfortable davening Orthodox, in the United States, but Poland, and in Ashkenazie?
I started off with nothing fancy, some nice standard melodies, Yedid Nefesh, and used a Traditional Nusach for Shabbat. Now time for Lecha Dodi where they had to wait for me to begin. I had this sweet melody, easy to pick up. It was a staple for Hazzan David Feuer in Palm Beach who I studied under for years. I slowly started singing Lecha Dodi, and they joined in, Wow.
Then a tap on my shoulder by another Rabbi, Icchak Rapaport (Rosh Kollel Torah Mitzion), who whispered, time to dance! Before I knew it two Ger Hasidim grabbed my hands and we’re dancing together around the center of the Torah Bima called a Tayva.
It reminded me of the scene in The Frisco Kid, where a Polish Rabbi played by Gene Wilder on his way to California in the early 1800’s, taught the Indians how to dance in a circle to the tune Or Zarua. (Rent the movie, it’s fabulous).
I continued with Shema, a beautiful Hashkiveinu, and concluded with a standard Yigdal. I had my emotional moments, voice cracking, eyes tearing, knees buckling, hands trembling, cottonmouth, and lots of shvitzing. Rabbi Shudreich noticed my difficulty, and gave me a comforting smile.
On Shabbat morning in Shul, I elected not to lead the service, as my voice was shot, an emotional wreck, Jet Lag.
In a few weeks I would be the Cantor for High Holidays at Pembroke Pines Jewish Center in Florida. I saved my voice.
Rabbi Shudrich sermonized in Polish, English with some Yiddish sprinkled in, truly amazing, as he grew up in New York. The Kiddish was delicious fresh fruits and cake, cookies and herring. I felt at home with my Jewish brethren in Warsaw, we had a true connection. There is a Plaque Honoring the Nozyk Synagogue’s last Cantor Jakub Lichterman (a survivor of four camps), on a wall in the sanctuary. I added a Plaque that I made in honor of Cantor Pinchas Sherman, his brother Abraham Isaac Sherman, nephews Alex Sherman, Phillip Sherman, Louis Sherman, and his Great Nephew, me. Next day, early departure for The United States from Chopin Airport. Man has the world changed in 90 years.
My Next article: My concert for Jewish Ukrainian families in The Nozyk Synagogue.
Cantor Glenn Sherman resides in Delray Beach. For more information visit
