This version of the chatzi' kaddish (traditionally chanted between sections of the Jewish worship service) comes from the repertoire of the Turkish synagogue in Vienna in 1881, according to Cantor David Benedict of Temple Israel in Lawrence, NY. He arranged and recorded it as part of a vinyl LP published by his synagogue in the early 1950s. It is sung by the Musikakademe Chorus (members of the Vienna Opera Orchestra). The synagogue from which it came was founded in Vienna by Spanish Jews who had fled the Inquisition in 1492 and found a home in Turkey. Cantor Benedict writes, "They remained for approximately 250 years and absorbed Turkish influence. Once again, they were uprooted and a group found refuge in Vienna, where they continued to practice their Spanish-Turkish traditions. The unusual music for the chatzi kaddish is irresistible in its charm and grace. The gentle rise and fall of the cantor's roulades form a lacework pattern, broken only by the amen response of the choir." The language of the chatzi kaddish is Aramaic--spoken by Jews in Judea during the Second Temple (Roman) period of Jewish history. There is no longer any trace in Vienna of the Turkish Synagogue. We revived Cantor Davisdon's arrangement at Temple Covenant of Peace in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1999 where it found a new and welcome home.
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