EPHROS, GERSHON

EPHROS, GERSHON (1890–1978), ḥazzan. Born in Poland, he went to Palestine at 20, and studied under the musicologist A.Z. Idelsohn\>\> , for whom he also conducted a choir. Later he immigrated to the U.S. where he received appointments as ḥazzan and taught singing in schools. Ephros composed liturgical music for soloists, choir, and organ, and arranged Ḥasidic dances and Israel songs. His main work is his Cantorial Anthology in five volumes (1929–57), a practical collection of older and recent works for all the synagogue services of the year, which also contains some of Ephros' own compositions. In 1976 the Gershon Ephros Cantorial Anthology Foundation was established for the purpose of continuing the publication of his Anthology, of which 6 volumes have now been published. In 1979 the American Society for Jewish Music published an index to them. Two records of his liturgical songs and songs for children have appeared. (Akiva Zimmerman (2nd ed.)