by Emma Driban, Editor
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This year, a change is occurring at Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth. Cantor Yossi Desser with be joining the traditional congregation this High Holiday season, bringing with him music and joy to the shul’s sanctuary.
I was introduced to Cantor Yossi by Rabbi Abe, who met the musician years ago during Rosh Hashanah.
“I was hosting a dinner for Erev Rosh Hashanah. It was very jolly, with beautiful weather. Yossi stood up, went to the keyboard, and started playing High Holiday tunes. We were probably singing until 2 in the morning! It was the most beautiful Rosh Hashanah dinner I’ve ever had.”
After some encouragement, Yossi realized his path was to share his gift. Now, Cantor Yossi is bringing his musical talent to Delaware as the Cantor at Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth.
What brought you to the musical path?
I grew up in a musical family. My father was a wunderkind singing for the Satmar Rebbe, Yoel Teitelbaum. My father then went on to become a Ba’al Tefila, a prayer leader, in our local shul growing up. My older brother is also a singer/chazan. On my mother’s side, we also have musicians and chazanim. My mom can sing and my grandmother loved music and singing as well. I was fortunate to spend some time with my grandmother before she passed away. There are some videos online of me singing to her. Personally, I credit my grandmother, Sara, for helping my musiccareer take off as one of those videos went viral.
How has music shaped your life?
Music has been an integral part of my entire life. Since childhood, I’ve been surrounded by music and singing. Now, as an adult, I get to do this professionally. The reciprocal energy of bringing joy to other people is unmatched.
How do you see music helping to build community in your role as a cantor?
Music is contagious, therapeutic, and uplifting and I feel it’s one of the best tools to bring community together.
So, I’m hoping to bring my entertainment experience into my role as a cantor at Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth and incorporate more singing into the prayers. I heard that this community loves to sing, and I’m very much looking forward working closely with Rabbi Abe—whom I’ve worked with in the past—and to working with the AKSE Choir, choral directors Bob Weiner and David Epstein, and choir leaders.
Do you want to talk about your experience of transitioning from a more sheltered community? What has it meant to forge a path outside the Ultra-Orthodox community?
I grew up Ultra Orthodox/Hassidic and it was an intense religious experience. But it was also very warm, and filled with nigunim and lots of shabbos farbrengens. I gained a wealth of Torah knowledge growing up in that community, and I try to bring some of that warmth and compassion into my performances. I’m also still very close to my family and I visit that community frequently.
How has your view of the High Holidays changed as you’ve grown up?
Growing up, the High Holidays season was a very serious time, with extremely long hours in Shul. I always appreciated Nusach and Nigunim. Personally, however, I prefer when the High Holiday Services are more entertaining, engaging, with lots of singing.
Your debut album is entitled Yiddush Chanukah Carols, and it reimagines classic Christmas tunes for the Jewish holiday. What was it like to reclaim secular, Christmas music as a Jewish man and make it Yiddish?
Growing up in a secluded Hassidic community in Kiryat Joel, I’ve never even heard of Christmas music until my early 20s.
As a teenager, I started listening to theater music especially Yiddish Theater, like the Barry Sisters and Dudu Fisher, etc. My grandmother used to sing some of those as well. I’ve since seen quite a few plays and shows at the Folksbene Yiddish Theater in NYC. As you can see, I’m a little bit obsessed with the Yiddish language. So, naturally I was thinking about original Yiddish songs for my debut album.
During Chanukah season, I was doing some research, and I discovered that most of Christmas music was written by Jews. Why not reclaim them and rewrite it for Chanukah in Yiddish? I felt like it brought a little redemption to those Jewish artists and composers.
How does it feel coming to very different Jewish communities from where you grew up?
Through my life’s journey I’ve had the privilege to experience different factions and denominations of Judaism. This made me quite adaptable to new ideas. So, I’m looking forward to learning new things and sharing the experiences I’ve learned along the way.
What is your next project? What are you excited about in the coming year?
I have a lot of ideas. One of the things I’m exploring is original Yiddish songs and perhaps dabbling a bit in Broadway or Yiddish Theater down the road.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
I feel very lucky to do music professionally and I’m also able to bring joy and happiness to diverse Jewish communities. I’m blessed to have a beautiful and supportive family and especially my supportive wife, Estee, and my amazing kids.
Do you have any interesting stories from gigs to share?
I have a lot of interesting stories of gigs throughout my career. One thing comes to mind, I get to perform multiple of my year. Seeing their faces light up and singing along to the old Yiddish tunes of their childhood. It doesn’t get more satisfying than that. I recently sang at a birthday of a 100-year-old woman, a Holocaust survivor. Unfortunately, she had Alzheimer’s, but the songs of her childhood she still remembered vividly. We sang “A Yiddishe Momme” together. It was very touching.
Cantor Yossi will be joining Rabbi Abe and the Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth team this High Holiday season.
Join Cantor Yossi at the Pre-Selichot concert and Selichot services with the AKSE choir on Saturday, September 5 at 8:00 PM. The event is free and open to all who register. For more information, please reach out to AKSE at 302-762-2705.
