Biographies

Idelsohn was born in Filsberg, Latvia (former Kurland or Courland) and began his study of Jewish music in Libau where he trained to be a cantor. He continued his education at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and at the Leipzig Academy. Idelsohn served as a cantor at the Adat Jeshurun Synagogue in Leipzig, and in Regensburg and Johannesburg, South Africa before finally settling in Jerusalem in 1906.  In Jerusalem, he began working as a cantor and music teacher at the Hebrew Teacher’s college.