A Cantor's Tale
Encyclopedia
A Cantor's Tale is a 2005 documentary by Erik Greenberg Anjou. The film profiles Jacob Mendelson, a practitioner of Jewish liturgical music who has dedicated his life to preserving the form's traditional vocal stylings.
Anjou follows Mendelson around Borough Park, his old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Mendelson, who carries a tuning fork
with him at all times, is prone to burst into song. During their journey through Borough Park, Anjou finds that the neighborhood has a fair number of baker
s with vocal talents as good as their knish
es.
Mendelson also recalls when cantors
were as popular as baseball players. "They had groupies," he tells Anjou, a strong incentive for a chubby teenager in high school.
Mendelson's mother, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
, was almost obsessed that her son become a cantor. The film reveals an interesting link to celebrity on the part of Mendelson's father: the older Mendelson once co-owned a truck with the father of Steven Spielberg
.
The movie's original title was Chazz'n, after the profiled cantor's sobriquet "Chazzan Jack Mendelson." It has also been titled A Cantor's Story.
Anjou follows Mendelson around Borough Park, his old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Mendelson, who carries a tuning fork
Tuning fork
A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-pronged fork with the prongs formed from a U-shaped bar of elastic metal . It resonates at a specific constant pitch when set vibrating by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits a pure musical tone after waiting a...
with him at all times, is prone to burst into song. During their journey through Borough Park, Anjou finds that the neighborhood has a fair number of baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
s with vocal talents as good as their knish
Knish
A knish or knysh is an Eastern European, and Jewish snack food made popular in America by Jewish immigrants, eaten widely by Jewish and non-Jewish peoples alike.-History:...
es.
Mendelson also recalls when cantors
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
were as popular as baseball players. "They had groupies," he tells Anjou, a strong incentive for a chubby teenager in high school.
Mendelson's mother, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, was almost obsessed that her son become a cantor. The film reveals an interesting link to celebrity on the part of Mendelson's father: the older Mendelson once co-owned a truck with the father of Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
.
The movie's original title was Chazz'n, after the profiled cantor's sobriquet "Chazzan Jack Mendelson." It has also been titled A Cantor's Story.