Hanina Karchevsky (died 20 December 1925, age 49), was a Jewish composer, conductor and music teacher who became an important figure in the establishment of the musical culture of the pre-state Yishuv and of Israel.

Biography

Karchevsky was born in 1877 in Petrovka, a village in Russian-ruled

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...

. He moved with his parents to the nearby town of Bender, where he studied Torah. At the same time, he learned piano and notation with his teacher, who was also a cantor (''

hazzan A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this pr ...

)'' where he was heard by the well-known cantor Zeidel Rovner, who convinced his parents to move to Kishinev, so the child could join the synagogue's choir. At the age of 22, he moved to Warsaw, where he conducted an army orchestra. As a supporter of Zionism, he immigrated to the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

in 1908, during the Second Aliyah. He taught music there in several institutes, among them the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, where he founded an orchestra and a choir. The choir performed around the country and participated in the inauguration ceremony of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

. He composed children and pioneer songs, as well as orchestral compositions. His songs became very popular in the period, and became milestones in the history of the pre-state Yishuv's and of Israel's musical culture. He also provided free classes for poor children. On 20 December 1925, he took his own life by hanging himself at his Tel Aviv home. He left behind a mother, and a married sister who was pregnant at the time and a mother to a ten-year-old daughter. The reasons for his suicide remain unclear.

Notes

External links

Hanina Karchevsky's Music
National Library of Israel. Accessed 24 March 2024. {{DEFAULTSORT:Karchevsky, Habins 1877 births Date of birth unknown 1925 suicides Israeli composers Suicides by hanging in Mandatory Palestine Burials at Trumpeldor Cemetery 1925 deaths Russian Zionists