Posted to Chabad News on

Family and Friends Recall Life of America’s Tenor

by Joshua Runyan – Chabad.org

Praying at Jan Peerce’s grave site.

A gathering of family, friends and acquaintances of “America’s Tenor” joined a Jewish archivist to mark the anniversary of legendary performer Jan Peerce’s passing with prayers, Torah study and the sharing of stories. A product of the Lower East Side, Peerce, whose parents were Belorussian immigrants, rose to prominence with performances at the Metropolitan Opera and in 1971, made his Broadway debut as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

At services marking his passing, Rabbi Hershel Okonov, director of F.R.E.E. – a Chabad-Lubavitch organization catering to the needs of immigrants from Eastern Europe that Peerce and his wife Alice served as lay leaders for close to two decades – delivered the traditional Kaddish memorial prayer and spoke about Peerce’s life and love of Judaism.

“My father loved Rabbi Okonov,” Peerce’s daughter revealed in an interview with Rabbi Dovid Zaklikowski, an editor for the Judaism website Chabad.org. “Whenever I saw them together, I saw a strong bond between them.”

Peerce also maintained correspondence with the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who told the tenor that “through the medium of song and melody, one can touch directly upon the heartstrings of the listener and inspire his inner soul.”

“I never formally joined the Lubavitch movement,” Peerce would later say. “I just am a Lubavitcher.”

Zaklikowski, who uncovered letters between Peerce and the Rebbe as part of his research into the Rebbe’s correspondence with different public figures, travelled to the singer’s resting place in Westchester, N.Y., to recite Psalms and pray for the wellbeing of his family. He later went to the Ohr Hameir theological seminary, where Rabbi Mendel Kanerik shared memories of his students visiting Peerce’s home on the Sabbath and his recollections of Peerce’s wit.

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8 Comments

  • moish

    An extraordinary archivist, dovid knows how to dig up guteh schoreh..
    Looking forward to the book.

  • Marshall Sindelman

    The voice of Jan Peerce resonates in my ear and memory and will do so forever…My first recollection of hearing him was on his record singing “The Bluebird of Happiness” when I was
    about 10 years old… Later on I was mezmorized by his powerful renditions of a multitude of songs both in Yiddish and Cantoral prayers in Hebrew.His singing of “Mierka Mon Zeen” I found very powerful and always comes to mind when I visit a Synagoge and stand facing the Arc containg the Torahs. My father, OBM , who was well versed in our litergy introduced me Jan Peerce’s genious of transmitting through his voice ones identity as a Jew that can be felt to the very marrow of our bones.

  • TorahHigh

    There goes another music legend, right behind Percy Faith. May their souls rest in peace in Broadway Shel Ma’alah.

  • Blue Bird of Happiness

    Read his autobiography “The Blue Bird of Happiness where Jan Peerce writes about his encounters with Chabad through Rabbi Chaim Itche Drizin of Berkeley Chabad fame, Rabbi Drizin eulogized him at his Leviya which was written up in the New York Times. Rabbi Drizin was also very close to his wife Alice and to his daughter Joy Wahrhaftig

  • Mindy Feller

    Lubavitch of Minnesota featured Jan Peerce a number of times in the 70s. He
    mesmerised a hugh crowd at our concert held at Minneapolis’ prestigious
    Orchestra Hall. Rabbi Shneur Zalman Baumgarten, then in his teens, was the
    warm up” to Peerce, who was very impressed with Shneur Zalman. At our first
    major banquet Peerce sang, and his wife Alice spoke. We brought her to speak
    at a N’shei Chabad function in the 80s as well. She was very enthused about
    our Bais Chana program. Yehi Zichrom Baruch.