Daniel Gildar, Renowned Orthodox Jewish Cantor and Pianist, Passes Away Suddenly

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NEW YORK (VINnews/Sandy Eller) – Cantor Daniel Gildar, an accomplished chazan who was also well known as the pianist of choice at major cantorial concerts throughout the world, died unexpectedly on Wednesday evening at the age of 75.

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A native of Cleveland who studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and majored in piano, theory and voice, Gildar participated in seven historic missions to Europe with the Chaim and Gila Weiner Society for the Advancement of Cantorial Art. He was a fixture at every major cantorial concert for decades and was renowned in the world of music for his encyclopedic knowledge of chazanus.

Gildar was scheduled to record a Park East Synagogue musical Thanksgiving celebration together with Cantor Yitzchak Helfgot on Wednesday night. The concert was scheduled to be streamed Sunday afternoon in honor of the 60th wedding anniversary of Park East members and benefactors Judith and Zoltan Lefkovitz. Cantor Benny Rogosnitzky, a long time friend, said that Gildar called him in the afternoon to say that he was feeling unwell and would be unable to make it to the synagogue. Gildar went to the hospital where he passed away several hours later

“He was an unbelievable human being who knew just what to do for a chazan,” Rogosnitzky told VIN News. “He was kind and generous on the piano and if a chazan went flat or off key, he knew musically how to get him back, saving him from potential embarrassment.”

According to Rogosnitzky, Gildar’s death leaves a tremendous void in the cantorial world, which was plunged into mourning after learning of his passing.

“Danny was so much a part of the fabric of the world of chazanut,” said Rogosnitzky. “I went through my Rolodex and there is no one like him. He literally held the hands of two generations of chazanim.

Gildar and his late wife Marsha had no children of their own but had an open home and a large adoptive family.


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Charles B Hall
Charles B Hall
3 years ago

Baruch Dayan HaEmet

Malky Sharaby
Malky Sharaby
3 years ago

Marsha had children from her first marriage and Danny treated them as if they were his own.

Yisroel
Yisroel
3 years ago

Baruch Dayan Emes!
He was truly very special.
He tutored the younger brother of 2 of my talmidim and gave him such self confidence, besides the chazzanus and after leining beautifully for his bar mitzvah, he davened mussaf in a powerful voice and he’s been asked again and again to lead the davening

The_Truth
The_Truth
3 years ago

Boruch Dayan Emes. Huge loss.

Fran
Fran
3 years ago

He knew my uncle, a well known Chazan, Heinich Borenstein, and he spoke at his funeral. He was a lovely person.

HeshyEmes
HeshyEmes
3 years ago

!חבל על דאבדין ולא משתכחין
He helped Benny bring back Chazzanus from the brink of death some 20 years ago! All of us who enjoyed chazzanus (and like a fine wine, many inherently enjoy it, others acquire a taste for it as they get older, and for many, chazzanus is just a waste of time, and look at people enjoying the sublime pleasure of Chazzanus, as most of us look at cigar or pipe smokers; as pretentious fools!), will feel the loss. He should be a Meiliitz Yoisher for Klal Yisroel.