TORONTO — He’s been a local Jewish treasure as cantor at the Holy Blossom Temple for the past 36 years, and now Germany will be honouring Cantor Benjamin Maissner with its Order of Merit for his dedication to restoring and preserving Jewish music around the world.
On Nov. 23, Maissner, who also serves as Holy Blossom’s musical director, will be presented with one of Germany’s highest civilian honours by the country’s consul general in Toronto, Walter Stechel, following the shul’s annual general meeting.
“I don’t know why I’m getting this merit for the life of me,” Maissner said, humbly.
But Maissner’s list of accomplishments suggests that this is a well-deserved honour.
The Israeli-born cantor graduated from the Hebrew Union College’s School of Sacred Music in 1968 and served as cantor at a Philadelphia synagogue until he moved to Canada in 1979.
Renowned for his extensive knowledge of secular and liturgical music, and having mastered musical styles including Jewish Renaissance and contemporary Canadian, American and Israeli compositions, Maissner is also the conductor and music director of Lachan, Toronto’s Jewish chamber choir.
In addition to his contribution to the art of cantorial music, Maissner has a strong connection to Germany that dates back to the 1920s: his maternal uncle served as Hanover’s chief cantor from 1925 to 1935.
“Cantor Israel Alter was a… celebrity in Germany… but in 1935 when he heard about the Nuremberg Laws [Nazi Germany’s anti-Semitic laws]… he took his family to South Africa,” Maissner said.
“In 1925, my uncle recorded recordings, which travelled after the war from Germany to South Africa, then to the United States, then Israel. I received them and then sent them back to Germany. A professor who is the president of the European Centre for Jewish Music in Hanover… when I returned the recording of my uncle… he discovered that I’m the nephew of Israel Alter. He connected with me and invited me many times to sing in Germany.”
He has since performed at a number of events commemorating the end of World War II and the liberation of concentrations camps.
In 2008, he and his choir, Lachan, were invited to perform at a Jewish music festival in Hanover to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
But perhaps the most significant visit to Hanover came last year, when Maissner and his family were invited by the city as official guests to mark the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht with concerts and events throughout the city.
As part of the commemoration, the city placed “stumbling stones” on the pavement in front of the home where his grandparents once lived, as well as the home of his uncle, Cantor Israel Alter, and his family.
Maissner’s most recent honour, being awarded Germany’s Order of Merit, was set in motion by the former consul general of Germany in Toronto, Sabine Sparwasser, who became friends with Maissner after she participated in an event at Holy Blossom.
“She came to my synagogue for a concert and welcomed the cantors, because we had a convention of 300 cantors here [for 64th annual Cantors Assembly convention in 2011]… We became friends… and she initiated this,” Maissner said.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything special. When I came to Holy Blossom many, many years ago, I said that I would love to teach the values of Judaism through music, and that was my motto,” he said.
“I believe in reconciliation, moving forward, rebuilding broken glass and rebuilding culture, and preserving the glorious music of Europe, which I am blessed to be doing at Holy Blossom.”