Yaakov Talmud

Yaakov Dov (Yankel) Talmud (; 18 December 1885 – October 1965) was a Hasidic composer of Jewish liturgical music and choirmaster in the main synagogue of the Gerrer Rebbes both in Ger, Poland, and in Jerusalem, Israel. Known as "the Beethoven of the Gerrer Rebbes",

Talmud received many requests from other choirs and musicians to compose music for them, but he demurred, reserving his talent solely for the Gerrer Rebbes and their Hasidim.

Move to Mandatory Palestine Talmud married, went into business, and served as a community activist in Poland. He was a representative to the first Knessiah Gedolah of the World Agudath Israel in Frankfurt in 1923. He traveled to Jerusalem for every Shabbat Mevorchim (the Shabbat preceding a new month) to lead the prayers in the synagogue of the fourth Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Alter (the Beis Yisrael, who succeeded his father as Rebbe in 1948), and to eat a meal by the Rebbe.

Talmud suffered a heart attack in his later years and underwent surgery in 1963. Shortly after conducting the Ger choir in Jerusalem for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 1965, he fell ill. He died a few days later during the Sukkot holiday. The Beis Yisrael led his funeral. As soon as he composed a new tune, he would ask a professional musician to write down the score. His son, Chaim, often assisted him in this task. His total output is estimated at over 1,500 melodies, most of them sung by him and his choir in the main Ger synagogue in Poland and in Israel.

Several of Talmud's compositions are still widely sung today. These include his rousing "Shir Hamaalos" march tune, performed at many weddings, and "Lo Sevoshi", sung in Hasidic shtiebels. later arranged and produced hundreds of Talmud's compositions through his recording company, Aderet Records. Talmud collaborated with Werdyger to prepare the first three collections of Songs of the Gerer Chassidim, Werdyger's recordings include:

Songs of the Gerer Chassidim Loi Sevoishi (1962) A Gerer Melava Malka (1963) Songs of the Gerer Chassidim Vehoer Eineinu (1966) Ger Holiday Songs (1973) Ger Favorite Nigunim (1974)

The contents of these albums were re-mastered and re-released in 2008 in a three-CD set as 1100 Gerrer Niggunim by Aderet Records.

Quotes "When my time comes to depart this world and I will be asked by the heavenly court what I accomplished, I will answer that I brought some happiness to Jews".