Israel Meyer Japhet

Israel Meyer Japhet (7 March 1818—10 November 1892) was a teacher, choir director, and grammarian. He was choir director at the Realschule (Adass Jeschurun) in Frankfurt am Main under Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, and composed music for synagogue use, many pieces of which are still in use today. Biography and career Israel Meyer Japhet was born in Kassel, Germany. His parents were Meyer Japhet (1782–1866) and Deborah Weinberg (1783–1843). At age 17, he attained his first position as a choral director and religious teacher in Wolfhagen. Subsequently, he held a similar position in Gudenberg, where he came into contact with Rabbi Mordechai Wetzlar. Wetzlar had a strong influence on Japhet’s development and outlook. From 1852 to 1892, he was choir director and religious instructor for the Orthodox congregation in Frankfurt am Main. For his works on grammar he used new methods of teaching in his textbooks. In keeping within halakha, his choirs consisted solely of men and boys. Aside from halakhic issues, Japhet felt that instruments and elaborate compositions could not compare with the feelings inspired by simple melodies and music. He felt that tunes used by previous generations can be