Yigal Calek’s contribution to the world of Jewish music is overarching
But it wasn’t only about youth choirs. Yigal Calek’s contribution to the world of Jewish music is overarching, from those unforgettable tunes to the catchiest (and often unusual) lyrics, his originality and production abilities delighted a generation of both children and adults sitting near family record players, as much as they wowed large audiences in concert. But what stayed with listeners long after the curtain came down, or the record or cassette tape reached an end, are the genuine and passionate feelings for Yiddishkeit which came from deep within his heart, and touched theirs.
Yigal Yisrael Calek came of age in Stamford Hill, London. His parents were chassidim from Lodz who had managed to escape the Nazis and reach Eretz Yisrael, where Yigal was born. They arrived in London in 1953, shortly after his bar mitzvah. Yigal got involved in the Pirchim groups of Agudas Yisroel, and became a popular madrich in camps and play productions. After learning at Gateshead Yeshiva, he took a teaching job in the newer community of Golders Green.
Yigal started off his marriage to Adina in Antwerp, Belgium, where her family lived, using his unique educational talents, including music, to inspire children. Back in London, while his initial efforts to start a choir were not widely appreciated in the very conservative stronghold of Stamford Hill, they slowly bore fruit. (“It was known as ‘Yigal’s meshugassen’ in the early days,” Yigal’s early partner Jeffrey Craimer a”h told Mishpacha a while back.) Yigal was both charismatic and experienced with children, and by the 1960s, the choir was up and running, known at first as the London Pirchim choir.
The choir, and Yigal’s compositions which they sang, became iconic in the Jewish world. The songs resonated deeply and continue to be beloved to listeners of all ages, so that everyone has their Yigal Calek favorites. The outpouring of reactions to Yigal’s petirah over Succos points to his lasting impact decades later, and a loss felt deeply and personally.
Create a free account to keep reading.
