CANTOR ISRAEL GOLDSTEIN (1936 – ) was born in London and was the alto soloist in the choir of the New Synagogue in London, where his father, the late Jacob Goldstein, was cantor.In the early 1950s, the Goldsteins moved to New York, and Israel began his studies at Yeshiva University. He went on to receive his master’s degree and investiture as cantor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music. He is a director emeritus of HUC-JIR and still serves on its faculty. He also is cantor emeritus of the Jericho Jewish Center in Long Island. Over the years, his teachers have included Moshe Ganchoff, Abraham Shapiro, Eric Werner, Abraham W. Binder, Isadore Freed, Lazar Weiner and Lawrence Avery.
Cantor Goldstein has officiated and performed in major cities throughout the United States, Canada, Israel and Ukraine. He also is the soloist on four archival recordings of Great Synagogue Composers. His piano arrangements of cantorial recitatives appear in several publications of synagogue music.
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