TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement

Conditions of Access and Use

Administrative Information

Search Terms

Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Music.

Series B. Writings.

Series C. Newspaper Clippings.

Series D. Correspondence and Personal.

A Finding Aid to the Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers. 1908-1982.

Manuscript Collection No. 692

Introduction
Repository: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
Creator: Yardeini, Mordecai S.
Title: Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers.
Dates: 1908-1982
Quantity: 6.4 linear feet (16 Hollinger boxes)
Abstract: The Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers (1908-1982) contain musical compositions, writings, and newspaper clippings of and about Mordecai S. Yardeini, a cantor and composer of liturgical and secular music.
Collection Number: MS-692
Language: Collection material in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.

Biographical Sketch

Mordecai S. Yardeini was born near Zitomir, Ukraine to Chaim Yardeini and Malke Meir-Dovid Baran Yardeini. His father was a shochet and a Bal-Tefilah. Yardeini was, in his own words, " a cantor, folk singer, composer, music critic, Victor recording artist, author of six books on music, theater, literature and lector." Yardeini was educated in yeshivas and later earned a degree from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's School of Sacred Music in New York City in 1953. He was a president of the Jewish Cantors of America, vice-president of the Jewish Radio Guild, board member of the Hebrew Actors Union in America, member of the Yiddish Writers in America, and a past editor of the literary journal New Yorker Vochenblat.

Little is known about Yardeini's life. It is known that he received his education first in Russia and later in Palestine where he lived before immigrating to America in 1936. He held positions as a cantor in both Conservative and Orthodox synagogues.

Yardeini was married to Nina Rosenberg.

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Scope and Content Note

The Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers (1908-1982) contain musical compositions, writings, and newspaper clippings of and about Mordecai S. Yardeini, a cantor and composer of liturgical and secular music.

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Arrangement

This collection is divided into four series.

  • A. Music
  • B. Writings
  • C. Newspaper Clippings
  • D. Correspondence and Personal

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Conditions of Access and Use

Terms of Access

The collection is open for use; no restrictions apply.

Terms of Reproduction and Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce, with exceptions for fair use, may be obtained through the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please address queries to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:

[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-692. Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Provenance

The Mordecai S. Yardeini Papers were received from Robert Singerman, Gainesville, Florida, in 1990.

Processing Information

Processed by Christine A. Crandall, November 2002

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Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Music.
The first series contains music written by Yardeini as well as a few folders of music by others that he arranged or added his own lyrics to. There is also one folder of compositional fragments (8/2) and several with the generic name of "Yiddish music." This organizational method was used because of a lack of available Yiddish translation. The rest of this series is arranged alphabetically. An index, available in the reading room, provides the titles and spellings given to the pieces by Yardeini.
Box Folder
1 1 Ab-Al.
1 2 Ale-Az.
1 3 Ab-Al.
Box Folder
2 1 Ch-Cn.
2 2 D.
2 3 E.
Box Folder
3 1 F.
3 2 G.
3 3 H.
3 4 I.
3 5 J.
Box Folder
4 1 K.
4 2 L.
4 3 Ma-Me.
Box Folder
5 1 Mi-Mo.
5 2 N.
5 3 O.
5 4 P.
5 5 R.
Box Folder
6 1 Sa-Shl.
6 2 Shm-Su.
6 3 T.
Box Folder
7 1 U.
7 2 V.
7 3 W
7 4 Y.
Box Folder
8 1 Z.
8 2 Fragments of music.
8 3 Olf, Mark. Music.
8 4 Other people's music.
8 5 Other people's music.
8 6 Other people's music.
Box Folder
9 1 Yiddish music.
9 2 Yiddish music.
9 3 Notebooks.
9 4 Notebooks.
9 5 Notebooks.
Box Folder
10 1 Notebooks.
Series B. Writings.
Series B. Writings, contains interesting writings regarding various topics. There are nine files in English. The rest of this series is in Yiddish with four folders holding an untitled manuscript for one of Yardeini's books.
Box Folder
10 2 Autobiography.
10 3 English speeches and writings.
10 4 Eulogy.
10 5 "Fifty Years of Jewish Song in Americirca"
10 6 "Leopold Stokowski and Philadelphia."
10 7 "The Melody of Rosh Hashona."
10 8 "My Mother."
10 9 "Trends and Advancement in Jewish Music."
10 10 "Zero Mostel: Notes and Memories."
10 11 Manuscript [Yiddish].
10 12 Manuscript [Yiddish].
10 13 Manuscript [Yiddish].
10 14 Manuscript [Yiddish].
10 15 Notebooks [Yiddish].
Box Folder
11 1 Notebooks [Yiddish].
11 2 Notebooks [Yiddish].
11 3 Notebooks [Yiddish].
11 4 Notebooks [Yiddish].
11 5 Notebooks [Yiddish].
11 6 Writings [Yiddish].
11 7 Writings [Yiddish].
11 8 Writings [Yiddish].
11 9 Writings [Yiddish].
11 10 Writings [Yiddish].
11 11 Writings [Yiddish].
11 12 Writings [Yiddish].
11 13 Writings [Yiddish].
Box Folder
12 1 Writings [Yiddish].
12 2 Writings [Yiddish].
Series C. Newspaper Clippings.
Series C. holds newspaper clippings about Yardeini and about Jewish and Yiddish music. These are almost all in Yiddish.
Box Folder
12 3 Clippings [Yiddish].
12 4 Clippings [Yiddish].
12 5 Clippings [Yiddish].
12 6 Clippings [Yiddish].
12 7 Clippings [Yiddish].
12 8 Clippings [Yiddish].
Box Folder
13 1 Clippings [Yiddish].
13 2 Scrapbook. 1929-1936, 1971.
13 3 Scrapbook. 1929-1949
13 4 Scrapbook. 1939-1952.
13 5 Scrapbook. 1941-1949, 1958.
13 6 Scrapbook. 1941-1958.
13 7 Scrapbook. 1943-1958.
13 8 Scrapbook. 1943-1963.
Box Folder
14 1 Scrapbook. 1945-1963.
14 2 Scrapbook. 1948-1956.
14 3 Scrapbook. 1950-1951.
14 4 Scrapbook. 1950-1953.
14 5 Scrapbook. 1950-1956.
14 6 Scrapbook. 1959-1960.
14 7 Scrapbook. 1965, 1973-1974.
14 8 Scrapbook. 1969-1971.
Series D. Correspondence and Personal.
Series D. Correspondence and Personal contains some personal correspondence, Yardeini's cantorial diploma, unidentified photographs, and plaques.
Box Folder
15 1 Beck, M. 1908.
15 2 Freiheit Jewish Daily 1945-1963.
15 3 Resnick, Sid. undated
15 4 Rosenberg, Nina. 1980, 1982.
15 5 Books of marriage certificates.
15 6 Burial information.
15 7 Copyright agreements. 1960-1972.
15 8 Diploma. HUC-JIR School of Sacred Music. 1953.
15 9 Greater Miami Workmen's Circle Seder. 1980.
15 10 Photographs.
15 11 Prayerbooks.
15 12 Photographs of cantors.
15 13 Publicity.
15 14 South American trip. 1948.
Box Folder
16 Plaques.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA's online catalog.

Persons and Families

Yardeini, Mordecai S.

Subjects

Cantors (Judaism)
Music -- Religious aspects -- Judaism

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