Our First Patron The Late Reuben Turner z”l

 

Rev. Reuben Turner MBE z”l

We regret to inform everyone that our Patron Rev. Reuben Turner passed away on 16 July 2016. He had been the Patron of The London Cantorial Singers since 2002.

Rev. Turner championed the dissemination of Jewish Music to wider audiences for many years. Rev. Turner was born in Karlsruhe, Germany and came to England in 1933.  He  held the posts of Minister and Chazan at the Finsbury Park, Brixton and North Hendon Adath Synagogues and had been appointed to leading positions in Jewish Communal, Educational and Youth Organisations.

He was Founder and Chairman of the Jewish Music Council, now taken over by the B’nai B’rith Music Festival, President of the Association of Ministers (Chazanim) of Great Britain and Co-founder of the Society for the Promotion of Jewish Liturgical Music.

Rev. Turner edited various Jewish Publications and was the author of numerous Jewish Educational books. He was a noted and regular broadcaster of Liturgical music on radio and had released a recording of “Selections from the Seder Service” and produced a CD entitled “The Four Brothers Kusevitsky”.

Rev. Turner  organised and presented services, concerts and performances of music by the great Chazanim from the past and present.

Rev. Turner was awarded an MBE in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, for services to the Anglo-Jewish community especially to Jewish Music.

To listen to a talk by Rev Turner about his life