Cantor and composer. Famously known as "the blind cantor".
Born blind. Despite this fact, he worked his way up to become one of the great cantors of his time. He was born in the famous town of
Uman, Ukraine, to his father Rabbi Leib, a composer and choir conductor. His birth name was Moshe Surkis. At the age of three, his father
already started teaching him to sing. At the age of ten, he began praying in public, then performing at concerts and in many synagogues
across Russia. He became famous for his pleasant voice and his emotional interpretation. Crowds flocked to listen to him.
At the age of thirteen, he emigrated to the United States, where he learned to read and write in Braille, and anglicized his name to
Moisheleh Soorkis. His first post was at a synagogue in Philadelphia.
I wish to thank Igor Milner for all the material on this page.
