Sholom Secunda

Full biography Sholom Secunda

Sholom Secunda, born in 1894 in Ukraine, was a Jewish-American composer famous for his contributions to the Yiddish theater, as well as popularizing Jewish music in the United States.

His most notable compositions included "Bei Mir Bistu Shein," which he co-wrote with lyricist Jacob Jacobs. The song became an international hit and Secunda's arrangement of it remains one of the most recognizable versions to this day.

Secunda's career began in his teenage years as a composer for local Yiddish theater productions. His early works were notable for their use of more contemporary and mainstream musical styles, which helped to attract a wider audience to the otherwise niche Yiddish theater scene.

In the 1920s and 30s, Secunda was a prolific songwriter for the burgeoning Yiddish theater circuit in the United States. His other notable compositions during this time included "Bay mir bistu sheyn" and "Eli Eli," which were both hits in their own right.

During World War II, Secunda joined the US Army and served as a music director for the War Department, where he was responsible for creating morale-boosting productions for the troops.

In the years following the war, Secunda continued to compose music, but his focus began to shift away from the Yiddish theater world as that scene began to decline in popularity. He wrote music for films and television shows, most notably for the popular western show "Alias Smith and Jones."

Sholom Secunda passed away in 1974, but his music continues to be celebrated and performed to this day. He is remembered as an important figure in Jewish-American music history, and a composer who helped to break down cultural barriers and bring Yiddish music to a wider audience.