Please contact the Wisnia family directly for requests to view the service recording.
Remembering Cantor and Holocaust Survivor David Wisnia
1926 – 2021
Cantor David S. Wisnia, 94, passed away on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
David Wisnia was a vocalist, composer, educator and beloved community leader. Later in life, he would use his powerful baritone to share with the world his remarkable tale of surviving the Holocaust through story and song, tracing his harrowing journey from young Polish singing star to Auschwitz prisoner to American liberator with the 101st Airborne. Cantor Wisnia’s remarkable singing voice helped save him in the Nazi concentration camp.
David was born in the town of Sochaczew, Poland on August 31, 1926. He was a star student of the Yavneh-Tarbut Hebrew School System and he had mastered multiple languages – including German, French, Yiddish, and Hebrew – by the age of 10. He received vocal training as a pupil of director/composer Maestro A.Z. Davidovich. David also learned from renowned Cantors Gershon Sirota and Moshe Koussevitsky, mentors who taught him how to blend Jewish tradition with an operatic style.
As young David’s singing career began to flourish, he and his family – father Eliahu, mother Machla, older brother Moshe and younger brother Dov – moved to the capital city of Warsaw. David was soon performing in synagogues, in theaters, and on Polish radio. But on September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and soon after, the local Jewish population was forced into a small section of the city that would become the Warsaw Ghetto. One day, David returned home to find his father, mother, and younger brother murdered by the Nazi SS. David’s older brother had escaped the ghetto but was never seen again. Eventually David was captured and taken by cattle-car to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
David was a prisoner of Auschwitz for close to 3 years. He stayed alive by singing to entertain the Nazi guards and cell block leaders. While in the notorious death camp, he composed two songs that became popular with the inmates. One song is in Polish, “Oswiecim” (Auschwitz), and the other in Yiddish, “Dos Vaise Haizele” (The Little White House In The Woods), is now on display at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. After being transferred to Dachau and surviving a Death March in December 1944, David managed to escape into the nearby woods. He was soon found and rescued by the American 101st Airborne Division. Joining with the 506th Parachute Infantry, he was adopted as their “Little Davey” and was able to put his language skills to work as an interpreter. He engaged actively in combat during the closing days of the war with Germany in 1945, transforming from a survivor to a liberator.
When the army brought him back with them to the United States in 1946, David set about building a new life in New York City. He began selling encyclopedias for the Wonderland of Knowledge company, eventually rising in the ranks to Vice President of Sales. He worked hard to support his wife, Hope, and their four children. He traveled often, but he always made sure to be home in time for Friday night Shabbat dinner – just as his father Eliahu had done for his family back in Sochaczew.
When the family moved to Pennsylvania, David and Hope helped grow a new thriving Jewish community in the Bucks County area. David served as Cantor of Temple Shalom in Levittown, PA for 28 years, and then as Cantor for Har Sinai Hebrew Congregation of Trenton, NJ for 23 years. After retiring, he remained an active part of the community, teaching classes on cantilation and Hebrew language, leading communities in prayer, and performing countless baby namings, bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies, weddings and funerals around the country. David also became a member of the American Conference of Cantors within the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
David would go on to perform internationally, singing in Buenos Aires’ Libertad Synagogue, Israel’s Yad Vashem, and Warsaw’s Nozik Synagogue (1986) where he officiated at the first formal Bar Mitzvah ceremony to be held in Poland since World War II – the same synagogue where Wisnia sang as a choir boy over 70 years prior. David also performed concert tours with his grandson, singer/songwriter and pianist Avi Wisnia. Most recently, David returned to Poland to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz at a 2020 event attended by concentration camp survivors and prominent heads of state, which was televised to an international audience of millions. He frequently said that one of his greatest honors was being called up to sing the national anthem at the annual 101st Airborne Snowbird Reunion in Tampa, Florida, where veterans of World War II still called him Little Davey.
Towards the end of his life, David Wisnia found it increasingly urgent to share his experiences of living through the Holocaust. He published his memoir, “One Voice, Two Lives,” (2015) to ensure that this chapter of history will never be forgotten. His story has been featured in The New York Times, The Daily Mail, The Jewish Exponent, Buzzfeed, and in many other outlets around the world.
David led presentations about the Holocaust for audiences at synagogues, schools, and museums, and he was a frequent guest lecturer at Stockton University in New Jersey, at the invitation of Professor Douglas Cervi. David loved connecting most with students and young people, taking selfies with them, and imploring them to think about the impact they have on the world around them. When asked what he hoped the students took away from his story, he would say, “Do away with hate. Prejudice and hatred leads to death. There is a saying in the Torah: God tells Abraham ‘You shall be a Blessing’ and that is my message, that each and every one of us should ‘be a blessing.’ We should do good in this world, and be good to one another. Live a life with meaning and purpose, and leave this world a better place than when you entered it.”
David will certainly be remembered for his incredible voice, but he will also be remembered for his love of hot soup, fancy cars, and making friends with anyone and everyone he came into contact with. Husband of the late Hope Wisnia, he is survived by his two sons and daughters-in-law, Rabbi Eric and Judith Wisnia, Michael and Misa Wisnia; two daughters and sons-in-law, Karen Wisnia and Kirk Wattles, Jana and Lee Dickstein; and five grandchildren, Sara (Matthew Schiffer) and Avi Wisnia, Rachel and Ethan Dickstein, and Naomi Wattles. He was also grandfather of the late Dov Benjamin Wisnia.
David will be dearly missed by so many, but his story, his voice, and his legacy will continue to resonate from generation to generation.
Private funeral services and burial were held June 17 at King David Memorial Park, Bensalem, PA. A public memorial will be held at a later date.
For more information about David Wisnia, please visit:
https://www.onevoicetwolives.com
To honor the life of Cantor David Wisnia, donations may be made to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, working to preserve the legacy of and educate about the Holocaust:
http://auschwitz.org/en/donate
Funeral Arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel.
Dear Rabbi Eric, Judy and Avi,
I am so saddened to hear of the passing of your beloved father and grandfather and beloved colleague.
I have many memories performing with Cantor David, shmoozing and sharing many meals together.
May his memories, his teachings and his inspiring messages be a continued blessing for us all.
I was so privileged to meet Cantor Wisnia, whose presence in the moment and ability to connect was unparalleled. My most heartfelt condolences to the family . May his memory be for a blessing
A wonderful man and honored leader in the Jewish community.
Our sincere condolences to the beloved Wisnia family.
May his memory be a blessing to the world.
His memory IS A BLESSING to the many lives he touched.
I am so sorry for his loss.
He is now with his beloved wife Hope.
Baruach Dayan HaEmet.
What a fine example of a human being who made a major positive impact not only on those he loved, but everyone who knew or met him. Love and hugs to the family. His memory truely is a blessing.
Rabbi Eric, Judy, Avi, Sara, Matt and the extended family,
David was a wonderful man. He will truly be missed. Meredith and my family have warm, caring memories of David. It was a blessing for us to be a tiny part of his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. David has a permanent spot in our hearts.
Sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man.He will be dearly missed. May his memory be a blessing.
Sincerely,
The Anthony Family
Tracey, Becky, Michael, & Rachel
We were so honored to know Cantor Wisnia. He tutored my husband through his Bar Mitzvah at Har Sinai in the 90s, performed our wedding ceremony in 2010, and sang blessings over our oldest son as he witnessed his brit in 2015. I had the pleasure of working with him through the Holocaust Ed program in NJ as well. Cantor was always joyful, always had a good joke to share. His memory will always be a blessing in our home. May you be comforted in your time of loss knowing how much your father & grandfather was loved.
Eric and Judy and the entire Wisnia Family-
Our condolences to all of you.
David was a wonderful example to all of us how one can person can touch so many lives. It was always great to speak with him and to share time with him.
He will be missed. May his memory be for a blessing.
Hamakom Yenachem…
Jay and Leslie Kornsgold
God bless your Cantor go in god speed love you bud
The Wisnia family; So blessed to have witnessed his renditions, his joy, his truth. Being an integral part of human kind isn’t so hard according to Canter Wisnia , he will be missed and celebrated by many
Eric and Judy and the entire Wisnia Family-
Our condolences to all of you.
We will never forget the Trip to NYC to Sammy’s (now closed) for a dinner. We sat with your father and will never forget him and his conversations and with the singer from the restaurant.
We will try to make it down when you have the memorial service.
Helen & David Steinberg
Rabbi Eric, Judy and family,
So very sorry for your loss. We are so grateful that we got to know David on the temple trip to Europe. He was an amazing man. We are thinking about you all and sending much love.
Rhonda and John Wydra
So sad. It feels like the end of an era. He touched so many people on many different levels.
His memory is surely a blessing for all of us lucky to have known him in any way. The first time I saw him was at a Friday night service at Beth Chaim when I was attending services and was i. The beginning of my conversion process.
I also enjoyed writing letters to him during quarantine at Avi’s suggestion to keep his grandfather’s spirits up (it helped me too)!
David Wisnia was my first cantor. He connected personally with my family, taught me to learn about and love Judaism, and started me down my path to becoming a rabbi. The story of his life has always been an inspiration to me. I pray that his legacy lives on through his family, students, and everyone he has touched. Zecher tzaddik livracha—may the memory of this righteous man be a blessing.
As far as we were concerned he WAS Temple Shalom in Levittown Pa. It was a joy to hear him at services. He participated in our son Brads wedding in 1991. Our hearts are saddened, but it was a gift to have known him. Sandi and Phil Cohen, West Palm Beach Florida
I have such fond memories of studying for my Bat Mitzvah with Cantor Wisnia. His warmth and encouragement had a profound impact on me at that age. His memory is a blessing and your family is in my thoughts.
I am saddened by your loss. I wish that I had met him but we did receive notes from him over the years.
May his memory be a blessing.
Judith and Jeff wisnia
Dear Eric, Judy and the whole Wisnia Family,
On behalf of Adath Israel Congregation, I want to extend our condolences on your loss. David was a wonderful cantor and a great friend. I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with him and hear his story. He brought a true zest for life to everything he did, and he will be deeply missed.
Rabbi Ben Adler
So very sad to hear of the passing of Cantor Wisnia!
A life well lived only to be outdone by the enormous impact he’s had on thousands of children and people in general of all generations!
Michael Rein said it best God speed, love you bud!
Eric my most heartfelt condolences to you and yours at the passing of a most remarkable man I only wish I could have gotten to know him better in life… Don’t know if you will remember me as a classmate scout troop leader and friend. Bud Wien
Dearest “Cousins,”
I am so sad to learn of your great loss. Remembering the visit from David and Hope many years ago, I so enjoyed them and wish that we could have had more encounters. I feel as if I’ve known him all these years because of the videos he and Avi made together and reading his story. I pray that all the wonderful memories you have will comfort you as you move through this sad time of letting go. He will remain in all our hearts as a blessing.
Love and kisses,
Jan (Wisnia) Rose
I am so saddened by Dave’s passing. May his memory forever be for a blessing. I had wanted to meet him for a few years when, totally by accident, we ended up eating dinner together at the Shoprite cafe. He taught me how to work through a lot of my Holocaust-related trauma as the daughter of two survivors. He was most likely in the camps at the same time as my maternal grandparents. Although he was much younger and probably did not know them, the fact that he was in the same place they lost their lives made my connection to them stronger. He went on to not just survive but thrive, always remembering what happened, but never being crippled or embittered by it. Thoughts and prayers to the entire family with extra to Avi. Avi you are so lucky to have had so much time with your grandfather. The world is lucky you will continue his legacy. Zachor.
Rabbi Eric and family,
I have followed your father’s story ever since I became aware of his contribution to the war effort after liberation. He was truly a Jewish-American patriot. He left the world a better place for his having been here. Our condolences for your loss.
Tom and Anne Beccone
Exton, Pa. NHS Class of ’67
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Cantor Wisnia. My family were founding members of Temple Shalom, where I attended Hebrew school, was Bat Mitvahed, and confirmed. I always loved Cantor Wisnia’s voice and, moreover, his wonderful stories. Blessings on his beautiful family in their time of grief.
Karen Shlak-Thurber
Ogden, Utah
My condolences to the whole family. His life was an inspiration. I feel honored that I got to know him.
May his memory be for a blessing,
Jeremy Master
All my love and prayers for the Wisnia family on the death of this dear and intrepid man. I am grateful for the brave witness of his life. 💜💜
To the Wisnia family:
I was blessed to have had the opportunity to help take care of your beloved David. He has truly left an imprint on my heart as a Nurse and my soul as a person. I pray that God may carry you all through this difficult time. Sincerely with deepest sympathy. Vonnie
Dear Eric, Judy and the Wisnia family,
We are so sorry for your loss. Your Dad was a remarkable man. May his memory be a blessing.
Love, Sandy and Roy Feinstein
Rabbi Eric, Judy, and the entire Wisnia family,
My sincerest condolences on David’s passing. I was privileged to know him, share a meal at Moish’s and Itzy, participate in events where I could listen to his magnificent voice, and get a smile and a hug whenever I crossed paths with him. His story touched so many, and will continue to affect many more. He truly was a blessing in life and will continue to be a blessing in memory.
זכרונו לברכה
To all my Wisnia family,
Being my mother’s cousin, I have lifelong memories of Dave and his beloved wife, Hope, sharing in every family simcha, and often visiting at my parents’ home in Brooklyn. They even brought little Eric with them on occasion. I didn’t know about Dave’s history at that time, as I doubt that he spoke about it very much back then. I just knew that he was Mom’s cousin and that they were both born in Poland.
I find it prophetic that Eric and Karen found me through my family tree/DNA results on Ancestry, just weeks before Dave’s passing, and thus began my education about the Holocaust survivor, singer, Cantor, teacher, and respected, cherished human being that Dave was. I read every article, listened to his stories and his music, both alone and with his fabulously talented grandson, Avi. And now, in the weeks leading up to the end of his life, “Cousin Dave” has made a tremendous impact on my life, and I’m so proud to be a member of his family.
Please accept my deepest condolences on the passing of your father, father-in-law, and grandfather. His life has been, and will always be, a blessing.
With love,
Cousin Lila
I will never be able to find the right words to express my love and admiration and respect for Cantor David Wisnia. He officiated at my Bar Mitzvah in 1969 and I can honestly say given the hindsight of 52 years, this great man has had a profound impact on my life. The same can be said for the entire Wisnia family. How blessed we are to have shared the planet with the wonderful David Wisnia. Until we meet again….
I am deeply saddened by the news. I met David at the 101st Snowbird reunion in Florida. We sat, talked, ate together for the multi-day meeting. The meeting was always ended with a banquet and Daivid honored us leading us as we sang the “Star Spangled Banner.” David’s story is one of “One Voice but Two Lives.” His unwavering gift of hope and faith as seen filtered through the fabric of the Holocaust was always shared at the meeting. Shalom my friend!
My sincerest condolences to the family.
Rabbi Eric and family,
First, and the Rab knows this, I loved Cantor Wisnia. He meant so much to my family both personally and professionally. Personally, he loved and was so saddened by the passing of my wife Angie at her young age of 35. He adored her. His love for her was passed on to my children, especially to Allison.
Professionally, when he worked with Allison on her Bat Mitzvah, he seemed to have a twinkle in his eye at every lesson. He kept telling her what a great voice she had. Once we left Har Sinai and joined the Rab at Beth Chaim, he wanted her to return for High Holiday services to recite the Haftarah portion. He got pushback from the Board but he wouldn’t back down until they came to an agreement he could accept.
The world was honored to have such a special man walk this earth. I was honored to have known two Holocaust survivors. Elie Weisel taught me in college at Boston U and Cantor Wisnia taught me as an adult at Har Sinai. Both impacted me like nobody else and my life is more complete for knowing them.
Thank you for sharing him with us!!
I am honored to have met Cantor David Wisnia through his deceased wife Hope, a lovely friend of mine. I read his memoir of his childhood during the Holocaust, extremely moving because of his spirit which overcame tragedy to build a long, happy and successful life. His family will miss him terribly but he has left a legacy which will endure and I hope will bring them comfort.
So sorry to here of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
May his memory be a blessing…
Cantor Glenn Sherman
Uber Cantor Abraham Isaac Sherman z”l
Cantor Pinchas Sherman z”l (Tlomakie synagogue Warsaw) 1925-1939
Cantor Louis Sherman z”l
Cantor Alex Sherman z”l
Cantor Philip Sherman z”l
To Rabbi Wisnia and the Wisnia family,
We were sorry to learn of the loss of your father and want to express our condolences.
Star and Christopher Smith
We are saddened by the loss of Cantor Wisnia. He was such a wonderful person and always had that special smile. He enriched our lives by knowing him. He and our father Hank had a very special friendship that they both enjoyed.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
Judy & Jeff Glazer
Dear Rabbi Wisnia and all the family,
Our deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved father. What an amazing man.
We wish you peace and comfort at this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Debbie and Steve Kropf
Deepest sympathy. Thinking of you.
Dear Rabbi Wisnia,
By knowing your deep commitment to helping and guiding people, I am sure I know the great qualities of your father.
My thoughts go out to you and your family.
Lorenzo Moreno
Dear Wisnia family,
We are very sorry and saddened by this great loss. We hope that we can leave a fraction of the legacy and good in the world that he did. BDE.
Love,
The Dorfmans
Dear Rabbi Wisnia and Family,
Your beloved father and grandfather was a very special man. I had the amazing opportunity of being able to speak with him at my friend’s son’s bar mitzvah. He leaves a tremendous impact on the Jewish community and world as a whole. To listen to his story and know his testimony …..there can be no words. May his memory be a true blessing and his legacy live on. Baruch Dayan Ha Emet.
With Love,
Shelley Lightman and family