Ezekiel Hai Albeg - יחזקאל חי אלביג

Ezekiel Hai Albeg was a prolific composer of pizmonim. Born in Baghdad in 1910, he learnt in the Talmud Torah Al Zalka. He moved to the Old City of Jerusalem in 1925 at the age of 15 and eventually attended the famous Porat Yosef Yeshiva. By age 17, he published his first pizmonim book called "Rinat Yehezqel" - רינת יחזקאל. His style of composing pizmonim was unique compared to other composers of this time. Albeg immigrated to the United States in 1937; he regretted moving away from the Holy Land for the remainder of his life. In the United States, he lived amongst the Syrian Jewish community. From 1940-1949, he officiated as a cantor at Congregation Ahavat Ahim. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was the cantor of Congregation Ahi Ezer. Composer of hundreds of pizmonim and 8 books: (1) "Kenaf Haaress", Jerusalem, 1935, (2) "Kenaf Renanim", New York, (3) "Mizmor Shir", 1960, (4) "MeAram Naharaim 'Ad Yerushalayim", 1963, (5) Siddur "Shabbat Shalom", 1941, (6) Mahzor "Shelom Yerushalayim"- Rosh Hashana, (7) Mahzor "Shelom Yerushalayim"- Yom Kippur, (8) Mahzor "Shelom Yerushalayim"- Sukkot. Albeg was a significant contributor of pizmonim to our red Pizmonim Book, Sefer "Shir uShbaha Hallel veZimrah". He lived in Los Angeles, California, in the later years of his life. He passed away in the mid-1990s.