Passover approaching together with the season of the Jewish theatre, the manager of the latter went to Professor Hurvitz, popular playwright to order a brand new play in honor of this Jewish holiday.

Mr. Hurvitz, in turn, went to Mr. Sandler, the song-writer, and ordered several songs for the play. He wanted one of the songs to be very sentimental and sad.

Mr. Hurvitz had already a plot for this drama: a Jewish girl, being crucified for her religion, sings a heartbreaking song to her Jewish God will still on the cross.

Mr. Sandler said that he could not produce such a song, but Mr. Hurvitz the playwright, suggested that he look into the Psalms of David.

Mr. Sandler knew well that to argue with Hurvitz was useless, so he tried to write the song. Searching in vain for an idea, he became terribly 2 sullen and disillusioned, until at last he took the Bible and found the passage "Eli, Eli, Lomo Azavtoni?" (Oh, God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!)

From these beautiful words Mr. Sandler created his world-famous song.

The first to sing it was Mrs. Karp, who had a great success. The song, published without the authors's name passed from mouth to mouth and became popular among both Jews and non-Jews as a folk song.

Years later "Eli, Eli" became popular in the music world, and strange as it seems, Mr. Sandler, the author, was unaware of this fact.

He retired from the music world entirely to live with his family in the Bronx, where he established himself as a clothing salesman, and only during the High Holidays he used to conduct choirs in the synagogues. As the years passed by, he was totally forgotten as a Jewish song-writer.

One evening his daughter, coming home from an operatic concert in the Metropolitan Theatre, related to her father how Sophie Braslow had delighted 3her audience by singing the beautiful "Eli, Eli."

Mr. Sandler although realizing the greatness of his song saw that it was rather too late to have it copyrighted.

When several days later, Mr. Shomer, popular Jewish playwright, met Mr. Sandler in the street, he almost scolded the latter for not taking legal action for the rights of his song. Shomer explained that song music publishers claim it to be a folk song, and that they made so many changes in it that it is hard to recognize the original "Eli, Eli." Mr. Shomer and the children and friends of the author insisted so much that the modest Mr. Sandler was forced to make the incident public. Finally he agreed to publish the story of "Eli, Eli" in the newspapers.

Mr. Sandler is almost sixty years old and his grief was great when he learned that his beloved song had been crippled. The original "Eli, Eli," is very rhythmical and harmonious.

It is about time that many musicians and music lovers who appreciate this remarkable composition mention and honor this humble and sincere musician's name.

Mr. Jacob Koppel Sandler, although a clothing salesman and off-time choir leader during the holidays, deserves recognition as the author of this immortal song.