Moshe Taube (z”l)
June 17, 1927 – November 11, 2020
Birthplace: Krakow, Poland
Religious Identity: Jewish
“It was a transition of great importance, a tragic transition; because the Germans wanted us in the ghetto so they could put their hands on us without having to look for us.”
Moshe Taube was just 13 years old when he lost his home due to the Nazi invasion. He and his family left Krakow for the suburbs, where they shared a very small room until they were transported to the ghetto. It was difficult and
traumatic, but he and his family continued to try to make the best out of a terrible situation.
In October of 1942, Moshe’s sister and mother were taken to Belzec, where they were killed. Moshe and his father were transported to Plaszow, a small concentration camp outside of Krakow. He remained there for a year and a half. In October of 1944, he was included in Schindler’s List along with his father. They was transported to Brünnlitz, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia run by Schindler that was classified by the SS as a sub-camp of Gross-Rosen. He and his father were liberated by the Russian Army in 1945.
The pair then traveled to Poland to search for any surviving family members, but they did not find anyone alive. They then traveled to Romania where they found his father’s brother who was living as refugee, and they stayed there for a while. Moshe then immigrated illegally to British Mandate Palestine and was detained upon arrival for a period of time. After being released he made a life in Israel for 11 years. In 1957 he realized he wanted to get a more in-depth musical education and decided to come to the U.S. He enrolled at Julliard School of Music, and took a position as a cantor at the Shaare Zedeck Congregation in NYC where he stayed for 8 years. In 1965 he took a position at Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh and remained there as a cantor for more than 40 years. He met his spouse Helena in Pittsburgh and the two were married for more than 30 years. He had two daughters from a previous marriage, 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. His favorite things to do were being with his wife and listening to classical music.
“She was extremely interested and fond of music and singing, especially my singing and I was interested in her, and her personality and her goodness and her care, and I thank God every day for her.”
Cantor Moshe Taube passed away on November 11, 2020.
-Biography adapted from “In Celebration of Life: The Living Legacy Project” (2016)
Read more about Moshe
Cantor Moshe Taube | Beth Shalom
‘MUSIC IS LIFE!’ SQUIRREL HILL CANTOR MOSHE TAUBÈ, ONCE ON SCHINDLER’S LIST, IN HIS NINTH DECADE STILL SINGING | Cantors Assembly
Pittsburgh survivors featured in Holocaust documentary | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
Schindler’s list survivor, Pittsburgh cantor Moshe Taube dead at 93 | TribLive
Remembering Moshe Taube | USC Shoah Foundation
Moshe Taube | Recorded Sound Archives