The Historical Music Recordings Collection houses a group of 408 discs (78 rpm) of Jewish cantors and opera stars that were generously donated by Joseph Prager in 1995.

Pictures of the cantors and stars have been cut and pasted to the spines of the albums.

The collection includes work by Yossele Rosenblatt, considered one of the greatest Cantors of his era, and who has been referred to as the “Jewish Caruso.” Rosenblatt performed as himself in the first talking film, The Jazz Singer.

Cantors serve an important function in Jewish religious practices, as explained below by musician Jeremiah Lockwood.