Asher Lion

Asher Lion (1776–1863) was a German chazzan who served the Berlin Jewish community in the first half of the 19th century. He is associated with the preservation of late 18th‑century chazzanut in Berlin and with the early training of musicians who later shaped the modern synagogue choir.

Early life and appointments​

Lion was born in Zülz (Upper Silesia). In 1803 he was appointed senior chazzan in Strelitz, Mecklenburg, a position he held for fifteen years. Around 1818 he moved to Berlin to lead the modern service at Jacob Herz Beer's private temple, which adopted reforms inspired by the Jacobson program.

Berlin and the community synagogue​

After the closure of the Beer Temple in 1817, the Berlin community entered a period of reaction against reform. Lion, who had been engaged for the Reform temple, was appointed chazzan of the main community synagogue on Heidereutergasse in September 1823, succeeding Aaron Beer. Contemporary sources describe him as a representative of older chazzanut, restoring the pre‑Reform style with traditional singer and bass.

At the same time, Berlin audiences were increasingly drawn to newer musical tastes. Lion struggled to adapt to contemporary choral writing and was reportedly unable to read multiple clefs. In the 1830s and 1840s he attempted to incorporate the choral style associated with Hirsch Weintraub and the unpublished manuscript services of Salomon Sulzer. He enlisted the young Louis Lewandowski to help decipher the parts and to drill the choir. Lewandowski ultimately became the synagogue’s choir master, one of the first formal appointments to that title in a synagogue setting.

Later years and legacy​

By the mid‑1840s Lion’s health and voice declined, and the community appointed Abraham Jacob Lichtenstein as a second chazzan in 1845. Lion remained a respected figure in Berlin until his death on 12 February 1863. Sources differ in their assessment of his musical gifts, but he was remembered for steady leadership during a period of transition.