Charles Neustein MD
The man behind the voice
CharlesNeusteinMD.com was created to memorialize our father’s love for tefillah and zemirah which followed him throughout his life.
Charles (aka “Charlie”, “Chazkel”, “Doc”) Neustein (z”l) was born in 1924, the youngest of seven children. His parents Sarah and Joseph, along with brothers Sam, Abe, Irving, Buddy, Dudley, and sister Sylvia lived on the Lower East Side, and eventually settled in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Joseph (“Yidl”), a proud Galitzianer, enjoyed melodies at the Shabbat table and leading davening at his shul. Neustein family tunes were passed down through the generations and were recorded by Dad over the years to preserve them for his children and grandchildren. Dad left us in 2018, but his legacy for us in these treasured melodies can now be accessed through charlesneusteinmd.com for everyone to enjoy.
Our dad grew up in Brooklyn. He attended Yeshivah Ohel Moshe and New Utrecht High School. He graduated from Brooklyn College and went on to study medicine at New York Medical College. He completed a surgery internship at Cumberland Hospital and a pediatric residency at Kings County Hospital.
A certain college class, however, changed Dad’s life forever. The subject of the course was Speech, but the object of his interest was the pretty and vivacious girl sitting in front of him – Rosalind Penner. They married in 1948. Ros – “Rosie” to our Dad – was the love of his life, his ezer kenegdo. They lived in Brooklyn while Dad completed his medical training, and then spent two years in Casablanca where Dad was stationed with the US Air Force as the only American pediatrician in North Africa. Returning to the States, they moved first to Elizabeth, NJ, before finally settling nearby in Linden where they put down roots and raised a family. Dad practiced medicine in Cranford and then Rahway.
Mom and Dad were members of Congregation Anshei Chesed in Linden where our Dad, like his father back in Brooklyn, often led services on Shabbat and High Holidays. His davening was melodious and his kavanah manifestly earnest. Dad wasn’t afraid to adapt classical, even operatic, music to his davening. Our Mom, who was an avid folk dancer and instructor, would encourage Dad to incorporate folk melodies into his davening. These adaptations were not capricious. With his musical ear and his understanding of the siddur, Dad was able to match the prayer with the melody in a respectful, meaningful and memorable way.
Together they raised a wonderful family, Joe (z”l), Paul and Alice, and were blessed with 13 grandchildren. As of June 28th, 2023, there are 26 great grandchildren.
We hope you enjoy listening to our Dad’s davening and zemirot, and we know he would love it if you sang along.
Alice & Paul