Hakham Raphael Antebi Tabbush of Aleppo was an outstanding composer of pizmonim.  He was the son of Hakham Yisshaq Antebi and a rabbi who composed more than 400 pizmonim, and also restored those that had been lost.  He rejuvenated the use of pizmonim in the Syrian Jewish communities.

Hakham Tabbush gained respect among prominent singers. He was known teasingly as a “thief” because he would take melodies from other singers – at Arab weddings, coffeehouses, and other social events - to listen to the new Arabic songs and add Hebrew text, making the song a holy pizmon.

Hakham Tabbush was very famous for the pizmonim he wrote and they even made it to Morocco and to Aden where the communities included some of his pizmonim in their song books.  He used to teach in Midrash ‘Aboud Harari in Halab and he visited the Talmud Torah often to test out boys that he felt would have a capable future in hazzanut and pizmonim.  His first book, “Shira Hadasha,” was published in Aleppo 1888.  In 1893 he was in Jerusalem for the induction ceremony of Hakham Yaaqob Shaoul Elyashar as Rishon Lesiyon and he wrote a Golden Song for the event which he trained 2 choirs to sing at.  The song is “Yisa Berakah.”

Hakham Tabbush had a pizmon for every occasion, whether a wedding, bar misvah, or simple social gathering.  His poetic talents were so profound that even when in conversation with someone, he would find himself creating poetic stanzas from the subject matter of the discussion.

All of Hakham Tabbush’s pizmonim were incorporated into a book published in Jerusalem in 1905 by R’ Raphael Haim Cohen. This work was reprinted with further additions in 1921 and was called “Shir Ushbaha.”

He is the teacher of Hakham Moshe Ashear, Murad Harari, Afrir Cohen, Eliahou Hamaoui, among others.

Towards the end of Hakham Tabbush’s life he moved to Egypt. He passed away in Cairo, Egypt in 3 Kislev, December 1918.