On Kristallnacht in 1938 , the Haupt-Synagogue and Adler 's final German cantata “ Akedah ” were destroyed in the firebombing . That December , he was imprisoned for two months in The Netherlands due to his Jewish ancestry . Upon his release in the spring of 1939 , the family emigrated to New York City and settled in Worcester , Massachusetts , up to and including his American citizenship being approved in 1946 . Adler worked as a cantor , conductor and music educator in Worcester until he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in December 1955
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Hugo Chaim Adler