 He was born to Samuel and Maria Goldstein (née Hacker) in Kecskemét, Hungary.His father was chorister with Dovidl Brod Strelisker (1783-1848) at Pest [1] and later cantor at Kecskemét and then at Neutra, Hungary (now Nitra, Slovakia).Upon his father's death in about 1848, Josef, aged about 12, was so well acquainted with the liturgy and possessed such an exceptional tenor voice that the congregation of Neutra elected him as his father's successor.