Nikola David, a 55-year-old Jewish cantor and opera singer from Munich, was allegedly murdered by his son earlier this month. Local police indicated that the motive behind the killing, which occurred on August 2, was likely a family dispute.
The incident unfolded when neighbors witnessed a physical altercation between David and his 28-year-old son, who reportedly attacked his father with a knife. Authorities were alerted, and David was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The son, who sustained a minor hand injury during the confrontation, was arrested by the police. David's wife and younger son were not at home at the time of the incident.
Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, expressed her shock at David's death in a post on social media platform X, calling it a "painful loss for the Jewish community in Munich."
David, originally from Serbia, migrated to Germany for his studies and became increasingly connected to his faith, eventually becoming a cantor. In a 2018 interview, he reflected on his spiritual journey, saying, "I had no background, and music was what kept me."
Discussing the teachings of Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, David remarked, "The Torah is the language of the heart. The words of the Torah are the words of the heart, and singing is the language of the soul. And that’s what kept me — and now I am what I am."
David also shared that his favorite Jewish prayer was "Hashkiveinu Avinu L'Shalom" (Lay Us Down to Sleep in Peace), one of the first he learned as he deepened his connection to Judaism. "It’s always an evening prayer you should say before sleep because one doesn’t know if one will wake up. We should thank God that we can wake up every morning," he said.