Well, having worked in general area of the Empire State building, I’m aware of the extent of the “rag trade” shops. Couldn’t walk down cross streets without dodging the guys pushing clothing racks on the sidewalks and streets. Most of the businesses are Jewish owned.
While some words in Arabic and Hebrew have the same roots, in that neighborhood it is most likely Jewish.
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hazan, hazzan Hebrew [xa?zan (English) ?h??z?n]
n
(Non-Christian Religions / Judaism) variant spellings of chazan
Thesaurus
Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. hazan - the official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical part of the service and sings or chants the prayers intended to be performed as solos
cantor
spiritual leader - a leader in religious or sacred affairs
Thanks, that sure would explain it all right. The spelling in the article (h vs. ch) suggested arabic to me.