Sholom Secunda, born Shloyme Abramovich Sekunda on September 4, 1894, in Aleksandriya, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), was a prominent American composer of Ukrainian-Jewish descent. His family moved to Mykolaiv in 1897, where they ran an iron bed factory. Secunda's early musical talent was evident as he performed in synagogue choirs and Yiddish theater productions. In 1907, his family emigrated to the United States to escape pogroms, settling in New York City.

In New York, Secunda gained recognition as a child cantor and later studied at the Institute for Musical Arts, the precursor to the Juilliard School. He worked in Yiddish theater, composing music for numerous productions and collaborating with well-known figures in the industry. His most famous work, "Bay mir bistu sheyn," became an international hit, especially after being recorded by the Andrews Sisters.

Secunda's contributions to Yiddish theater and Jewish liturgical music were significant, and he was part of the "big four" composers in New York's Yiddish Theater District. He also composed Hebrew liturgical music, notably collaborating with Cantor Reuben Ticker, who became the renowned opera tenor Richard Tucker.

Throughout his career, Secunda wrote over eighty operettas and numerous songs, leaving a lasting impact on Jewish cultural life. He passed away on June 13, 1974, in New York, having made significant contributions to both secular and sacred music.