and Fannie Kern née Kakeles (1852-1907), who was a Jewish American woman of Bohemian parentage. At the time of Kern's birth, his father ran a livery stable; later, he became a successful merchant. Kern grew up on East 56th Street in Manhattan, where he attended public schools. He showed an early aptitude for music and was taught to play the piano and organ by his mother, a professional player and teacher.

In 1897, the family moved