Group Kaddish

The concept of group Kaddish started by the Sephardim around the seventeenth century. Generally the Sephardim were more meikil in Kaddish halochos, and therefore we can find that many Kaddeishim were said by the same person, and many people said together Kaddish too. The Ben Ish Chai says that in Baghdad there were places that all the tzibbur said different Kaddeishim, including the Kadddish before Borchu and Yotzer Ohr (at shacharis).
The first Ashkenazic Rabbi who talked positively about it is Rav Yaakov Emden (but he didn't start the minhog in his shul). The minhog was first started in Europe by the Consistory.

Important and interesting facts about this issue are brought in the forthcoming work on the Yeshivo in Fuerth (in the second volume), by Rav Hamburger. The book is going to be published soon iy"H. Sponsorship will be cordially accepted.

Michael FRBSH

Steven wrote: 1. I understand that the proper way for which Kaddish Yosom is said is to have one person stand next to the Chazan (wearing a tallis regardless of which tefilloh is being davened) and of course recite kaddish. Is this correct?

Correct. You can see more about this topic in SMA #1, in the chapter Tallis Mipnei Kvod Hatzibur.

Steven wrote: 2. Who gets selected to recite kaddish Yosom if there are a number of Yesomim?

There are different orders the Poskim wrote, and the rules may vary from community to community, but generally all places followed similar lines.

Steven wrote: 3. Do other Yesomim never recite Kaddish, i.e. only the selected individual? If so, what chiyuvim are there on the other yesomim if there isn't one to recite kaddish since there is a designated person?

Usually the Kehillo would try to let everyone have a Kaddish. But in case someone couldn't get a Kaddish, it is still a bigger Ilui Neshomo to come to shul and answer Omen Yehei Shmei Rabbo, than to daven at home without that.

Michael FRBSH

Rav Hamburger told me that in מגנצא Kaddish Yossom was said only once a week, on Shabbos (in the weekdays there was no Kaddish Yossom at all), and this was the minhog there still in the time of the Maharil. He pointed this out to show that although today people feel that the most important thing is to say as many Kaddeishim as possible, this doesn't seem to be the way the Rishonim looked at it.

Michael