From Cantor Debby Martin to Cantor Martin Levson
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Cantor Deborah Martin Spiritual Leader Iyar / Sivan 5781 May 2021 From Cantor Debby Martin to Cantor Martin Levson By Adrian Richfield are proud to introduce and announce Welcome, our new spiritual leader: Cantor Martin Cantor Levson! Levson. The congregation is fortunate to have a person with much experience and someone who has said “I believe I was always meant to be a cantor.” field, Massachusetts; Hamden, Connecticut; and Cantor Levson’s beautiful voice, depth of knowledge served as the cantor for the Hebrew Congregation of and pleasant personality will be valuable assets to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands for the high holidays. Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha. He believes music brings people closer to Judaism Cantor Levson has a BA in Music and History and nurtures community through innovative musical from Stanford University and a Master of Sacred Mu- experiences. He also has experience in pastoral sic and Cantorial Ordination from Hebrew Union Col- care, tutoring B’Nai Mitzvah, teaching Torah trope, lege, Jewish Institute of Religion and the Debbie writing Divrei Torah, teaching Jewish history and Friedman School of Sacred Music. He has worked creating innovative Jewish liturgy. as a cantor in Tulsa, Oklahoma; New York; Spring- He came to understand that becoming a cantor would combine multiple passions of his: Judaism, music, history and teaching. Throughout his career CEEW thanks the members of the Search Committee who spent countless hours as part of the search for a new he discovered that serving as a cantor is a way of spiritual leader. There were numerous Zoom meetings, opening doorways to let people access all four of the interviews, follow ups and discussion during this process of Jewish worlds: physical, emotion, intellectual and selection. Much thanks to President Laurie Schwartz and spiritual. The sacred calling of the clergy is to pro- Vice President Mark Levy who worked most diligently dur- ing the many months and who were instrumental in the vide comfort in times of sorrow and joy in times of final details and contract for Cantor Martin Levson. celebration, to bring people of all ages together in Members of the committee were: Laurie Schwartz, holy community and to nurture the powerful spark of Mark Levy, Loren Schmidt, Elaine Goldberg, Adrian Rich- field, Mari-Claire Zimmerman, Phil Schuman, Marsha Fen- a life filled with meaning for everyone. sin, Mike Kotkin and Carrie Barbakoff. There were other We all welcome Cantor Levson and look forward CEEW members who also participated in the second inter- to meeting him, engaging with him and having him views to give some input in the process. Thanks to every- as our new spiritual leader beginning on July 1, one who helped with selecting our new spiritual leader. 2021. DINING GROUP RESTARTING! The CEEW Dining Group may restart in June. Contact Elly Kraines at [email protected] if you’d like to join. A Guide to the Yamim By Sydney Small as International Holocaust Re- Yom HaZikaron memorializ- armer spring weather membrance Day. The Hebrew es fallen Israeli soldiers and W brings more fun out- word Shoah means “utter de- veterans as well as civilian ter- doors, including picnics, bird- struction” or “catastrophe” and rorism victims. Like Yom watching, family hikes and out- sadly references the horror that HaShoah, it is a public mourn- door sports. Among Jews, this was the Holocaust. The Knes- ing day during which entertain- time of year also includes set, or Israeli Parliament, se- ment facilities are closed. Two Yamim – a collective term for lected the date of the 27th of separate sirens sound for two the four memorial days of Yom Nisan (April-May on the Geor- minutes each – one in the HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, gian calendar) to become the evening that begins the holiday Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom day we now know as Yom and one the subsequent morn- Y’rushalayim. These holidays HaShoah. ing. The day includes many were added to the Jewish cal- In Israel, on Yom HaShaoh, public ceremonies and the low- endar following the establish- there is a full shutdown of all ering of the Israeli flag. As on ment of the State of Israel in public entertainment. Theaters, Holocaust Remembrance Day, 1948. pubs and many other venues drivers exit their vehicles. Yom close their doors. A siren is HaZikaron begins with an offi- sounded for two minutes, dur- cial ceremony at the Western ing which people exit their vehi- Wall and ends with the return of cles and stop all activities. In the flag to its full height. the United States, communities In the United States, Jewish hold various events around the communities hold a variety of country, including congregation services in observance of the observances, survivor stories day; as on Yom HaShoah, the and other speaking events. We Milwaukee Jewish Federation also recite the Mourner’s Kad- Yom HaShoah is perhaps dish. “The Yamim” continued on page 3 the most familiar of these It is a common practice to events. It recognizes the deci- light six Yahrzeit (memorial) mation of Jewish communities candles on Yom HaShoah – in Europe during the Holocaust. one candle for each million who During this period, six million perished. Any attending survi- Jews were murdered, of whom vors are asked to light the can- more than one million were chil- dles if they are able. Some dren. Many other groups were communities light seven can- also targeted for persecution or dles to include righteous Gen- destruction, including Roma tiles who came to the aid of Eu- and Sinti people (previously ropean Jews; other observanc- known as “Gypsies”), folx in the es may include an additional Queer community, people with candle to honor the memory of An aerial view of female Israeli soldiers disabilities and Afro-Germans. non-Jewish victims of the Holo- saluting at the graves in the Kiryat Shaul Yom HaShoah is also known caust. military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Yom HaZika- ron (Israel’s Memorial Day), April 13, 2021. (Photo by Jack Guez / AFP) Page 2 “There are two ways to live. You can live as if nothing is a miracle. You can live as if everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein “The Yamim” continued from page 2 ceremony, featuring a parade of soldiers and the lighting of marks this occasion with a spe- twelve torches meant to repre- cial ceremony and speaker. sent the 12 Tribes of Israel. Yom HaAtzmaut refers to U.S. commemorative activi- Israeli Independence Day. Ac- ties have historically included cording to ReformJudaism.org, our own Federation’s “Walk for “It is observed on or near the Israel”; a festival featuring Israeli 5th of the Hebrew month of Iyar food and music and fashion dis- on the Jewish calendar, which plays and, most recently, a virtu- usually falls in April.” This spe- al concert live from Israel. cial day commemorates the The Fourth of these particu- 1948 establishment of the mod- lar days is Yom Y’rushalayim. Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza (2015). ern state of Israel. Concerts, According to the Jewish Virtual Photo credit: Seth Aronsta. picnics fireworks and other out- Library, it is “…the anniversary door events take place through- of the liberation and unification days. U.S. Jewish communities out the country; Mt. Herzl in Je- of Jerusalem under Jewish sov- that participate may hold con- rusalem hosts a speech-filled ereignty that occurred during the gregational concerts, art con- Six Day War.” This Israeli na- tests and offer special music, tional holiday occurs one week including Hatikvah (The Hope), before Shavuot, which is one of which is the Israeli national an- the major agricultural festivals in them. the Jewish holiday cycle and Together, these four days celebrates the giving of Torah at mark events of remembrance Mt. Sinai. and survivorship. The Jewish Israelis dance with flags at diaspora, though displaced the Western Wall on Yom throughout the world, is not bro- Y’rushalayim and often journey ken; the Yamim provide a to Jerusalem in solidarity. While thread of continuity through Yom Y’rushalayim is particularly which we persist. As we say, The Walk for Israel is supported by the celebrated in Israel, it is not as “Am Yisrael Chai!” ― the people Milwaukee Jewish Federation; this pho- commonly observed outside of of Israel live! to is from the 2018 event. Israel as are the other three Wanted: Administrative Assistant Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha (CEEW) seeks a new part-time administrative assistant. This person will work 10 hours a week, primarily with Spiritual Leader Cantor Levson. Duties include clerical, organizational, computer, and office work and working with clergy and school personnel. The successful candidate will have good computer skills (including familiarity with Windows and Office 365) as well as good communication skills, and be personable and professional. A knowledge of the Jewish religion will be helpful! This position begins July 1, 2021 and pays $15/hour. Hours are flexible, and training will be provided. To apply or to obtain more information, please contact Elaine Goldberg at [email protected]. Page 3 Shavuot takes place on May 17-18. Watch your email for detailed information about CEEW’s Shavuot program on May 16. PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW is hard to believe that it is already May and in one It month I will be retired and CANTOR DEBORAH MARTIN no longer your Spiritual Leader. As From the Spiritual Leader’s Desk we read in Ecclesiastes, “For eve- rything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heav- en.” For me, this is a time to step So, as God called to Abraham and back a bit until Cantor Levson has back after 30 years of being a cler- Sarah and said Lech Lecha (Lechi had a chance to establish himself gy person and let others come for- Lach to Sarah), I feel that he is call- here.