When we talked about having the youth choir and The Moody Jews come and play in the lobby with a candle lighting, we never imagined how it would grow. One of those relationships was with Marissa Edwards, their activities director. How did you become involved with Terranea’s menorah ceremony?Īs community outreach, I created relationships with the management at Terranea from the moment they opened. The warmness of the season is something we ALL share, no matter which winter holiday we celebrate, so why not share our celebrations with each other and celebrate the miracles in our lives? That said, I also try to teach folks the meaning of Hanukkah, rededicating oneself to community and recommitting one’s relationship to the temple, or whatever you want to use to describe your spiritual center. My wife, Jodi, and I try to imbue that same joy in our two girls and extended family with nightly rituals. We were your typical “Norman Rockwell” Jewish family. I grew up with the typical traditions and celebrations in my family, surrounding Hanukkah: lighting candles, singing songs, eating latkes, giving and receiving gifts. Would love to know what Hanukkah traditions you grew up. We even brought out our own CD, In A Hanukkah Mood, about 10 years ago. Some of the faces have changed over the years, but the love for the kids and rock ‘n’ roll has remained a constant. And the third was a really talented lead guitarist who played with pick-up bands all over the place. The other had been a platinum recording drummer back in the day in Serbia. One of them had been the bass player in the ‘70s and ‘80s for a group called Raven. One day, while we were taking the youth choir on tour about 16 years ago, a couple of dads who were chaperoning came to me and asked if they could play with the kids. And even when it might not be their cup of tea, if you bring it with enthusiasm and excitement, it tends to catch on. What’s the best part about working with kids ? Music, teaching, children, family, community and giving back to society were the things that fulfilled me in my life … in short, everything I get to be as a cantor of a wonderfully caring, supportive and welcoming community. Humility couldn’t allow my ego to be the SUPER ego it had to be to succeed, and I searched my soul to find my calling. Like any rebellious teen, I ran away from this to pursue a career in opera and musical theatre during college, only to realize that I didn’t particularly like who I had to be to succeed in that business. That said, I was trained starting at the age of 5 to take my place in the line of my family. I think anybody who says that they always wanted to commit to a life of service to the community would be pulling the wool over your eyes. What were the seminal moments that led you to pursue being a cantor? That said, I came from a long line of cantors in my family-four or five generations long-and had the tutelage of Philip Moddel, which ultimately drove me to my calling and career as a cantor. Records were always playing-from Mario Lanza and Pavarotti to Sinatra and soundtracks of musicals, to my own love of Queen, Styx and whatever the popular flavor of the day was. Interviewed by Preston Ames Were there any major musical influences you had growing up that drove you to pick up music?
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