Left:
Cantor David Neumark,
outside Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Windsor.

Right:
The exterior of Shaar Hashomayim.

Below:
Despite stunning architecture, Shaar Hashomayim
has a shrinking membership.

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singing into something practical,
so he sought out the tutelage of
Cantor Abraham Lubin, the only
Chicago cantor who was teaching
at the time.
In his 30s, Neumark eventually
contacted the Yeshiva University
placement office and landed a job
in New Orleans, at Congregation
Beth Israel. He stayed there for
two years.
Four years ago, Neumark came
to Windsor, to be the cantor at
Shaar Hashomayim, one of two
Orthodox synagogues in the
Canadian city.
Windsor's 2,000 have three
synagogues: the Reform
Congregation Temple Beth El and
the Orthodox Shaar Hashomayim
and Shaarey Zedek Synagogue.
Few Windsor Jews are shomer
Shabbat, Neumark says.
"Historically, people moved
out" of Windsor, he notes. "But it
seems that it is not shrinking by
leaps and bounds. It's holding
steady. I hope people move in; it's
a very livable town."
Shaar Hashomayim was built
in 1929. Neumark says it is "one
of the most gorgeous shuls in
North America. The detail — it's
a work of art."
Neumark was not always
Orthodox. Growing up in Skokie,
Ill., he became religious at_age 14
and enrolled at the Skokie
Yeshiva, where he stayed for two
years of high school. His family
combined several levels of obser-
vance — officially Conservative,

he says his father leaned toward
Orthodoxy while his mother was
more Reform.
"I became religious, so the
house became kosher," he recalls.
In high school, "you're young and
idealistic, want to go all the way."
And he did. In 1974, the mid-
dle of high school, Neumark
transferred to .the Brisk Yeshiva.
He spent eight years studying at
Brisk, which was founded by
Rabbi Aaron Soloveitchik, broth-
er of the revered late modern
Orthodox leader, Rabbi Joseph
Soloveitchik.
When he received ordination,
in his 20s., Neumark still wanted
to be a rabbi; eventually, however,
he gave in to the musical urge.
Today, the Canada-based can-
tor leads a small congregation and
teaches voice. "There's a lot of
bad teaching. round, too much
terminology, ' he says. "You really
have to listen to your students."
He remembers being motivated
by teachers who took an interest
in him and who pushed him to
practice. "Singing is passion — I
want to encourage the fun aspect.
When you do something, you
should always bring your own
ideas, creativity to it."
In his off-hours, Neumark,
who is engaged to be married
next spring, listens to classical
and popular tunes, including
timeless favorites such as Frank
Sinatra and Tony Bennett.'0

10/24
1997

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