to innovative approaches to Jewish
liturgical music and to religious and
cultural guidance.
The 62-year-old New York native
set his course while a music student
at Yeshiva University in New York and
graduate student at Columbia
University.
During eight years as a cantor in
Omaha, Neb., and the past 20 years
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, he
has worked to inspire the 2,100-fami-
ly congregation in worship and
toward a close identification with the
text of the liturgy.
He continues to maintain a high
standard of choral music, guiding
Shaarey Zedek's Professional Choir,
Congregational Choir and Youth
Choir.
For Najman, the "congregation" he
hopes to inspire is not contained by
mere synagogue walls. He sees nation-
wide impact from concepts developed
at local synagogues like his own.
Shaarey Zedek's new guide to
prayer, Mahzor 101, for those at an
elementary level of understanding the
prayer book, is now being used across
the country. Siddur 101 will soon fol-
low. New musical compositions com-
/- missioned by Shaarey Zedek family
members are often performed else-
where. Najman has been active in
inspiring interest in an old Yiddish
musical comedy, Yicil Mitten Fidl,
being performed by congregants at
many synagogues across the country.
But while Najman takes pride in
his professional accomplishments over
the past three decades, he and his wife
Sherry count as their greatest accom-
plishment raising four children who
have begun to make significant contri-
butions to the community and Jewish
heritage themselves.
They take much pride in their son
Yehuda, now an attorney in New York
who with his wife Naomi are raising
their son Tzvi with religious influence.
/-
Their daughter Hindy is a profes-
sor of theology at University of
Notre Dame, daughter Dina is
involved in the study of medical
ethics at a university in New York
and their youngest son Danny has
dedicated himself to the pursuit of
the cantorate.
"If we can inspire our young people
in the rich traditions of their Jewish
heritage, this is the challenge and role
of hazzanim," said Najman. "For with
children, come families. We are seeing
glimpses of light and hope in the
emergence of young families coming
back to the synagogue." L I

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4/16
1999

Detroit Jewish News

65