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Cantor Norman Rose in his office at Temple Emanu-El.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR
Special to the Jewish News

A

s Cantor Norman Rose
looks back on it now, he
probably should have paid
a little more heed to the
prediction issued by an opera teacher
in Italy about 50 years ago.
At the time, Cantor Rose was an
American student studying operatic
singing on scholarship at the presti-
gious schotd, La Scala, in Milan,
Italy. Out of 12 scholarship students
selected from America and the only
male in the group, he figured he had
a shot at making his dream of return-
ing to the U.S. to pursue an opera
career a reality.
But one day, the teacher, holding
his hands out to Rose, said some-
thing that has stayed with him all

these years.
"The teacher had a premonition.
He said, 'You have a nice voice and
you are not going to do well in opera,
but your voice will be better later on
in life,' Rose recalled. "Right now,
my voice is in better shape than it
was years ago. Right now, people say
that I am singing better than I have
in years. I don't believe in that kind
of thing, but it is ironic, isn't it?"
Whether it is a premonition that
came true or just an off-the-cuff
remark, the congregation at Temple
Emanu-El is pleased for the path he
chose. In fact, they held a special
night to honor the cantor and his
wife, Euni Rose, on May 18. The
event, part of the congregation's year-
long celebration of its 50th anniver-
sary, specifically honored the couple
for their 30 years of dedication to the

Friendly
Voice'

Temple Emanu-El honors Cantor
Norman and Euni Rose o' their
30th anniversary with
the Oak Park congregation.

temple since they arrived in congregation, he and his father were
often asked to sing in Orthodox
1972 from a Buffalo, N.Y.,
shuls.
congregation.
"My voice alwayi seemed to grow
The evening began with
as I grew, and little by little, it
a concert featuring
became what it is today," the cantor
Swingset with vocalist
said.
Susan Chastain, an ensem-
The early singing led to a greater
ble that played jazz and
pop classics from the 1920s interest in music, which he pursued
at the Curtis School of Music in
and 1940s. The celebra-
Philadelphia. His studies were inter-
tion's highlight was the
rupted when he enlisted in the Air
dedication of the choir loft
Force during World War II. The
in honor of the Roses, said
assignment took him to Italy.
Bruce Gordon, temple president..
After the war, the future cantor
"Cantor Rose and Euni have been
returned to earn his bachelor's and
such an integral part of the temple
master's degrees in
for the past 30
music at the
years that it is
Eastman School of
just appropriate
Music in his home-
to dedicate the
town. After his oper-
choir loft in
atic training con-
their honor," he
cluded in Italy, he
said.
returned once again
"It was a
to America.
wonderful
Something about
honor," Euni
the world of opera
Rose said.
did not ring quite
Cantor Rose
true for him.
grew up in
"When I came
Rochester, N.Y.,
back, I couldn't get
the son of a fac-
going very well. I got
tory worker arid-
into singing at some
a housewife.
of the places down
Always a mem-
Euni and Cantor Rose
in the city and it
ber of a Reform

5/31
2002

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