DIGEST

SPIRITUALITY

From Cantorate
To Doctorate

Norman Rose's
honorary
degree marks
50 years of
musical service.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Staff Writer

A

fter spending countless
hours on the bimah
at Temple Emanu-El
in Oak Park celebrating the sim-
chot of others, next week Cantor
Norman Rose will be there
receiving an honor of his own.
During an 8 p.m. Friday, Sept.
8, Shabbat service, the cantor will
receive an honorary doctorate of
music degree from the Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion (HUC-JIR) commemo-
rating his 50th anniversary in the
cantorate.
Cantor Rose, who has been
ill, has been cantor emeritus at
Emanu-El since his retirement
two years ago. "He told me he is
thrilled with the honor," said the
cantor's wife, Euni. "He is very
touched by it and is very much
looking forward to seeing people
he hasn't seen in a long time."
His colleague and friend for
more than 30 years, Cantor Sam
Greenbaum of Congregation
Beth Shalom, will speak dur-
ing the presentation. "Norm just
loves being a cantor," he said.
"Throughout his career, he has
always kept up the highest of
standards in Jewish music."
And he is a "tremendously
talented musician:' according to
Steve Klaper, Emanu-El's music
director. "And he never let that
talent go to his head. He is the
sweetest, most down-to-earth guy
you could ever meet, going out
of his way to make everyone feel
welcome. He really is a cantor of
the people."

Rabbi Ken Kanter, rabbinic
dean of the Cincinnati campus of
HUC-JIR, will present the degree.
Representing the American
Conference of Cantors will be
Cantor Kat Hastings of Temple
Kol Ami.
Among those paying musical
tribute is harpist Christa Grix,
who will accompany the Emanu-
El choir and play harp solos dur-
ing the prayer meditation.
"Cantor Rose is a wonderful
musician; his talents lie beyond
just singing in tune with the right
rhythm',' Grix said. "He instills
the music with the beauty of
his spirit and his soul, which
are abundant with kindness,
benevolence and good nature. His
simple devotion is an inspiration
to others."

Road To The Cantorate
Born in Rochester, N.Y., Cantor
Rose was raised in a musical
home, inspired by his father who
sang in his synagogue choirs.
He received a scholarship and
studied at the Curtis School of
Music in Philadelphia before
flying more than 50 missions as

a radio operator and gunner in
Italy with the 15th Air Force dur-
ing World War II.
After the war, he earned both
bachelor's and master of arts
degrees from the Eastman School
of Music in Rochester.,In 1949, he
received one of 10 scholarships
to the La Scala Opera School in
Milan, Italy. "There, he and other
students were given free tickets to
the opera': Euni Rose said. "They
found out the seats they received
had once been Mussolini's."
In 1952, Cantor Rose began
school at the Hebrew Union
College of Sacred Music in New
York, becoming invested as a
cantor.
His first pulpit position was
at Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio,
from 1956-1967. He then served
at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo,
N.Y., until coming to Emanu-El
in 1972.
"At Emanu-El, he was the
teacher of bar and bat mitzvah
students',' Euni Rose said. "He
came to the temple as cantor-
educator, so he was in charge
of the religious school as well.
He also served as director of

the community adult education
program held at [Temple] Beth El
[in Bloomfield Township] for five
years.
For many years, Cantor Rose
conducted the adult choir, while
Euni taught in Emanu-El's
religious school and directed
the youth choir. "He taught me
how to do she said. "He said,
`You're already a singer; you'll be a
teacher, too:
"At the beginning, on Saturday
nights, he would teach me the
songs and on Sunday mornings
I would go to Sunday school and
teach them to the kids. We are
definitely a team."
Cantor Rose spent many
years as a member of the multi-
denominational Michigan
Board of Cantors and served
on the boards of the National
Association of Temple Educators
and the American Conference of
Cantors.
"What he has loved most about
being a cantor, besides the music,
has been dealing with his kids:'
Euni Rose said. "He was a master
teacher in the best sense of the
word. He was spectacular in his
one-on-one with bar and bat
mitzvah students. He made the
kids feel comfortable within min-
utes — with his knowledge of
sports or talk of the kids' interests
and with a special handshake he
used with them. They loved him
to pieces and he loved them."
The Rose family includes two
daughters, their husbands and
four grandchildren.
"The cantor and Euni have
been such a devoted and dedi-
cated couple within our congre-
gation," said Emanu-El's Rabbi
Joseph Klein. "That long-term
love for everything that is the
temple has always been given
back to both of them.
"They are treasures within our
congregational family. For over 30
years, Norman has been the voice
of our congregation. That voice
still echos in our sanctuary and
always will." Fl

Lunch & Learn
Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills will offer its
first lunch and learn series
of the season noon-1:15
Wednesday, Sept. 6. Rabbi
Daniel Nevins will lead a
three-part series on "Renewal,
Revision, Return: Charting a
Spiritual Path for the New Year."
The series will continue on
Sept. 20 and 27. There is a $10
per session fee, which includes
lunch.
The lunch and learn is spon-
sored by the Adat Shalom's
Adult Study Committee and is
co-chaired by Shelly Perlman
and Adele Staller.
For reservations, contact
Sheila Lederman at (248) 851-
5100 or slederman@adatsha-
lom.org .

School Sign Up
Registration is now under way
for the 2006-07 school year at
the Congregation Beth Shalom
Religious School.
For information, contact
the school office, (248) 547-
7970. To be enrolled, a child
must have registration and
authorization turned in to the
synagogue office, 14601 W.
Lincoln Road, Oak Park, as soon
as possible.
Tuition assistance is avail-
able. To apply, call Steven Weiss,
(248) 547-7970, ext. 200.

-

Eastside Services
The Grosse Pointe Jewish
Council has scheduled High
Holiday services for Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Led by Rabbi Ernst J. Conrad
with cantorial soloist Bryant
Frank, the services will ce1 7
ebrate Rosh Hashanah on the
evening of Friday, Sept. 22, and
the morning of Saturday, Sept.
23. Services for Yom Kippur
will be held on the evening of
Sunday, Oct. 1, and throughout
the day Monday, Oct. 2. On both
holidays, there will be children's
services.
For service times and loca-
tions and membership infor-
mation, call the Grosse Pointe
Jewish Council, (313) 882-6700.

August 31 • 2006

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