Obituaries
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Chazzan 'Par Excellence'
of the last of the old kind of tradi-
tional cantors," said Nusbaum. "He
was quite a star."
e had a voice — a big,
Cantor Ackerman and his wife,
magnificent voice.
Dora, were originally from Kishinev,
When Cantor Shabtai
Romania, said Mermelstein. During
Ackerman first mounted the bimah
World War II, they survived by flee-
at Congregation Beth Abraham —
ing to Odessa, Russia, and later to
then at Seven Mile and Greenlawn in
Siberia. After the war, they returned
Detroit — he packed the house "rim-
to Kishinev with Cantor Ackerman
to-rim," remembered synagogue ritu- serving as a cantor there. They
al director Rev. Joseph Mermelstein.
later moved to Bucharest, Romania,
Jews from other congregations
before emigrating to Tel Aviv.
flocked to Shavout services in 1956
"The first year that he came to
to hear the new cantor in town.
Beth Abraham," said Mermelstein,
"There was no place to stand,"
"he davened with a choir — and
recalls Mermelstein.
he brought in for
After all, Cantor
the holidays Cantor
Ackerman was the
Israel Fuchs, his choir
highly regarded
leader at the Great
cantor of the Great
Synagogue in Tel Aviv.
Synagogue in Tel
He said the shul must
Aviv. He had per-
have him in order to
formed earlier at a
have big music and
Mizrachi convention
a big choir." Cantor
in New York where he
Fuchs also remained at
caught the attention
Beth Abraham.
of the late Abraham
"People became
Cantor Shabt ai Ackerman
Nusbaum, then a Beth
members of Beth
Abraham vice president. Nusbaum
Abraham when Cantor Ackerman
listened to him again in Tel Aviv and
arrived," said Mermelstein. "He was
persuaded the cantor to make the
very outgoing and friendly and very
move to Detroit.
capable of organizing meetings and
Cantor Ackerman remained a
events for any organization in the
vibrant force at the synagogue for
shut" He was also very involved
a quarter century. He helped Beth
with the Cantors Assembly and he
Abraham grow and later merge
utilized his musical and social skills
with two other Detroit congrega-
to raise much money for charitable
tions, Beth Hillel and Beth Moses,
causes and the synagogue.
and establish a new home in West
"He visited the sick a lot," said
Bloomfield. The synagogue is now
Mermelstein. "He had strong friend-
known as Congregation Beth Ahm.
ships with people."
"Cantor Ackerman was a chaz-
"He was a guy who always gave
zan par excellence," said A. Irving
his very all," said Rabbi Schnipper.
Schnipper, rabbi emeritus at Beth
Cantor Shabtai Ackerman is sur-
Ahm. "When he did a liturgical piece, vived by his wife, Dora Ackerman;
he'd draw at your heartstrings."
daughter and son-in-law, Leah
Cantor Shabtai Ackerman, 93, of
and Jerry Freedman of Florida;
Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Detroit
grandchildren, David and Audrey
died July 22, 2007. He was cantor
Freedman, Amy and Pat Peck,
emeritus of both Congregation Beth
Jeffrey Ackerman; great-grandchil-
Ahm and the Conservative Temple
dren, Abby and Lilly Freedman, Ian
Israel in Deerfield Beach.
Peck.
"He was the best chazzan in
He was the loving father of the
town," said Mermelstein, who
late Fred Ackerman.
arrived at the synagogue a year
Interment at was Beth Abraham
before the cantor.
Cemetery. Contributions may be
"He was very, very popular," said
made to Congregation Beth Ahm,
Irving Nusbaum of Franklin, whose
5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield,
father championed the cantor.
MI 48322. Arrangements by Ira
He was from the old school, one
Kaufman Chapel. r1
David Sachs
Senior Copy Editor
H
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Obituaries on page 68
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