Spirituality

Living The Music

Adat Shalom's new cantor brings diverse background and passion to the community.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

forming together at the Wolf Trap Opera
Company in Virginia.

Senior Writer

I

n an ironic turn of events, the under-
taking of a former Adat Shalom
Synagogue rabbi may have led Daniel
Gross to choose a profession that, years
later, would bring him to that rabbi's syna-
gogue.
Although the two never met, Gross, Adat
Shalom's cantor since last summer, said
the late Rabbi Efry Spectre spurred the
realization in him of his love of singing. As
a teenager, Gross attended Camp Ramah
in Wisconsin, where he landed one of the
lead roles in the camp's Hebrew version of
Les Miserables.
"It turns out that Rabbi Spectre, who
was once a drama director at Ramah and
who had a passion for translating musicals
into Hebrew, had translated the play that I
was performing in," Gross said.
In the March 2010 issue of Adat
Shalom's newsletter, The Voice, Gross
wrote, "This experience was the spring-
board for my exploration into singing. If
it weren't for Efry Spectre, I might never
have pursued singing, the opera world or
the cantorate. Nor may I ever have ended
up at Adat Shalom:'
Nearly 20 years later, Gross did end up
at the Farmington Hills synagogue, and
will be installed in his position at a 7:30
p.m., Thursday, May 13, celebration at
Adat Shalom.
The evening's program, chaired by Susie
Graham of West Bloomfield, will feature,
"An Evening of Song" with Gross and his
wife, professional opera singer Lauren
Skuce Gross. They will be accompanied
on the piano by Martin Liebman of
Farmington Hills.
"The concert will feature selections
from opera, Broadway, art song and more
Gross said. "The pieces will highlight
important milestones in each of our lives."
Special guest speaker will be Rabbi
Mordecai Miller, spiritual leader of Brith
Sholom Kneseth Israel in St. Louis, where
Gross served as student cantor.

Musical Transition
Gross's arrival at Adat Shalom followed
the departure of Cantor Frank Lanzkron-
Tamarazo, who served from 2007 to 2009.
Prior to that, the synagogue's beloved late
Cantor Larry Vieder served for 48 years.
With family in St. Louis and the

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May 6 • 2010

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Chazzan Daniel and Lauren Gross outside Adat Shalom

Northeast, Gross said the decision to make
a home in a new community was based
both on the people and the synagogue.
The synagogue part, says Gross, was easy.
"Adat Shalom had a need for a cantor
and I wanted to go somewhere where I
could contribute he said. "This communi-
ty really understood the value of a cantor."
The other part, it turned out, also
worked out favorably.
"We have no close family here; our
synagogue family had to become our fam-
ily:' said Gross, who is midway through a
two-year contract. "After such a short time
here, we are already feeling that way."
Adat Shalom Rabbi Aaron Bergman
said, "I knew within five minutes he was
the right person for the congregation. It
was obvious he had a great voice, but also
was a real mentsh. He has tremendous
knowledge of chazzanut [cantorial music
or studies] and knows how to lead a con-
gregation in genuine prayer. He is a real
gift to the congregation. He is exactly the
chazzan I have been waiting to work with."
Born in Boston and raised in St. Louis,
Gross has been a classical pianist since age
5 and has won numerous piano competi-

tions.
A graduate of the University of
Pennsylvania, he was the music director of
the nationally acclaimed, award-winning
coed a cappella group Off the Beat. He later
attended the Manhattan School of Music
in New York and received his master's of
music degree.
After two years with the Pittsburgh
Opera, he returned to New York to become
a member of the prestigious Juilliard
Opera Center. The New York Times
described his lyrical baritone voice as
"fine and creamy."
He went on to perform with orchestras,
opera companies, chamber music organi-
zations and on recordings.
After several synagogue experiences,
however, Gross said he knew it was where
he needed to be. So he enrolled at the
Jewish Theological Seminary in the H.L.
Miller Cantorial School in New York; his
investiture was in May 2009.
Gross said his wife, Lauren, "was my
biggest supporter and was instrumental
in my becoming a cantor." He and Lauren,
who has appeared in operatic performanc-
es throughout the world, met while per-

Time To Sing
With a multitude of commitments and
involvement both at Adat Shalom and in
the community, its a wonder Gross has
time to sing.
"But an important part of being a can-
tor, for me, is to never lose sight of what
got me here, which is the singing;' he said.
"It's so important to embrace the oppor-
tunity that not only challenges me, but
also allows me to expand my realm as a
musician."
At the synagogue, Gross has delved into
involvement with the congregation's early
childhood center. "The preschool Havdalah
program is sort of `my baby:" he said.
"I spend Monday mornings with the
preschool kids. It's a great way for all of
us to start our week."
An additional perk is that his son,
Maxim, 4, is in the program.
Gross supervises the synagogue's b'nai
mitzvah program and the youth choir and
teaches students and adults to lead parts
of the service.
He expanded the synagogue's choirs
— which had included two High Holiday
groups — to include a year-round choir
that performs at synagogue events and
special Shabbat services.
"With the choir, it's not just about
music; it's about getting the best out of
each singer, one person at a time, which is
also an analogy for my involvement with
the synagogue Gross said. "One person
at a time makes a large synagogue seem
small."
Gross works with synagogue youth in
the Beth Achim Religious School.
"I hold morning assemblies where I
lead interactive prayers and songs and
dancing:' he said.
Gross teaches high schoolers through
ATID (Alliance for Teens in Detroit). And
he officiates at lifecycle events, including
funerals and weddings and does frequent
pastoral care with congregants.

Community Relations
Outside the synagogue, Gross often per-
forms musically alongside his wife, both of
whom are scheduled to be part of the Great
Lakes Chamber Music Festival next month.
On May 12, the Grosses will perform at
the "Transform A Child's Life" event at the