Dear fellow congregants,
I am writing to update you on the search for a cantor and educator to succeed Cantor Stanton after he departs on June 30. I am pleased to report that our cantor-educator search committee is up and running, chaired by Sue Groll and Loren Sterman. The committee is busy sorting through our options and submitting applications.
Cantor Stanton (like Cantor Margolius before him) wore multiple hats as a cantor-educator in addressing the musical, spiritual, and educational needs of our congregation. As we look for a candidate to fill those big shoes, the committee is taking a flexible approach in hiring, consistent with TBT’s history. For those of you who have been part of our community for many years, you’ll recall our use of student cantors on weekends and High Holidays or, at other times, a part-time ordained cantor or non-ordained music director (cantorial soloist) – with a separate professional educator serving as our religious school director in a part-time capacity. We are open to a variety of permutations, taking into account the applications we receive and the needs of our congregation.
Consistent with the breadth of our needs, our search committee (overseen by Sue and Loren) reflects the breadth of our congregation, populated with congregants with both musical and educational interests and experiences, cutting across different generations, and involved with a variety of synagogue activities (choir, Torah Study, religious school, and others). I thank the following volunteers: Peter Chorney, Christine Dokko, Kate Glazer, Alan Meyers, Heide Mueller-Hatton, Walter Stutzman, Stu Weinzimer, and Sandy Whelan. Also, the Rabbi and President (yes, that’s me) sit on the committee.
We are excited to undertake this work. If you have ideas that you’d like to share with the committee, please email me at jbabbin@wiggin.com .
-Jeff Babbin