Rabbi's Reflections

It was a warm Spring day in 1989 when I received a call from a Cantor who was looking to return to Atlanta with her family.  I had met Cantor Margulis a few times while I was at The Temple and Temple Sinai from 1976 to 1980.  She and David already had three young children and she wanted to focus more on her family while still keeping a toe in the “cantorial waters” so to speak.  When I told her that the Kehillah was still relatively new and very small, being barely seven years old, she said that she was looking for very part time responsibilities.

It did not take the Board and me very long to realize that a great opportunity had been given to us.  At first, Cantor Margulis was the Director of our Religious School and sang at services one Friday a month.  During her second year with the Kehillah, their family grew with the birth of Sharon and the Cantor stepped down from the school responsibilities but started our Adult Choir.

Over the years, her responsibilities have included most Friday evenings, all B’nai Mitzvah services, tutoring, Adult and Junior Choir, many things I am forgetting, and all the behind the scenes efforts which have helped to make the Kehillah what it is today.  What is hard to believe is that we have been together for almost twenty-one years; we are the longest serving rabbi and cantor duo in the metro area.

Cantor Margulis is a treasure.  Considering the fact that she is not full-time (which we both regret but understand), what she has done and continues to do for our temple is amazing.  Very few if any congregations of our size are blessed to have a fully invested (professionally trained) cantor.  I guarantee that we would not have Adult and Junior Choirs without her and the quality of our B’nai Mitzvah preparation would also suffer greatly.

I personally want to thank Cantor Margulis for all the support she has given me and my family over the years.  She was there when I went through my divorce.  She picked up the slack when I became an instant father of two children.  And I would absolutely not have been able to take not one, but two Sabbaticals without her understanding and desire to take on additional responsibilities while I was away.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Gala for the Cantor later this month as we celebrate her twenty five years as a Cantor and twenty one years with Kehillat Chaim.

To Cantor Barbara Margulis, I raise a cup (Kiddush, of course) and say, “L’Chaim-To Life!”

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur