Rabbi Howard Morrison

Howard Morrison, grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts.  There, he attended the Maimonides Day School for elementary and high school.  He attended services at the Young Israel Synagogue and Congregation Kehillath Israel.

After spending his undergraduate years at Boston University and the Hebrew College, Rabbi Morrison entered the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.  His rabbinical training included a year of study at Neve Schechter and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

After receiving his ordination, Rabbi Morrison assumed the position of Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Union New Jersey from 1987-1991 and then assumed the position of Rabbi at the Wantagh Jewish Center in Long Island, N.Y. from 1991-2000.

He recently retired from his duties in the U.S. Air Force as a Reserve Chaplain, performing most of his duties at McGuire Air Force Base in southern New Jersey. 

While serving Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue since 2000, Rabbi Morrison has been president of the Ontario Region of the Rabbinical Assembly.  He is currently first vice-president for the Toronto Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Morrison currently serves on the Executive of the International Rabbinical Assembly and acts as chaplain and consultant for Mazon Canada, The Jewish War Veterans, and Casa – the Hebrew Free Loan Society. 

Rabbi Morrison has two sons, Elie Natan and Yonah Ari. You may reach Rabbi Morrison at rabbi@beby.org
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Cantor Aaron Bensoussan

Moroccan born Aaron Bensoussan comes from a prominent Rabbinic dynasty. His grandfather, Rabbi Haim Bensoussan, was the Chief Rabbi of Morocco and his great grandfather, Rabbi Avraham Bensoussan was one of the revered Rabbis to emerge from the city of Fez. The encyclopedia Judaica traces the Bensoussan family back to the teacher of Maimonides.

Cantor Bensoussan came to the United States in 1968 and studied in the Telsher Yeshiva in Chicago and Yeshiva Torah Vadaat in New York.

He studied the art of Sephardic liturgical music from his father and master musicians and began his Cantorial career at the age of 24 as Hazzan of the Sephardic Jewish Center in Forest Hills, a position he held for five years.

Hazzan Bensoussan received his formal cantorial and musical training at Queen's College, Yeshiva University Belz School of Music and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. As a student he held part time and High Holiday positions at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center and the Sutton Place Synagogue in New York. After graduating the Seminary in 1986 he served as Cantor of Temple Gates of Prayer for two years and was then selected as Cantor of the prestigious temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights New York where he served for 11 years with distinction.

Cantor Bensoussan studied Hazzanut with the following master Cantors: David Koussevitzky, Moshe Ganchoff, Noach Schall, Daniel Guildar and Jacob Ben-Zion Mendelson. He studied voice with world-renowned vocal coaches Elaine Malbin, Michael Warren, Herta Sperber and Bill Riley. Cantor Bensoussan is most recognized for his superb ability to combine his expertise in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic styles creating a unique soulful blend of the two cultures.

Bensoussan has performed in concert halls, theatres, temples, festivals and community centers all over the United States, Canada, Israel, Europe and Australia, including the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Theatre in Jerusalem and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Bensoussan was sent on a mission to the former Soviet Union by the American Society for The Advancement of Cantorial Arts to lead services in the Moscow Choral Synagogue and to the former Yugoslavia and Romania to bring hope, music and tradition to the Jews living there.

Bensoussan has four recordings to his credit. His first recording, East & West is a mixture of Ashkenazic Cantorial, Yiddish, Ladino and Moroccan Folk Music with authentic Arabic instruments and piano. His second recording, OLE! is a unique recording of Sabbath songs done in a contemporary Moroccan/Samba feel backed by a driving Israeli band. Sepharad '92 is an energetic presentation of original Sephardi style pop songs made in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. His most recent recording, Joyous Chants is a collection of beautiful piyutim (poems) accompanied by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cantor Bensoussan is married to Phyllis, an Audiologist who hails from New York. They have two sons, Joshua and Yonatan Chaim. You may contact Cantor Bensoussan at aaronbensoussan@rogers.com

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Our Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Joseph Kelman ztz"l

Joseph Kelman, was the founding Rabbi of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue in Bathurst Manor, Toronto's third largest Conservative congregation. Coming from a rabbinic family reaching back eight generations, Rabbi Kelman devoted his life and career equally to scholarship and to the mentally handicapped. His two sons, Jay and Maury are now ninth generation rabbis.

Born in Vienna, his family came to Toronto when he was three. He was ordained in New York and returned to Toronto in 1959 to become the spiritual leader of Beth Emeth, a new congregation of 100 families in burgeoning North York. In the beginning, services were held in a member's home. Today the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue on Elder Street has a congregation of nearly 1,500 families.

Early on, Rabbi Kelman recognized his role in the rabbinate as an opportunity to serve all segments of the community. As chaplain of a psychiatric centre in 1960 he became convinced that the disabled were entitled to programmes tailored to their disability. In 1961, he established the Kadima School for these ''special'' children and teenagers. Here they were taught Torah, Jewish laws, customs and traditions. Then, in 1971, he established the Kadima Centre, a recreational, social and cultural program for special needs adults. Two years later he became the founding President of the Reena Foundation which has since earned a world wide reputation for teaching the mentally handicapped to live an independent lifestyle under supervision and/or in their own apartments. He also founded, with the help of Rabbi Irwin Witty, the Dr. Abraham Shore Academy for children with learning disabilities. Shearim has helped these children mainstream back to CHAT and other hebrew high schools. He was also instrumental in founding a group home for young adults with psychiatric problems.

In 1984 Rabbi Kelman was honoured by Ryerson Polytechnic University with an Honourary Fellowship and in 1991 he received an Honourary Doctorate of Philosophy from Tel Aviv University. The University established The Kelman Research Centre which has hosted several international conferences and published many books dealing with Jewish Education, Language and Identity. In addition to his many posts of community leadership, he has served as chairman of the Toronto Board of Rabbis.

Rabbi Kelman was married to the late Ruth Friedman for over 45 years. They had 3 children. Tova, a lawyer, is married to Allan Gutenberg and they have 4 children, Pnina, Daniel, Joshua and Zahava. Rabbi Jay Kelman is both a Rabbi at the neighbouring Beth Jacob Synagogue, and also a chartered accountant. Jay and his wife Elana have 3 children, Ariel, Elisha and Atara. Rabbi Maury Kelman is a lawyer and also holds the post of International Chairman of KEDMA, an organization which does outreach work in Toronto, Montreal, London & Paris; he is the official Rabbi for their synagogue in Jerusalem. In 2000, Rabbi Joseph Kelman married Sara Schafler.

In tribute to his 38 years of service to the congregation, Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue honoured him with a year of special events, the inscription of a Torah scroll, a dinner and tribute evening, and the establishment of the Joseph Kelman Endowment Fund for Jewish Continuity.

Although officially retired in 1997, Rabbi Kelman continued to busy himself with community and synagogue life. He was honoured in November 2008 with the Yakir Hakahal (Precious to the Community) award. He remained active up until his passing in June 2009.

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Our Cantor Emeritus - Cantor Louis Danto

After serving for over a quarter century as our beloved Hazzan, Cantor Louis Danto retired in 1998. Cantor Danto has been honoured by the synagogue with the title ''Cantor Emeritas'', and remains an important part of the synagogue.

Cantor Louis Danto's career started in the early 1930's when as a child in Suwalki, Poland, he sang as alto soloist in the choirs of such ''Greats'' as Jacob Berman and David Moshe Steinberg. Even during those tender years, he thrilled congregations with his pure and fervent tones. Then came Hitler and the war. The Danto family was uprooted ‹but Louis was fortunate enough to escape to Minsk. There he studied at the local conservatory from 1939-1941. When Germany invaded Russia, Danto was moved once more ‹this time with a group of other talented children deep into Russia where he studied cello and voice.

The war was over and Danto hurriedly made for home. But home was no more. A somber silence greeted him. Only the ashes remained; cloud and sky, and the ominous silence. Centuries of Jewish life and culture and learning had been erased during those frightening years. Only traces of it remained: in the scholar's mind, in the poet's soul, in the sweet singer's throat.

Danto combined the best of his artistic background with his Jewish soul and made Hazzanuth his chosen career. Danto studied Hazzanuth with Leo Lowe and Herman Zalis. He also expanded his knowledge of Jewish sources at the Yeshiva of ''Mirr'' where he studied from 1950 to 1954.

Praised by such immortals as Gigli and Schipa while a student in Rome, Louis Danto has concertized throughout the world - all appearances receiving both critical and audience acclamation. In December 1965, Louis Danto chanted a special prayer at Tito Schipa's funeral in New York at the request of the family with noted Metropolitan Opera stars in attendance.

Cantor Danto, in September 1984, sang before Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens to an inter-faith audience of 16,000 and millions of television viewers. Her Majesty was most impressed with Cantor Danto's richly regal singing.

Numerous leading contemporary composers have written for, and dedicated their works to Louis Danto. In addition, he is a researcher and a companion of rare and unusual repertoire: During his 1989 East-European tour (of concerts in Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa, Kiev and Budapest) he discovered manuscripts of many songs from the long lost original classic Jewish music, several of which he recorded on his ''Gems of the Jewish Operetta'' and ''Masters of the Jewish Art Song The St. Petersburg School'' and are for the first time on record. His recent work includes new compilations made during his 1995 concert tour of Europe, when he recorded with the State Opera of Prague. This recording, along with one made with noted violist Rivka Golani were released in the spring of 1996. George Jelinek, a distinguished broadcaster and music critic for Stereo Review had this to say about Cantor Danto's album ''The Art of Cantor Louis Danto'' - ''...the technique and overall control Cantor Louis Danto displays on this record no tenor under contract to a major U.S. opera company today can duplicate.''

Another hard-to-please critic, Alan Rich of the New York Times, raved after a Carnegie Hall recital by Cantor Danto...''a voice of great beauty clear and true...breathtaking, radiant, as though from another world.''

In February 1998, Cantor Louis Danto received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. While he may be addressed as ''Doctor", he prefers to be called ''my friend''.