Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

I share with you excerpts from a true email letter which I received yesterday from a student Cantor with whom I worked for three years in Wantagh, Long Island in the mid 1980’s.  Little do we know the influence that we may have on others, even many years later.  I have purposely deleted personal names and confidential material:

Hi Howard. It has once again been a while. Once Elul begins and I begin to more seriously prepare towards the High Holy Days, as I review certain sections of the liturgy, I am always flooded by memories associated with various settings whether they are the one I am preparing or not, and where I was when I did them. You and the Wantagh Jewish Center are always with me at this time and I always think to write. Then there are those final B'nei Mitzvah crammed in before Rosh Hashanah, then we are into the High Holy Day season, and then somehow it's Chanukah and I have missed my chance again. I decided not to let that happen again this year.

While I learned many things from a number of people, there were really two people that most prepared me to actually function as a pulpit Hazzan...  The other was most definitely you. While we were only together for those three years in Wantagh, there are so many things that I learned from you about how to serve a congregation that I believe have allowed me to achieve some measure of success beyond just on the Bimah ever since.

One of these was not to just go to one place at a Kiddush or similar, but to work the room first, and sit and eat later. I think this is something that helped me to really get to know people early on.  Also, the way that you taught me to not show the public when I was or am tired or sick has been something that has come to be somewhat of a calling card in terms of reliability that has been appreciated in both places I've been since Wantagh. I get sick rarely, thank G-d, but there was one time for example some years ago when we had an important Bar Mitzvah over Shabbat and I had a wedding and a concert that same weekend. I had Bronchitis, but I remembered the time you had mononucleosis and somehow managed to get through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with very few people in the Kahal being the wiser. I don't know how you did that, but you did, and it has been a source of inspiration on multiple occasions since. Lastly, I think sometimes about your devotion to the congregation in Wantagh. Someone there once told me about how you not only were always able to answer their questions regarding religious matters, but that you were the sort of Rabbi whom one could call at 3 a.m. in crisis, and you would not only answer the phone, but be ready to do whatever was needed.

To the extent that I can as a Hazzan, I have tried to follow your example. I hope that all goes well for you over what will most likely be one of the strangest High Holy Day seasons of any of our lives to date. May the old year with its curses die so the new one with its blessings can begin. Shanah Tova and all the best for a year of health and happiness for you, your family and those you serve.

Rabbi Howard Morrison