Temple Israel Cantor Raphael Frieder will step down as the synagogue’s hazan – or cantor who leads the congregation in songful prayers – in 2020, a pair of letters sent to congregants say, after nearly 30 years of service.
Frieder, born in Israel and a graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, joined Temple Israel of Great Neck in 1991. Frieder has performed around the world, according to his online biography, and teaches chazzanut at the H.L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
“There is universal appreciation for the skill and passion that Cantor Frieder has brought to Temple Israel, and we are immensely grateful for all that he has done for the synagogue over his many years with us,” Temple Israel President Robert Panzer wrote in a letter to congregants.
“Replacing someone of his renown and ability who is so connected with members of the Congregation will undoubtedly be a very difficult task, but we will do everything we can to build upon his distinguished legacy.”
Frieder was not immediately available for comment, but said in his own letter to congregants that his “heart is filled with a mixture of sadness and gratitude” for his 27 years of service.
“When I see young members of our congregation in my children’s choir, in the classes I teach, or at services, it’s hard for me to imagine that I will not be the one to officiate at their bar or bat mitzvah,” Frieder said. “Nonetheless, I am getting ready for the next chapter of my life, and there are many things that I am looking forward to.”
But, Frieder said, this does not mean a total departure from Temple Israel.
“I feel much gratitude to Temple Israel members for your friendship and support during what will ultimately have been a tenure of almost thirty years at the Synagogue,” he said. “I am hoping to stay in Great Neck and, with the cooperation of the Temple Israel leadership, to continue my involvement in the Synagogue.”
Frieder’s contract was scheduled to expire in July this year but was extended through December 2020. After that he will become cantor emeritus, the letters say, meaning he could potentially work with the temple for High Holy Days and special projects.
“As we head into a new era, we shall continue to strive to ensure that Temple Israel is a place where everyone feels welcome to discover the power of Judaism to bring blessings into their lives and our world,” Panzer said.
There were two interim cantors between Frieder and the late Benjamin Siegel, who had served for decades before his retirement in the late 1980s.
