“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”
- Leonard Bernstein
Cantor Stephen H. Abelson was born in Montreal, Quebec, and moved very early in life to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was raised. His father, Cantor Barry Abelson, has served Temple Israel, a large, urban Reform synagogue for 30 years. Cantor Abelson went on a trip to Israel with his family and Temple Israel when he was sixteen and fell in love with Judaism. At that point, he decided he wanted to become a Jewish professional. In high school, Cantor Abelson decided to go to Israel each summer to continue to grow, study and enjoy the beautiful State of Israel.
Cantor Abelson and Alissa met at Hillel at the University of Minnesota and they have been married since 2005 and have two children, Madilyn (Madi), 5, and Stacie, 1.
In 2006 Cantor Abelson was admitted into the H.L. Miller cantorial school at the Jewish Theological Seminary, in New York City, New York. After five years of intensive study with some of the elite cantorial voices and composers of our time; Charles Davidson, Jack Mendelson & Lawrence Avery, Cantor Abelson realized his dream of becoming an Invested cantor. Cantor Abelson attributes his success in cantorial school to hard work, but could not have done it without the love and support of his wife, Alissa.
Cantor Abelson is an avid music lover of many different genres. He is a huge sports fan, especially of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, Minnesota Vikings football team and the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team. He loves automobiles, travelling, taking walks with Alissa and most of all, spending time with his family and two daughters at the park or in a swimming pool.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of his work is visiting congregants in their time of need, to lend a hand, offer words and prayers of support when they are in the hospital or in hospice care. Cantor Abelson has recently completed an intensive Clinical Pastoral Education program where he served as a Chaplain Intern at a major hospital in Minneapolis. Cantor Abelson hopes to continue this pastoral work at Shomrei Torah, paying pastoral visits at our congregant’s most trying times. Cantor Abelson also relishes the times where he will be able to study with B’nai Mitzvah students and stand beside them as they chant their Torah portion and prayers. Cantor Abelson wants to provide moments of inspiration, participation and meditation through our beautiful musical heritage. He is also very eager to teach his adult education series, “Beyond Words” - The sublime music of the classical cantorial art and hopes that you will sign up and enjoy.
Cantor Abelson, his wife Alissa, and their daughters Madilyn and Stacie, are so excited to call Congregation Shomrei Torah and Santa Rosa their home, and truly look forward to sharing the joys and the challenges that life holds for all of us as he serves this community as a member of the clergy team. Cantor Abelson thanks you all for welcoming him and his family into the community and he especially looks forward to learning, listening and engaging with this wonderful community.
To hear recordings of Cantor Stephen, click here: http://www.youtube.com/user/stephenabelson.
Cantor Abelson may be contacted at [email protected]