A Jewish musical era has ended in Metuchen with the retirement of Hazzan Sheldon Levin. For 25 years, he has served at Congregation Neve Shalom, capping a 50-year career in the cantorate.
“The thing I am most proud of is the number of people who have learned to read Torah and lead services, including several teens and some are spectacular,” Levin said in a phone interview during his last days in the position. “Every single Torah reading every week is covered by a volunteer. It’s just a wonderful shul. It is a very participatory synagogue where people are always ready to step in and do what they need to do.”
Levin and his wife, Nita Polay Levin, have since relocated to Austin, Texas, where two of their three children and both of their grandchildren live.
In addition to serving as cantor at Neve Shalom, Levin was the adult education and Hebrew school director. Its adult education was awarded a national Gold Solomon Schecter Award by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for its performing arts programming under his direction.
But it was Levin’s love of Jewish music and his desire to bring it to congregants and the larger Jewish community that stood out. Levin edited seven books on Jewish music and education and recently edited a Torah and Haftarah book for bar and bat mitzvah students for every Shabbat of the year. He formed
Makhelat Hamercaz, the Jewish community choir of central New Jersey, 22 years ago with Anna West Ott, cantor emerita of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, and both served as co-directors since its inception. Levin also was director of the New Jersey Cantors Choir and previously served as president of the Cantors Assembly, the association of cantors of the Conservative movement. In 2016 he received the Cantorial Award for Scholarship and Creativity, the assembly’s highest honor.
Barbara and Eliot Spack have known Levin since he and his wife came to the synagogue—she was the real estate agent who found the Levins their Edison home. The couples would host each other for meals in their sukkahs every year and became so close over time that Eliot was asked to sign the ketubah when the Levin’s daughter got married.
“No one even knows two-thirds of what he accomplished here at Neve Shalom,” said Barbara, and Eliot added, “His role has been much more than hazzan.”
For example, when a flyer was needed for any synagogue event, everyone turned to Levin.
“He produced and coordinated many shows and brought to us many programs of music that either he developed himself or would bring in choirs, choral groups and musicians from external congregations that he felt we could benefit from hearing,” said Eliot, while Barbara said she couldn’t recall a Jewish songwriter or Broadway musical written by a Jewish composer that the cantor did not develop into an original production.
Levin said one of his goals was to expose congregants to the breadth of Jewish music and beyond.
One of those ways was to encourage people of all ages to perform in the annual Purimspiel he would compose based on works of Jewish composers such as Stephen Sondheim or Lerner and Loewe.
For the synagogue’s annual Susy Schwartz Memorial Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert, Levin has arranged for well-known Jewish performers such as Debbie Friedman, Craig Taubman and Joel Chasnoff to entertain. One Passover he brought in a gospel choir to perform with the synagogue’s, which he described as “so spiritual.” Levin has also brought in guest cantors, including one from Argentina.
“I think it’s important to expose people to the vast array of Jewish music out there,” said Levin.
One of the cantor’s crowning musical achievements was the 60th anniversary celebration of Israel’s birthday by what was then the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County. Levin was asked to produce the musical tribute and brought in several hundred singers who Eliot said “filled the stage at the
State Theatre” in New Brunswick.
Although it was not part of his official duties, the Spacks noted that Levin and his accordion could often be found on a Friday sharing the Shabbat experience with 3- and 4-year-olds in the nursery school, with Jewish residents of local nursing homes or at the nearby New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park. Levin could also be found sharing his love of music with seniors at the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County.
In his new home, Levin said he has already joined the area’s largest Conservative synagogue, and almost immediately began forming a junior choir and joined its adult choir. He has also joined Chorus Austin, which performs a classical repertoire.
While he misses his friends, family and choirs in New Jersey, Levin said he and his wife also have a child still living in the state so they will be back to visit.
“I hope to enjoy my retirement,” Levin added, “and look forward to new opportunities and experiences in Texas.”
Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly & daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.
