Focus on Federation: The United Jewish Center honors Cantor Penny Kessler

In 1991, my family's former synagogue, The Jewish Family Congregation of South Salem New York, was searching for a new student Cantor. At the same time, Penny Kessler was a second-year Cantorial student at the School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. The synagogue hoped to find a candidate who would feel at home with our unique style of worship, and be comfortable encouraging the joyous participation of congregants during Shabbat services. The Search Committee was pleased to invite Penny Kessler to join our synagogue family as our student Cantor, and by the end of her first Shabbat evening service, we knew we had a perfect match.

Cantor Kessler immediately began to enrich the ritual, educational, and social life of the congregation with her enthusiasm and love of Jewish music. Like all student cantors, she had to balance the responsibilities of a synagogue position with the heavy work load of a full time cantorial student. However, unlike many of her colleagues, Penny Kessler was also a full time wife, and the mother of three young children, who commuted between her home in Bethel, Connecticut and New York City, as well as making frequent trips to her new synagogue.

In May of 1993, after serving as the student Cantor of The Jewish Family Congregation for two years, Penny Kessler received Investiture as Cantor, and her Master's Degree in Sacred Music from HUC-JIR/SSM. The membership "qvelled" along with the Kessler family; Stan, Alaina, Warren and Harrison, as Penny was invested as Cantor in Israel. The congregation was further delighted to learn that Cantor Kessler had decided to remain with The Jewish Family Congregation, thus becoming the synagogue's first invested Cantor.

During the next two years, Cantor Kessler wore many hats in her role as Cantor. Along with her ritual responsibilities on and off the bema, she led the Adult Choir, was the Director of Education for the Religious School, worked with the b'nei mitzvah students, and taught continuing education classes.

However, in 1995, Cantor Kessler made the difficult decision to leave The Jewish Family Congregation. She became aware of a congregation nearer to her home that was looking for a Cantor, and in July of 1995, Penny Kessler was called to the pulpit of the United Jewish Center of Danbury, the synagogue that she and her family had called their spiritual home for many years. The rest, as they say, is history!

Long ago, if someone had asked me to explain the role of a cantor, my answer would have been short and simple: "They sing at services, and teach the b'nei mitzvah students". It's certainly possible that this description might be applied to some cantors, but certainly not to Cantor Kessler. Encouraging congregational participation in worship through music, and working closely with bar and bat mitzvah students are certainly two very important elements of Cantor Kessler's role. However they are just a fraction of the myriad ways in which she participates in the life of the congregation, the greater Danbury community, and the Reform Jewish movement.

Jewish music, both liturgical and secular, is multifaceted, and Cantor Kessler continues to incorporate varied musical styles and instruments into Shabbat worship that bring new vitality to Jewish prayer. She accomplishes this by teaching the congregation herself and by having the Adult Choir learn and sing a wide variety of musical styles. Cantor Kessler has also compiled a number creative Shabbat services, and has invited Jewish musicians such as Craig Taubman, Danny Maseng and Noam Katz to lead the congregation in prayer. She is always delighted to share the bema with the UJC's own talented musicians as well, including her sons Harrison and Warren. In addition, Penny has led services and performed in concert at the regional and nation biennials of The Union of Reform Judaism.

Music is also an integral part of the Religious School Curriculum. In addition to Cantor Kessler's close involvement with our b'nei mitzvah students and their families, she teaches music to all Sunday school classes on a regular basis, and teaches our tenth grade students. Her devotion to Jewish youth has also led to her participation as a faculty member and Dean of Faculty at the Union of Reform Judaism's Eisner Camp for the past nine years, and to her service on the Youth Commission of the URJ Northeast Region, and the American Conference of Cantors Youth Committee. Cantor Kessler has served on the faculty of the NFTY-Northeast Institutes where, this February, she was the first Cantor to serve as Dean of Faculty at an Institute. For Cantor Kessler, "shepping nachas" comes from watching her own children Alaina, Warren and Harrison step into leadership roles in NFTY and at the synagogue.

Cantor Kessler passionately believes in the causes of social action and justice. She is the Chairperson of the Social Action and Justice Committee of the American Conference of Cantors, and serves as the ACC liaison to the Executive Committee of the Union of Reform Judaism's Commission on Social Action, as well as serving on the ACC's Ethics Committee.

The City of Danbury is blessed with diverse religious communities that work together under the leadership of ARC. Cantor Kessler has participated for years in the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service during which, two years ago, she was the first Cantor to offer the Thanksgiving sermon. She has also served as co-chairperson of the ARC Interfaith Women's Dialogue. Within the greater Danbury Jewish community, she recently served as Chairperson of the Jewish Federation's Council of Jewish Professionals with the distinction of being the first Cantor to do so.

The United Jewish Center is justifiably proud of her many accomplishments, none of which, Cantor Kessler states, would have been possible without the love, support and encouragement of her life partner, Stanley.

This Hebrew year, 5765, will mark Cantor Kessler's tenth year as Cantor of The United Jewish Center. The congregation will joyfully celebrate and honor Cantor Kessler on Saturday evening, November 20, 2004 at 8:15 PM. We hope that you will join us.

For more information, please contact The United Jewish Center at 748-3355.