COS gala to honor new rabbi and cantor

The year of 5783 promises both growth and continuity at Congregation Ohev Shalom as we welcome our wonderful new clergy, Rabbi Geoffrey Spector and Cantor Jeffrey Weber. In the few months since they arrived it's become clear they make a great team, with warm and engaging manners both on the Bima and in less formal settings. Already we've learned from them, prayed with them, had fun with them, and enjoyed the process of forming lifelong relationships with them.

Now it's time to formalize their new roles at COS with an Installation and Gala Celebration, to be held on Dec. 11, 2022. Since they are new both to COS and to the Orlando community, we asked them a few questions to help everyone get to know them better.

Q: People's preconceptions of Orlando don't always reflect the day-to-day realities lived by residents. What has been your biggest surprise about living in Orlando?

Rabbi Spector: I did not expect to spend so much time in my car! How long does it take to get from Point A to Point B in Orlando? Twenty minutes, no matter where you are going. My tires are gasping for air!

Cantor Weber: Having worked in Sarasota around 12 years ago, I have experienced some of Florida before. Prior to that, my main dealings with the Orlando area had to do with going to the theme parks with our children, so it's nice to see that it doesn't have to be the main focus of life here. But the biggest surprise is that there are several people both in this congregation and other parts of the Orlando area who are actually from my hometown of Commack, New York.

Q: In the last few months, you've likely found yourself in many new environments and met many new people. Describe one moment when you really felt welcomed. 

Rabbi Spector: When we first arrived in town, we were unable to move into our new house for over a week. Some very special congregants from Ohev Shalom allowed us to stay in their home while they were out of town, even though they had never met us. It was an incredibly kind and hospitable act that made us feel so good about moving to this welcoming community.

Cantor Weber: We have had the great pleasure of going to some people's homes a few times, and there was a wonderful welcoming dinner here at COS. I have to say that I feel really welcome here all of the time and have since our first visit.

Q: The role of rabbi or cantor is a multifaceted job with many aspects that can truly affect the lives of your congregants and be felt in the greater community. What do you see as the most important part of your job?

Rabbi Spector: The most important part of my job as a rabbi is to foster a sense of deep connectedness among all the members of my congregation. My goal is to make people feel as though they are part of a large, warm, loving and accepting family that can be there for them in times of sadness and times of joy.

Cantor Weber: As the Cantor, I feel that it is extremely important to have people understand and be involved. Teaching and learning from others are such wonderful ways to make our connections to one another and to our prayer and ritual. Along with teaching people the skills to actively participate, I feel that finding the way to connect people with their spiritual and ritual life is of the utmost importance. A motto of our Conservative Movement and the Jewish Theological Seminary is "Tradition and Change." An important part of my job is to do exactly that: keeping traditional music and nusach and introducing new music as well.

Q: And a similar question: What is your favorite part of the job?

Rabbi Spector: I love to orchestrate services that touch the heart and stimulate the mind. My goal at every service is to elicit a range of emotions from all those in attendance through sermons that are humorous, poignant and enlightening. As it says in Ecclesiastes, "There is a time to laugh and a time to cry."

Cantor Weber: It's wonderful that I get to use my musical education and skills with singing, instruments and choirs for a more meaningful purpose than just being the entertainment. Also, I get to work with our kids and make their religious learning experience more fun and meaningful. Everyone learns differently, and being able to find the connections that work for each student is something I find extremely fulfilling. 

Q: As new clergy, of course we anticipate that you will put your own personal stamp on the role. What do you most hope to accomplish before the next High Holidays?

Rabbi Spector: I aspire to increase participation in all areas of synagogue life. "Eat, pray, love" is a good blueprint for synagogue life (except on Yom Kippur). I hope our services will reflect a willingness to experiment with new avenues of expression while maintaining many comforting aspects of our age-old traditions. I also hope we can add many thought-provoking educational programs and yummy kiddushes to our recipe for congregational success.

Cantor Weber: A high priority is to make my connection with our members as well as the greater Orlando community. I hope to be able to build choirs for our adults and youth as well as find additional instrumental possibilities. And I hope to be able to make everyone comfortable in knowing that we are a welcoming and caring community.

Q: What do you most hope to have accomplished a few years down the road?

Rabbi Spector: I hope to increase the membership of Ohev Shalom so that it includes families who live farther away from Maitland. I would like our synagogue to be a known far and wide as a welcoming shul for people of all ages and backgrounds, a place where members are constantly striving to add new dimensions to their Jewish lives through prayer, study and social engagement.

Cantor Weber: I want to teach more people how to chant: not only Torah, but Haftarah and Megillot as well. We should have a large and active group of people who are eager to participate in chanting and leading, both adults and youth. Also, I always want to continue to learn and grow in all aspects of both my ritual and secular life.

Q: What is something that nobody knows about you-yet?

Rabbi Spector: Even though I look much shorter on the Bimah, I am really 5'11" tall.

Cantor Weber: I once dressed in drag in my past career. At the New York City Opera, I sang in the New York premiere of the opera "Harvey Milk." I had one scene in which I had around 20 seconds to change costume from a three-piece suit with a cigar into a full drag outfit, complete with a wig, dress and heels. Yes, there are pictures out there of it.

Congregation Ohev Shalom's installation of Rabbi Spector and Cantor Weber will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2022 in our sanctuary, followed by a short reception in our lobby. The Installation is open to both congregants and the greater community, free of charge.

The COS Annual Gala will follow at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in our beautiful ballroom. We welcome you to join us as we celebrate this significant milestone in our congregation's 104-year history with delicious kosher heavy hors d'oeuvres and libations, live music and dancing featuring a five-piece band. Sponsorships are encouraged, and individual tickets to the Celebration Gala are $136 per person.

For more information, visit our website at OhevShalom.org, or call us at (407) 298-4650.