MARLBORO – Rick Lawrence has been named the new cantor at Temple Rodeph Torah and will join the Marlboro congregation starting with the High Holiday services in September.
Lawrence joins Rabbi Donald Weber and Rabbinic Associate Shira Stern as the Rodeph Torah clergy. He succeeds Joanna Alexander, who is now cantor at Temple Israel in Omaha, Neb., according to a press release from the synagogue.
“Music is a form of the spiritual,” Lawrence said. Music brings people together by providing a chance to learn about “the prayers of our life” for the congregation and the cantor. “It’s a two-way street,” he said.
According to the press release, Lawrence will bring his commitment to creative music to the services, combining contemporary tunes with traditional melodies. At times, he adapts tunes from Broadway and movies to help explain what a prayer is all about.
Lawrence plays the keyboards and will incorporate guitar and drums into a service. He will assist the temple’s adult choir in its part during the High Holidays.
Lawrence has been a cantor since 2014. He joins Temple Rodeph Torah from Temple Emanu El in Orange, Ohio, outside Cleveland. He lives in West Philadelphia with his wife, Meredith. She is a second-year pediatric resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Cantor Rick’s music and commitment to Judaism are vital contributions to our temple and the communities we serve,” said Tmima Grinvald, president of Temple Rodeph Torah. “And it all starts with the High Holidays.”
