FEATURED JOBS
Comments (0)The following was written by the granddaughter of Beth El Cantor Saul Z. Hammerman, whose one-year yahrzeit is tomorrow, Dec. 15.
The congregants grew silent in anticipation of the artistic prayer they were about to witness. Although the setting was a sanctuary, the audience waited as if a brilliant concert was just commencing. The seats were filled with generations, ranging from a great-grandmother to a pacifier-sucking baby boy.
A five-foot-seven man gracefully approached the bimah and commanded the attention of the audience, not by his ascetic appearance but through the beauty of his singing voice. Beth El Congregation was enlightened every Saturday morning because the cantor, Saul Z. Hammerman, sang his heart out to convey to the congregation the healing and spiritually-uplifting power of music.
So many forces in this world seek to destroy and disconnect. My “Poppy” sought to unite and restore through his position as cantor. Thousands of families were elated by my Poppy’s unwavering kindness and were inspired to live their lives with such integrity. However, Poppy would have said it didn’t matter what 1,000 wide-eyed admirers attended his funeral. What mattered was that he touched one life at a time, hoping he could make a difference through his tenor voice and through his even more powerful actions.
He humbly assisted strangers without expecting anything in return. For example, Poppy had trouble with his kidneys towards the end of his life. About a week before he passed away, he was in the dialysis unit at the local hospital. A young single mother was in the same unit. When they started talking, Poppy learned that she was on welfare and thought she could not afford a kidney transplant. Poppy called upon a doctor he had assisted in the past to see to it that this woman would get her name on the kidney transplant list. She was put on the list that day and had a chance to live a normal life and take care of her child.
The part of this story that really inspires me is that Poppy never told anyone about the gift that he had given to this patient. The doctor friend told my grandmother the story shortly after Poppy passed away.
Although he is no longer living, my Poppy’s life has inspired me to live with integrity, moral consistency and passion for what I do. I am determined to continue his legacy of ethical responsibility and inspire others to do the same.
My Poppy was first and foremost a cantor. This is not only what he did but also who he was. He was not perfect, but I nonetheless strive to emulate all of his positive characteristics. If I can have a career that will enable me to make a significant impact in others’ lives, then I will know no greater satisfaction.
I don’t think I will become a cantor to fill my Poppy’s size-10 shoes. I guess I didn’t inherit the professional soloist gene. However, every day I will strive to offer perspectives, solutions and empathy for others. As I live my life, I will always remember Poppy. I will not choose a profession simply because of the money or a college simply because of its name. I will put my heart into everything I do. I will seek to mend, rather than break.
I am fortunate to have been the granddaughter of such an outstanding person, and I refuse to let his bright legacy slip away.
Laura Hammerman, 17, is a high school senior and lives in Denver.