Cantor George Henschel has been with Kol HaLev in Lutherville since its inception, along with his wife, Ricki. And while the two are planning to remain members and parts of the synagogue’s board, George Henschel will soon be retiring, ending his 18-year tenure as the synagogue’s cantor.
A former lawyer at the Department of Labor and a cantorial soloist at his former congregation in Northern Virginia, George Henschel has been a cantor for nearly 20 years, most of which was spent at Kol HaLev.
George Henschel, 75, and Ricki Henschel, 70, live in Baltimore City, though they plan to move back to Northern Virginia soon to be closer to their three daughters and many grandchildren.
George and Ricki first met through United Synagogue, which offered a dating service in the days before online dating websites like JDate were popular.
“They had this questionnaire that was large enough to hold a door open,” George Henschel said. “Each of us had filled one out, and [United Synagogue] would send you a list of names and phone numbers every Thursday. We both happened to be on each other’s second list.”
They soon started dating and were married, bringing together George’s two children from his first marriage and Ricki’s daughter from her first marriage.
“There’s a special place in heaven for fathers with three daughters,” George Henschel quipped.
Ricki’s encouragement was what led him to enroll in cantorial school after he had retired from the Department of Labor.
George Henschel became involved in Kol HaLev because of an article about the fledgling congregation that was published in the Baltimore Jewish Times shortly after it first opened.
“There was an interview with Rabbi Geoff Basik, the former rabbi, and Jennifer Gold, who was the president of Kol HaLev. They had just started the congregation, and they had spun off from Bolton Street Synagogue and had about 30 members,” George Henschel recalled. “I contacted Rabbi Geoff and asked if he needed a cantor, and he said, ‘I love music, but I can’t sing, so this would be perfect.’ So we met, and we were on the same wavelength, and a few months later I led Kol HaLev’s first-ever High Holiday service.”
Kol HaLev’s beginnings were very humble. George Henschel said that when they were first starting out, they would hold Shabbat services at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City. These services had to wrap up before 7:30 p.m., because there was a 12-step group that used the space right after them.
Kol HaLev has grown considerably over the years, in part due to its cantor’s influence. He was in part responsible for the synagogue’s Shabbat Unplugged, a monthly service led by musicians featuring original compositions.
“It encompasses a really eclectic musical mix that touches people’s hearts in different ways … everything from ancient melodies to modern composers to our own composers within our community,” Ricki Henschel explained.
Ricki has also been an active part of Kol HaLev’s leadership, being a staple of the board’s membership for many years and serving as its secretary for over a decade. She regularly runs the synagogue’s women’s seders during Passover.
“If there’s anything that she sees that needs to be done that isn’t being done, she’ll do it,” George Henschel added.
Notably, George Henschel took over for Kol HaLev’s former rabbi when he retired right before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was his leadership that kept the synagogue going through the height of the pandemic until they were able to hire an interim rabbi, and then a permanent rabbi.
“He was the clergy for a year and a half during COVID, when everyone was home,” Ricki Henschel said. “During Yom Kippur, we were given an aliyah, and people were given the opportunity to say things. A lot of people got up and said that we got them through COVID. … It was an amazing time for the community, and it’s wonderful that we not only survived but are starting to grow again.”
George Henschel is retiring in part because he will soon complete his 18th year of being Kol HaLev’s cantor, a significant number in Judaism. While he and Ricki will still be involved in the synagogue and he will occasionally return to lead services and do musical performances, he plans to spend more time with his family and follow Washington Capitals games.
“I was told back in cantorial school that one of the differences between rabbis and cantors is that congregations respect their rabbi, but they love their cantor because they interact with their cantor more,” George Henschel said. “People here love Rabbi Emily [Stern], but I’ve definitely felt that love, too.”
