Sam Blustin, 31, has always been passionate about music.
As a child, he was involved in choir. Now, Blustin uses music in his job as a rabbi.
After growing up in Minneapolis, Blustin received an undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota in computer science. However, after college, he went to Israel to study to become a rabbi. He then continued his rabbinic studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
Blustin has worked as a rabbi in many different communities across the country. He recently started working at Chizuk Amuno Congregation as the associate rabbi and the director of tefillah and music for the congregation and schools.
Blustin and his wife Allison Goldman Blustin live in Pikesville.
What do you like about the opportunity to see different Jewish communities?
On one hand, you learn that we are the same in a lot of ways, how much similarity there is between Jews all over. On the other side of it, you see little different ways of doing things. You’re able to kind of hone the practice of leading prayer, of designing services, of gathering in community. Being able to experience and to see and hear about how other people run their organizations helps me to be better at my own job.
What do you like particularly about the Baltimore community?
One of the reasons why I really am excited to be at Chizuk is because of the area. There are so many Shabbos-observance Jews to be able to celebrate Shabbat with, be able to come together and have community with. That’s a really rare thing, to have as tight knit of a community, to have as much in the way of kosher food. That’s not something that’s easily found many other places. I’ve really been enjoying that.
What’s your favorite part about being a rabbi?
I love Tot Shabbat in all of its forms. I love getting to sing with kids, seeing how excited they are when the guitar comes out. I love hearing from their parents that they sing Shabbat songs at home, in the middle of the week. There’s a joy that sometimes as we grow, we lose about our Jewish experience, what it means to be Jewish.
What does a typical day in your job look like?
I’m only in week four, but I think once I get into it, it’ll be like being in Krieger Schechter Day School and davening or doing Shabbat with them. There might be some pastoral meetings throughout the day, some learning of music that I want to share with the community. I might meet with the community choir and be able to sing together with them and Wednesday evenings to play basketball with the school alumni network. There’s a lot of variation to the day in that way. Meeting with congregants, hearing about their hopes, desires and dreams for the congregation. It’s kind of a sampling of different things. No day is really the same.
What’s something that someone would be surprised to learn about you?
I recently came out with an album of liturgical Jewish music. It was a project through my previous synagogue in Atlanta, to bring more communally sung music into the world. I have been writing music for a number of years. The core of my personality, my gateway into Judaism, has always been through music and through prayer. The power of being able to lift up our voices in prayer and in song and community can be transformative in a way that many other Jewish spaces are not able to be.
What do you do for fun?
I like to play sports and hang out with friends. So far, my wife and I really enjoyed exploring the city, and I love being out on the water. I really love baseball. I’m excited to go to Orioles games and get to see Camden Yards. I’m really excited to be in the Baltimore community and to help bring a lot of [spirit] to the prayer life of our community.
