Rabbi David Paskin
Installed at Temple Beth
Abraham
By Susie Davidson
Advocate Correspondent
This past Saturday, Rabbi David
Paskin, or Rabbi David as he is known by his congregants, was installed at
Temple Beth Abraham. Spiritual Leader of the Canton Temple for four years,
he received his ordination last month from the Academy for Jewish Religion in
New York.
An accomplished singer/songwriter
musician with his band Rock Tov, Paskin’s areas of specialty have been
Jewish music and education, from Orthodox to secular. He has taught for many
years at various Greater Boston area religious schools and has served as Music
and Judaic Director of Camp Grossman in Westwood as well as Judaic Studies
Coordinator and Rosh Ruach of the Rashi School in Newton.
With Rock Tov, Paskin has produced
three albums of contemporary, original Jewish music; their fourth recording is
imminent. He resides in Sharon with his wife Heather and daughter Dalia.
“Since the time of my Bar
Mitzvah at 13,“ he says, “Judaism has been an integral part of my
life. I was active in United Synagogue Youth, the Conservative youth movement,
Jewish overnight and day camps, and taught in religious schools in my home town
of St. Louis, MO. At Brandeis University, I became President of Hillel and
graduated with a major in Near Eastern Judaic Studies and a minor in Peace and
Conflict Resolution studies.”
The methodical and far-reaching
scholar and thinker’s senior thesis, entitled "The Search for the
Sacred: Is Holiness a State of Space, Time or Mind?" is in the publication
process.
Like any artist, his band is his
passion. A guitarist, he writes and sings all the songs. “We’ve
performed our contemporary Jewish music around the country,” he says with
pride. “Our motto is that we leave everyone with music on their lips,
Torah on their minds, and spirit in their hearts.”
Yet a deeply tragic line
underscores the persona of the inspirational leader so beloved by his
congregants. His daughter, Liat Chanina Paskin, lived barely two years before
she succumbed on April 8 of this year to a rare and very aggressive brain tumor
which was diagnosed at 21 months of age.
Past Temple President Joan
Schottenfeld recalls the moment when Paskin first told her of the results of
the MRI. “Listening to his calming words,” she says, “I
wondered that he should be reassuring me rather than the other way around. That
was the first glimmer I had of his deep, strong belief, his sure understanding
of G-d."
Indeed, Rabbi David was a
level-headed voice of reason during that terrible time. "You know
Joni,” he said as she attempted reassurance and optimism, “this is
serious and might not have the end we would wish." Then, he pointed to a
poem on his wall, which spoke of sandy footprints and G-d carrying us through
our worst trials, which he said gave him strength.
“Our Rabbi,” recalls
Schottenfeld, “comforted us and told us that there was no one to blame,
and only G-d to thank for the blessing of his daughter's short, bright life.
And we listened through our gasping tears and told each other that perhaps
there was mercy and design and a belief born of Liat's final, joyous
smile.”
At the May 19 Eighth annual Ride
for Research, seven riders in Liati's
Light Brigade, including Paskin, Lisa
Kessel, Jack Shapiro, Gary Brodsky, Marci Hill, and David Triompo, raised over
$2,500 for the Brain Tumor Society. The group has also raised $3200 to purchase
a queen size hospital bed for the Palliative Care Fund Fund, which supports the
Comfort Corner on the Oncology floor of the Children's Hospital, where Liati
spent her last night. A Rock Tov tribute album to Liati will be out by the new
Jewish year, with all proceeds going directly to the Liat Chanina Foundation.
Checks to support the Foundation
and the work of the Brain Tumor Society can be made out to TBTS Ride for
Research, PMB #16, 18 Washington Street,
Canton, MA 02021.