Cantor Martha Novick

For the last 36 years, Cantor Martha Novick has filled Temple Emanu-El with her beautiful voice, her love, and her warmth. Her ruach, her incredible spirit, surrounds each and every one of us, every single time she sings: on Shabbat, for a Jewish holiday, at a festival, or for an important lifecycle event. During her remarkable tenure, Cantor Novick has touched the lives of thousands of Temple members. She has taught more than 3,000 B’nai Mitzvah students and 36 Confirmation classes. She attended 35 L’Taken Social Justice Seminars in Washington DC, and has led 14 social justice trips to New Orleans for high school juniors and seniors. Her impact on all of us—particularly our Temple youth—has been both profound and immeasurable.

A classically trained vocalist, Cantor Novick received a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance and a Master of Arts in Music Education from New York University. She also holds a Bachelor of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music, where she was invested as Cantor in May of 1983. In 2008, she received a Doctorate of Sacred Music honorus causa from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion.

Cantor Novick’s inspiring voice has also been heard far and wide beyond Temple Emanu-El. She has performed leading roles for the Metropolitan Opera Association, the National Shakespeare Theatre, CBS and PBS Television, NYC Radio, the Center for New Music in New York, and the Liederkranz Opera Workshop. She has appeared as a soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony, The Brooklyn Philharmonia, and the Westfield Symphony.

Musically, Cantor Novick has been an extraordinary innovator. She has been key to making music a cornerstone of our services, from the exuberance of our joyful Shabbat Hallelu (a hallmark for our Temple that she created 21 years ago), to leading the wonderful Temple Emanu-El Choir. Above all, she has worked continuously and tirelessly to ensure a balance between maintaining the great standards of Reform musical worship, and embracing newer, more current styles of musical worship and cultural programming.
 
In addition to her role at Temple Emanu-El, Cantor Novick has served as a member of the faculty at Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music, and The Jewish Theological Seminary of America’s H.L. Miller Cantorial School. She is currently a Vice President of The American Society for Jewish Music.
We know that this is not a goodbye—it is the beginning of a new chapter for Cantor Novick and for our congregation. Cantor Novick will continue to serve Temple Emanu-El for years to come as Cantor Emeritus. We hope that she will always be in our midst, and on this auspicious occasion, we want her to know that she will always be in our hearts.