Cantor Robert Paul Abelson’s, z”l, Poetry on Life, Love, and Faith

The journey of longtime Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music faculty member Cantor Robert Paul Abelson, z"l, who passed away on January 5, 2026, at the age of 96, is nothing short of inspiring.

Born in Brooklyn in 1929 to a Polish father and a Litvak mother, Cantor Abelson grew up immersed in Jewish culture and music. After starting his career as an accountant, his passion for singing led him to Hebrew Union College's School of Sacred Music(now the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music), where he graduated in 1957. He began teaching and never stopped, inspiring and guiding generations of cantors.

For seven decades, Cantor Abelson served as a beloved cantor, performed with major opera companies, and championed Jewish music worldwide. His artistry, mentorship, and menschlichkeit have touched countless lives, and his legacy continues to inspire.

In addition to his musical mastery, Cantor Abelson also wrote poetry over the course of his life, starting in second grade and continuing ever since. After months of gathering his many writings, Hebrew Union College and Temple Israel of the City of New York are honored to share this special poetry collection, a heartfelt tribute to a beloved colleague, mentor, teacher, and friend. His words capture not only his gift for poetry but his deep love of language and the sacred work we share.

His talent, mentorship, and generosity touched countless lives, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music Director Cantor Jill Abramson '02 memorialized him:"Through cantorial leadership spanning generations, Cantor Abelson will be remembered for his vibrant artistry, his rich rapport in the classroom, and his soulful Yiddishkeit. Though we feel the sting of his absence, his teachings will continue to guide us along thepathhe helped forge."

Our thoughts are with his beloved friends and family, his adored wife Carol, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. May his memory be a blessing.

What follows below is Cantor Howard M. Stahl's foreword to Cantor Abelson's poetry collection Better Than Dreaming: A Life in Poetry, as well as the book's introduction by Rabbi David Gelfand '76 and Cantor Irena Altshul '03.

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Not unlike perhaps Judaism's greatest poet, King David, Cantor Robert Paul Abelson is a person of enviable and diverse qualities: inner strength, spiritual intensity, intellectual and artistic curiosity, and charisma. To know Bob is to recognize that he has an inquisitive mind, consummate musical talents, a magnetic public persona, and an ebullient and infectious personality enabling him to inspire and enthrall audiences on the operatic and theatrical stages and move people to spiritual heights on the bima. He is also a complex and deeply spiritual human being who feels God's presence in all he does with a deep sense of gratitude and humility.

To have witnessed Bob captivate audiences with his expressive interpretations of Lazar Weiner's multilayered Yiddish songs, or his soul stirring renditions of our sacred liturgy, or to hear him sing his inimitable Yiddish versions of arias from The Barber of Seville and Pagliacci, can bring tears to your eyes or radiant smiles of delight.

While his vocal artistry is well-known and admired, one might be surprised by his ability to express similar incredibly deeply felt emotions in poetry. He wrote his first poem in the second grade but only began to write seriously after experiencing life in its fullness. As Yehuda Amichai observed, "Poetry's value is in capturing complex human time and memory." As a cantor, Bob knows instinctively that the boundary between poem and prayer is often blurred, and poetry is a sacred form of expression.

Like the piyyutim of the great paytanim Solomon ibn Gabirol and Yehuda Halevi - which expressively and expansively reflect the panoply of life's VII experiences through the lens of Torah, nature, human relations, and Jewish memory - Bob's poems reflect the world as he has lived and experienced it.

The truth is that Bob is the quintessential "Renaissance man": multifaceted, multilayered, deeply complex, and a remarkable storyteller, but so very open and approachable. He has endeared himself publicly and privately to audiences, congregants, students and colleagues during his long and productive 70-year career as a clergyperson and musical artist.

Now, as we celebrate his 96th birthday, we can only say ashreinu - we rejoice, and we are ever so grateful to have Bob Abelson continuing to inspire us through word, song, and deed. This compendium of poetry demonstrates the depth of his soul and the breadth of his creativity, in perhaps an unexpected way. Read through these poems; laugh, weep, learn and know that, like King David, arguably Judaism's greatest musician, poet and paragon of faith, the recondite gifts that Cantor Robert Paul Abelson has bestowed upon us will long endure because true greatness is eternal.

-Cantor Howard M. Stahl

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Cantor Abelson is, in every sense, a cantor's cantor. After 45 years at Temple Israel, he is "THE Cantor" and is truly beloved. His ageless voice, radiant and timeless, has lifted countless souls, while his menschlichkeit has inspired generations of spiritual leaders. To each of us, he is not only a revered teacher but also a treasured friend. Singing and praying by his side has been among the most profound joys and inspiration. To walk in his footsteps at our beloved "family of families," Temple Israel, is not merely a privilege but also an honor beyond measure. We have been enriched by his poetic soul, his brilliant musicianship, and his unending love of Jewish music and the Jewish people.

-Rabbi David Gelfand and Cantor Irena Altshul

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The publication of Cantor Abelson's poetry was made possible through the dedication of Senior Editor Cantor Dana Anesi '80 and Co-Editor Cantor Stahl '72, who also authored the biography.

We extend special thanks to his friends and colleagues Rabbi Gelfand and Cantor Altshul for their enthusiastic support and partnership in bringing Cantor Abelson's book to life.