Stephen Wise Temple has been synonymous with soaring and inspirational music almost from its very first moments as a community. While Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin (z”l) himself led the congregation musically in the early days at St. Alban’s Church in Westwood, he was committed to building a strong musical identity for the educational and religious institution he was making a reality.

Cantor Richard Silverman was the inaugural cantor at Stephen Wise Temple, joining the team in 1968. Cantor Silverman was—and still is—a well known and prolific composer of Jewish liturgical music. Best known for his Mi Chamocha and Etz Chayim, many of his melodies are sung and loved in synagogues and Jewish camps throughout the world.

When Cantor Silverman left Stephen Wise in 1976, Cantor Nathan Lam was hired as the Senior Cantor, and in the ensuing decades, his rich voice and presence were a hallmark of the Stephen Wise Temple worship experience. Theatrical and engaging on the bimah and deeply invested in liturgy, Cantor Lam shaped and shepherded the musical legacy of Stephen Wise Temple for 45 years. Known for his collaboration with musicians, Cantor Lam commissioned beloved pieces of music still sung from our bimah today. Local composer Michael Isaacson’s Sim Shalom is a defining Wise melody, and the High Holy Day experience would not feel complete without the Ahavat Olam commissioned from Israeli composer Ami Aloni.

Cantor Lam’s commitment to fostering new music and musicians began “at home,” where he instilled a love of Jewish music and sacred prayer across generations. He—and we—are deeply proud of the b’nei bayit, the students of our community, who have gone on to thriving careers in the cantorate. Cantor Lam, of course, also shared his work and our bimah with remarkable assistant cantors and cantorial interns, as well as his longtime collaborator Maestro David Kates. Cantor Lam resigned in Spring 2021.*

Cantor Emma Lutz was already recognized as a rising star in the American cantorate when she was hired as our Assistant Cantor in 2016 and was named the third Senior Cantor in Stephen Wise Temple’s history in 2021. Cantor Lutz’s generous spirit, beautiful soul, and stunning voice have forged their own cantorial path, bringing new musical styles, arrangements, and vision to the long legacy of music at Stephen Wise Temple. Cantor Lutz is beloved on and off the bimah for her warmth, her authenticity, and her deep love for Jewish life and community. Cantor Lutz is also generous in sharing our bimah, identifying and nurturing young voices and beaming with pride as our students share their talents with the community.

Cantor Lutz, along with music director Dr. Tali Tadmor, is especially masterful at responding to the moment and the needs of Wise and the larger Jewish community, both in creating meaningful services and in producing new music. Acheinu/We Are With You, recorded in response to the Hamas attacks of October 2023, is just one example of her deep understanding of how to soothe and inspire a communal soul.

As we celebrate 60 years of Stephen Wise Temple, we reflect on these musical giants who have shaped–and shape–our community and our lives, the voices that have accompanied—and accompany— our most significant moments. As we look ahead to the next 60 years, we know that we will continue, in the words of another Stephen Wise Temple liturgical anthem, L’dor Vador.

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*In the spring of 2021, a complaint of sexual impropriety was filed against Cantor Nathan Lam by a former adult student; in addition to Cantor Lam’s admission, the complaint was found to be credible through an independent investigation. On his own initiative Cantor Lam decided to resign his position at Stephen Wise Temple soon after the complaint was lodged, and he also requested that he not be appointed Senior Cantor Emeritus at our Temple or be honored in any way given his admission of misconduct.