Unlike some of the younger musicians at Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove, Roger Weisberg can remember the style of Motown and such classics as the Temptations’ “My Girl” because he lived through that era of music.
Before graduating from Mumford High School, located in Detroit, in 1970, Weisberg, now the hazzan at Congregation Beth Judea, can recall seeing groups of students walk down the halls singing the famous Temptations’ song during the heart of the Motown movement, which received popularity in Detroit during the 1960s.
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Even though for some that history may be considered old school, Weisberg has spent his career composing and studying music that goes back thousands of years. As Hazzan at Congregation Beth Judea, where he has worked for the past 30 years, Weisberg has led the congregation in song and taught thousands of years of Jewish traditions to a generation of children in the northwest suburbs.
Ahead of his 30th anniversary at the congregation next summer, the congregation decided to organize a concert and celebration Saturday recognizing Weisberg. He plans to retire from the position in 2018.
“It feels very rewarding,” he said of the event. “It’s a feeling of belonging, which is very precious to me.”
Weisberg has worked as the congregation’s hazzan long enough to perform at some of his older students’ wedding ceremonies and also to teach their children.
Rabbi Aaron Panken, who was a former bar mitzvah student of Weisberg and now is president of Hebrew Union College’s Jewish Institute of Religion, credited Weisberg for helping him in his career.
“He pushed me to learn the entire Torah trope and to this day, because of him, I can still sing the whole trope,” Panken said. “He has the ability to look at a young person and say, ‘This is the next place you should go.’ It’s because of him that I am where I am.”
Weisberg said music has been a part of his life since he was 7, when he started singing and playing the piano.
Now 63, he has written his own compositions of Jewish traditionals. He estimated that 2,500 students have studied the faith under his instruction.
Now looking toward retirement, Weisberg is looking to publish his original works.
But when he officially stops working at Congregation Beth Judea in 2018, he will have left behind numerous lessons taught to numerous children throughout the years.
“I’m seeing some of the children of my earlier students,” Weisberg said. “I thank God every day for the opportunity.”
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