Honouring Cantor Steve Levin

People are the defining factor...

By Z. Linskaia and R. Rozanski

If the people of Israel were to all move to Fiji, Fiji would become Israel. In this world of detachment, disconnection and unabashed propaganda removed from reality and individuals, we often forget a fundamental truth: all mental and physical structures are ultimately defined by the individuals who form them.

August 21, 2026 will be the final Shabbat service led by our Cantor Steve Levin at Burquest. A sad day indeed as we say farewell to the very heart of our community.

Cantor Levin is not only an extraordinary musician and spiritual leader, he is an outstanding human being, a true Mensch. For 21 years, Steve has shared in all the peaks and valleys of our communal life --the Shabbats, the holidays, the B’nai Mitzvot, the complex relationships, the births, and the deaths.

As the principle teacher at our Hebrew School, he has devotedly prepared children for Bar and Bat mitzvot.

Beyond his pulpit duties, his immense talent as a vocalist and pianist has shone in various classical, jazz, Yiddish and popular music concerts. It is sometimes easy to forget that our Cantor is a highly respected virtuoso musician.

The Cantor’s Saturday morning readings, interpretations and discussions of Torah have always been impressive and enlightening, infused with passion, insight, humor and personal experience. Throughout his long tenure, many of our congregants have benefited from his wise counsel and gentle guidance on issues ranging from personal hardships to institutional matters. With his natural intelligence, kindness and dignity, he has always shown genuine appreciation for the opinions of others. He is more than our Cantor; he is a precious friend to everyone in our association. By teaching us to embrace a people-to-people paradigm rooted in biblical tenets, his kind spirit has influenced generations of our community.

Cantor Steve’s dedication to this community has been unwavering .

Even after suffering a broken hand, he refused to miss services. During the Covid pandemic he successfully united two separate Jewish communities for Shabbat services via Zoom. His Shabbat services have always been deeply spiritual and emotional, and his beautiful vocalizations have defined the Jewish experience at Burquest.

Every Passover Seder he infuses the rituals with his characteristic humor and improvisations on the Passover Haggadah. For years now, our Passover Seder has commenced with a rousing rendition of “There’s no Seder like Our Seder.”

Cantor Steve Levin has truly been the voice of the Burquest Community for all these 21 years.

For many of us, Cantor Steve is central to the Jewish experience at Burquest, forever etched into our hearts and souls. His students and their parents will always cherish his gracious, encouraging spirit.

Communities are essentially built by people, not systems, programs or infrastructure. Dr.Ron Wolfson, a visionary educator and inspirational speaker of Jewish life, proposes that Jewish engagement is not mainly about programs, marketing, branding or institutions; it is about relationships. Of all the people who have formed Burquest, none has been more prominent than our Cantor.

It is the human relationships that offer genuine meaning, purpose, belonging and blessings to our deep Jewish traditions. The continuity of traditions is created and sustained by the people who give it life. And when those people are suddenly gone, the community may survive, but the roots of meaning are forever shifted. There is often too little appreciation for those who build and maintain our culture.

Imagine if all the Jewish traditions were erased with every generation; where would we be?

In recent years, Burquest has attempted to transform it’s community into a broadly accessible hub for Jews of all backgrounds. While that is a noble goal, our institutional memory should never forget or devalue the people who anchored Burquest through years of challenges and storms.

Often appreciation as important as compensation. Recently a board member requested a schedule for next year's services, and informed the Cantor that the board was discussing the hiring of a rabbi.

Left without a secure plan or sincere intention for his future, the Cantor--a deeply dignified and committed man--has decided to leave Burquest because in many ways Burquest has left him.

We all wish Cantor Steve the very best on his future journey. His contribution to our community is immeasurable, and we are profoundly grateful for his years of service. Life will go on, as the saying goes, but it is wise to remember that the dreams of the future are built on the shoulders of the past.

Dear Steve, thank you for bringing such profound beauty into the hearts of our little shtetl.