The Perlman family of singing rabbis and cantors with their mother and, left to right: The elder Cantor Ivan Perlman with sons Manny, now a cantor at a large United Synagogue congregation in Baltimore, Josh, a cantor at B’Nai Israel in Rockville, Maryland, Rabbi Rick of Temple Ner Tamid and Eli, a rabbi in New Jersey.
Mrs. Perlman with her sons Eli, Rabbi Rick of Temple Ner Tamid, Josh, Manny and the elder Cantor Perlman.
For years, Rabbi Richard Perlman (now of Temple Ner Tamid in Peabody) resisted joining what he likes to call “the family business.” Not only were his parents involved in the synagogue, but his three brothers are rabbis, cantors or a mix of both. For some reason, though, Rabbi Perlman put off the inevitable, leaving taking his place on the bimah to wait until later. But he was well trained in the necessary skills – his upbringng had been a home schooling rabbinical training program.
The ‘family business’ started with Perlman’s father, Cantor Ivan Perlman, who grew up in a family that wasn’t extremely religious. Ivan’s religious calling came after he served in Iwo Jima and came back as a war hero, having gone to war with 450 comrades but having returned with just three – one without an arm, one without both an arm and a leg, and himself. This had a huge impact on his decision to become a Cantor, as Rabbi Perlman recalls of his father. “He was so moved by what he had seen. He was influenced by the chaplain overseas who had to bury so many, that he decided to go to the Jewish Theological Seminary to serve God.”
Per his parent’s rules, Rabbi Perlman spent his childhood studying with his rabbi in Rhode Island as well as with his father, on alternate days of the week, not to mention at the Yeshiva. But as he went out into the working world, he started out in furniture sales and later became a radio host and manager. Although he was doing part time cantorial work and teaching in religious schools during those years, Rabbi Perlman said he felt a void. “Something was missing in my radio days, it was very much a business; I wanted to help people and do community work.”
It was only as he was approaching middle age that Rabbi Perlman, feeling the need to do work that carried deeper meaning, took the opportunity to become a rabbi, starting out at Temple Am David in Rhode Island, where he was a pulpit leader, Spiritual Leader, cantor, and director of education for 17 years. “I realized I wasn’t just fighting my family, but I was fighting God,” he said of his decision to end his amorphous resistance to the “family business.”
The shift to Temple Ner Tamid (TNT) just last September was “a gift from God,” as Rabbi Perlman likes to say. The incoming president of TNT, Andi Robik, was with her sister in Rhode Island for a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Am David, and they were impressed with Rabbi Perlman – so much so that Robik asked he’d if he’d like to be their next rabbi. Rabbi Perlman was excited by the idea – he was ready for something new and was eager to join a community as vibrant as the one he found at Ner Tamid. Plus, he was honored, he said, at the idea of following in Rabbi Abraham Morhaim’s footsteps. Rabbi Perlman was well aware of Rabbi Morhaim, who he was familiar with growing up through United Synagogue Youth programs, and is a leader he considers to be one of his rabbinical heroes.
Rabbi Perlman and his wife Kit are enjoying the “family spirit” of the North Shore more than they could have imagined, he said, and their children and grandchildren also appreciate the chance to visit. “There is something really unique about this place. People are very warm, and we’re just so happy to be here.”
While it’s hard for Rabbi Perlman to pick a favorite part of his job, he says he loves getting to see the smiles on the faces of people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. “Just the other day, walking through a nursing home, I had the most amazing experience. I walked by a woman, well into her 90s, who is coming to the end of her life, and she gave me the biggest smile. I k’velled just knowing that I could bring so much joy to people no matter what they’re going through.” He feels lucky to have three brothers who have the same ability to serve others and make people happy.
This joy will be brought to life at the Family of Cantors concert on Sunday March 26, where Rabbi Perlman and his brothers, Eli, Manny and Josh will sing together in a cantorial concert for the first time since the passing of their parents in 2015. Each of his brothers comes from a different synagogue – in New Jersey, Baltimore and Rockville Maryland, but they all bring a special touch and a beautiful harmony together. Rabbi remarks that it will be difficult without their parents, “We will certainly miss their voices, but we are honoring them. I left the part of the sheet music that says dad; the hardest part will be getting to that part, and I don’t know which one of us will sing that line yet.” Yet having the chance to keep their memory alive will bring pleasure. “We loved our parents so much, and as much as they taught us to be human, they also taught us to be professional, and we will be – people are coming to seek joy, and we will bring that.”
Everyone is welcome to the concert on Sunday, and Rabbi Perlman encourages everyone to attend from the Jewish community and beyond. “There will really be something for everyone.”
The brothers Perlman join together with Rabbi Rick at Temple Ner Tamid Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. concert. It is the first time they will sing together in a cantorial concert since the passing of their
parents in 2015.
