Volunteer of the Month: Cantor David Reinwald

David Reinwald is cantor at Temple Anshe Sholom in Olympia Fields, IL.  He volunteered for the first time for the ACC at the recent convention in Chicago.  David is only out of HUC for 3 years and this was his first opportunity to volunteer on a large scale.  He saw this as a great chance to be involved with his local colleagues and he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to be part of a really important event that happens annually in the life of the ACC.  David took on so much important work at the convention that the board decided he deserved to be this month’s honored volunteer.

David says that he managed to find the time to work on the convention because he is a believer in balance.  He tries to balance his work schedule, his personal life and the things he does to try to give back.  David tries to ensure that he only takes on what he can realistically handle, but he feels we can all do a little better in this area.  He states, “I would encourage people to get involved in the ACC because you get a lot out of it.  I feel that working on the convention, I got to meet a lot more people than I ever would have on my own.  I would recommend that to anyone, especially to my younger colleagues.”

David inspires young people by trying to get young musicians involved in the synagogue.  Recently, he coached a student on guitar and invited that student to play in a special Debbie Friedman Shabbat.  Furthermore, David likes to get the youth energized and excited about being Jewish by meeting kids where they are and staying up to date with trends in music that kids are excited about.  Since David himself is young, his students relate to him as a friend – but he knows that will change over time.

David likes being a cantor because there is, “So much diversity and so much to offer. We’re not compartmentalized – many different hats are incorporated into our job.”  David was a voice major at Indiana University, went to theater camp as a kid and loves Jewish history.  Being a cantor ties all his interests together. 

When he’s not working, David loves going to concerts, theater, exploring Chicago, riding his bike and reading.