Volunteer of the Month: Cantor Joel Colman

Why do you volunteer for the ACC? How do you make time for it in your busy schedule?

First off, thank you to the ACC for selecting me as volunteer of the month, I think there will be no end to the number of people to select in the future as the ACC have so many people who invest very serious time to help our organization grow and flourish. I think it is important for fellow-ACC members to contribute to the well-being of our organization.

What projects are you currently involved in with the ACC? What past involvements have given you exceptional memories?

My current role is to be a part of the Placement Advisory group, led by Mark Goldman, with of course Barbara Ostfeld who facilitates the placement process.
In March of 2005 I was the chair of the ACC/GTM conference, which was held here in New Orleans. For me, there were many highlights, but when the Chief of the New Orleans Fire Department came on opening night to give greeting on behalf of the city that was very special to me, as I am a chaplain with the NOFD. When he spoke of my role, I felt so proud that I was able to represent what we as cantors can do both in our synagogue and in our community.

What do you like to do completely unrelated to your cantorate?

The obvious answer is my hobby of amateur radio. I am the emergency coordinator for Orleans Parish that helps with communications during times of emergencies. During our recent evacuation of Gustav, I was at a Red Cross marshaling center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When I am "playing" radio, I am not thinking about temple-stuff, but simply having fun in contacting other ham radio operators around the world, or trying to put up a better antenna on the roof.

How do you try to inspire Jewish young people?

By making the sure the temple is a place where they feel welcome. For instance, recently my synagogue renovated parts of the temple, and I worked with the leadership to create the first dedicated youth-lounge at Temple Sinai. During the summer, I work at the Henry S. Jacobs camp in Utica, MS, where I teach amateur radio, FM radio, and other fun things. Even in this advanced age of technology, kids love to learn Morse-code and talk on the radio.

What is the hardest thing for you in New Orleans three years after Katrina?

Probably how long it is taking to re-build. If it wasn't for the faith-based groups that have been coming here for the past three years, we would be so far behind. There is so much to do, and yet you can still take people on what we locals call, "The misery-tour." You would think after three years we could stop doing that, and start to show-off what has beendone by now.

What technological gadget or "toy" is your favorite, why and where can I get one?

Ah, the important question! Well, you must try the Livescribe 2GB Pulse Smartpen. This digital pen allows one to take notes while it links the recording of the audio. Simply you can take pages of notes, and when you review them, you can tap anywhere on your written notes and the audio that was being heard as you wrote will be heard. The pen links the audio with what has been written! This means you can meet with a wedding couple, take notes, and then you can review your written notes with audio. You can upload your written notes & audio to a special website, and send them to anyone, or print out your notes as a pdf. Visit http://www.livescribe.com/ for more info. Both Target and Amazon.com sell them - hey, you're the one that asked!