Cantor Stephen Stein
Cantor Stephen Stein has a Bachelor of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion (1963).
During his years as a student, Stephen studied with several outstanding cantors and served as Cantor at the Village Temple, a reform synagogue in New York. Upon graduation, Cantor Stein took a position at Huntington Jewish Center, where he served until 1998. Thereafter, he accepted a position at Temple Beth Torah, in Melville, New York. At Temple Beth Torah, Cantor Stein led the chanting of religious services, taught the b’nai mitzvah students, supervised the choir, taught adult education, read the Torah and provided ministerial services until 2011.Additionally, Cantor Stein completed a Masters in Music Education at Long Island University, C.W.Post College in 1974 and became certified as a teacher of Special Education. From 1971 through 1997, he provided music therapy and taught music to children with handicapping conditions at the Board of Cooperative Education in the Second Supervisory District (BOCES 2). During this time he was presented with an award for outstanding teaching. In 1979 Cantor Stein also obtained Rabbinical Smicha from Beth Midrash Lerabonim who bestowed Rav Yisrael Smicha (Rabbi Teacher and Leader of the People of Israel).Cantor Stein is a past president and founder of the Long Island Cantors’ Association and appears regularly in its concerts. He is also a member of the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors’ Assembly. In 1994, he was honored by the Cantors’ Assembly and made an honorary fellow of the Cantors’ Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was also honored by the American Conference of Cantors for his many years of service as a cantor-educator. Cantor Stein was awarded a Doctor of Music honoris causa from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religon in 2005. Cantor Stein and his wife, Linda, have been living in Dix Hills for the past forty years. They have four children: Alan, Elisa, Ilana and Jeffrey and eight grandchildren.
