**DYNAMIC DUO**. As part of a succession plan at Temple Beth Sholom, Rabbi David Grossman soon will be joined by his son, Joshua Grossman, as part of the temple’s spiritual leadership team. [Courtesy photo]

By Carol Britton Meyer

Temple Beth Sholom, which has been a pillar of the Hull community since 1938, is welcoming a second rabbi – current Rabbi David Grossman’s son – into its spiritual leadership team.

Joshua Grossman is joining his father as part of a succession plan for the future, with both serving in the dual role of cantor and rabbi.

Following an informal “meet and greet” on July 29 as part of its Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat service, a formal installation is planned for Sunday, Aug. 14, starting at 6 p.m., followed by a kosher catered barbecue.

“We’re excited about this unique experience [for our congregation], and we’re looking forward to what this will bring to our community,” Temple President Patrick Guiney told The Hull Times. “They make a dynamic team.”

Both rabbis are “fabulous singers,” he said. “It’s a true win-win with two rabbis working together as father and son and all that brings, and their singing abilities on top of that is like the icing on the cake. It will be a moving experience.”

Rabbi David is entering into his fourth year as spiritual and religious leader of Temple Beth Sholom.

His roots in Hull run deep, from the time he led Shabbat services at Temple Beth Sholom’s sister shul, Temple Israel of Nantasket, during the summer months from 1980 to 2010.

He began his career as a cantor at a Norwood temple, where he served for many years. Prior to stepping into his role with Temple Beth Sholom, he was the Rabbi of Temple B’Nai Tikvah in Canton, the congregation resulting from the merger of Temple Beth Am of Randolph and Temple Beth Abraham of Canton. Previously, he served the Temple Beth Am community, first as cantor for eight years and as rabbi for five years.

During the time that father and son shared space in Canton under the two different congregations, Joshua began his studies to become a rabbi while serving as a cantor. He received his rabbinical ordination after his father had moved on to the Hull temple and was putting the wheels into motion for a long-term succession plan that would be in place after three years of sharing leadership.

“One of the biggest things is to have a mentor – someone to look up to and respect, and I’m looking forward to learning from my father,” Rabbi Joshua said.

Father and son are both pleased that the dual rabbi idea was well-received by the Beth Sholom congregation.

“We have their full support and cooperation, with a sense of excitement and optimism,” Rabbi Joshua said. “This will lead to a smooth and comfortable succession that can be put into place without too many obstacles [when the time comes].”

The two rabbis have often shared notes and studied together in the past, “so now we can do it more closely because we share a community,” Rabbi David said.

The words “Beth Sholom” mean “house of peace,” which both rabbis say truly describes the temple they serve. “One of the 613 commandments in the Torah relates to the pursuit of peace, and our temple is a house of peace. The aim of our services is for people to feel uplifted and filled with more peace than they felt when they walked in,” Rabbi David said.

The meaning of those words is also reflected in the kindnesses shown among members of the congregation that extend beyond the service in responding to the various needs of its members.

The word “rabbi” means teacher, “serving as a spiritual guide for the congregation in passing along knowledge, the exploration of traditions, and preparations for the high holidays,” Rabbi Joshua said.

His father explained the different roles of cantor and rabbi.

“A cantor mainly sings and interacts with the congregation, while a rabbi’s role goes beyond the service to pastoral duties that include weddings, bar mitzvahs, funerals, and interacting with people in the Beth Sholom community who are in need of care,” he said. “The gist of Judaism is to love your fellow person as yourself.”

The congregation has been hit hard by the pandemic, and the Grossmans are endeavoring to bridge that gap.

“I’m hoping we are approaching the end of that chapter,” Rabbi David said. “We’re looking forward to the high holidays that start in September. We’re planning to be on the ground, with safeguards in place, following a time of more Zoom rather than in-person participation. This will be a good transition for this coming fall.”

Both are looking forward to the unique experience of serving together as father and son.

“Having a succession plan in place offers some comfort to the congregation in the form of longevity,” Rabbi Joshua said. “We’re here to stay and glad for this to be so.”

Rabbi David is looking forward to introducing his son at the next Hingham-Hull Religious Leaders Association.

“This is a lovely group comprised of most of the clergy from the two towns, who meet monthly and support one another,” he said.

Rabbi David shared his thoughts about what makes the Beth Sholom community special, from the congregation’s commitment to one another to the tremendous amount of volunteerism.

Rabbi Joshua explained the qualities he believes are best-suited to being a rabbi, including dedication, honesty, caring, and compassion.

Rabbi David said his son brings new energy to the congregation and that he will be developing new programs to engage the members of the congregation.

“Our programs are open to everyone, and we welcome questions,” he said.

In his spare time, Rabbi David enjoys spending time with his family, including his grandchildren.

“Hull has such beautiful views of the ocean, and some of the references to ‘ocean’ in our hymns relate,” he said. “The people of Hull really care for each other, and that’s what Temple Beth Sholom endeavors to foster in our community.”

Rabbi David is also a member of the South Shore Men of Harmony a cappella group, which has performed at numerous functions in Hull and adjacent towns.

Rabbi Joshua said the people of Hull make the town special.

“I have been welcomed wholeheartedly by the Beth Sholom and the overall community, and Hull already feels like home after a mere few weeks of being here,” he said. In his spare time, he enjoys taking day trips and spending time outdoors.

During the summer months, Beth Sholom’s services are held at Temple Israel at 9 Hadassah Way. Everyone is welcome.