Chapter 6 - Texas Beckons

Summary

The plane landed back in Massachusetts a few days before Christmas 1952 and, since the Army had to pay me $25 a day for every day over my regular discharge date, they hurried my papers at the Air Force base. I was on a bus going home to Worcester after only a two-hour delay. No one at home knew exactly when I was coming home. My mother and sister were surprised but extremely happy to welcome me. Since this was a Saturday late morning, my father was at services at the temple. I had not even taken off my coat (and, of course, I was still in uniform), when the phone rang. It was for me: Rabbi Olan from Dallas, Texas. I don't know how he guessed that I was home, but here he was asking me if I would mind coming to Dallas and talking to his music committee. He wanted to introduce a big new music program at the temple there. I was rather surprised by the call, but told him that I had been offered two positions, Brandeis and New Orleans, and wanted to wait for details concerning these. He immediately said that he was not offering me a job, but simply needed me as a consultant to explain to his committee what a first-class music program at a religious organi¬zation would require; since I had had the experience both in Worcester and in Boston, he felt, I was the person to advise his committee. I agreed to come and fly down on Christmas day and meet with them on December 26.

I was so happy to be home, and the few days before Christmas in Worces¬ter with the family and in Boston with the Fromms were wonderful and restful days after the busy time of recording before leaving Germany.

On Christmas Day, I flew to Dallas and was very warmly received by Rabbi Olan and his family and also, the next day, by the music committee of Temple Emanu-El. The meeting was a very long one, as I explained to them that I envi¬sioned music to be a most important element in the religious life of a congrega¬tion. If I were a music director in a large congregation such as they were now envisioning, I would begin a choir system with a series of graduated youth choirs and a large congregational choir.