AUSTRALIA

Photography by Elliot Sylman

Cantor Alex Stein came to Canada from Australia in 2002. His first posting was in Calgary, where he remained for seven years.

His grandfather was a cantor in Budapest at the great Dohany Synagogue. His grandparents went to Australia after the war with Romania and Yugoslavia. They were all survivors of the Holocaust, as were his wife Shoshanah’s family. Alex had a good life in Australia, growing up on the beach. His mother was an opera singer and his whole family still lives there.

In 2009, Alex became the cantor at Adath Israel Synagogue in Toronto. He has performed several times in his grandfather’s synagogue in Budapest.

He and Shoshanah have four children. He finds a lot of similarities between Australians and Canadians, including a shared love of sport, arts and culture.

Alex enjoys his life here in Canada.