Senior Rabbi Steven Mason could have had any number of international Jewish leaders speak at the celebration of his June retirement from North Shore Congregation Israel (NSCI) in Glencoe. But the guitar-playing grandfather chose three former students who are rabbis themselves-Allison Tick, Amanda Greene, and daughter Sara Mason-Barkin.

This should come as no surprise. The smallest circles have always mattered to Rabbi Mason as much as the largest ones.

A large circle of 500 of his congregants and friends celebrated Mason’s retirement at a Shabbat dinner on June 5. Many more turned out for a dinner and Peter Yarrow concert on June 7.

During the weekend’s festivities, there were many handshakes, hugs, and tributes recognizing Mason’s 18 years of contributions. Mason’s successor, Rabbi Wendi Geffen, recalled a memorable moment during Sunday’s dinner, “They asked everyone, ‘If you’ve traveled with Steve and Patty to Israel, please stand up.’ Almost the entire room stood up,” she said.

Ron Sonenthal, NSCI President who has known Mason since 1997, noted that Mason managed to have a personal relationship with every member despite the congregation’s size of about 1,300 households. “That’s a mystical thing,” he said.

Sonenthal tells of Mason’s ability to make people feel welcome-even when they are homesick. In 2013, his daughter Haley was having a tough day while studying abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Lucky for her, Rabbi Mason was there leading a congregation trip and insisted Haley join them for dinner.

“It was such a comfort for her to see Steve. Haley will never forget that,” recalled Sonenthal.

Mason’s own experiences as a first-year rabbinic student in Jerusalem circa 1973 made a powerful, lasting impression. “The Yom Kippur War broke out, and I was one of the few young men in their 20s left on the street,” he said. “The closest I had come to any kind of shelter was an air raid drill. But this was the real thing-going down to a bomb shelter.”

In 1978, Mason had a Reform ordination at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. His first stop after completing rabbinic school was Washington, D.C. From 1978 to 1983, he was a young rabbi at Washington Hebrew Congregation of 2,000 households.

Being in the nation’s capital, a city of power corridors, afforded him unique opportunities. Among them was attending the first National Holocaust Commemoration on April 24, 1979 with then President Carter delivering an address in the Capitol Rotunda .

“It was an exciting moment during the Free Soviet Jewry years, and there were weekly demonstrations. In this case, they were across from the Soviet Embassy in Washington,” Mason recalled. “I participated there with everyone else, to bring attention to the plight of people who seemed to have no hope and were oppressed because they were Jews.”

From the nation’s capital to the suburbs of Buffalo, N.Y., Mason’s rabbinic work has taken him to congregations large and small. However, the needs of the congregants and the teaching of Torah remained the same. “It was about getting engaged with people, one at a time,” he said.

He acknowledged that rabbis need other rabbis. In fact, the great gift of NSCI’s rabbinate was the opportunity to work alongside multiple rabbis. “You can test your ideas, listen to others, and even change your point of view,” he said.

During his tenure at NSCI, he served in many leadership roles including President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and Co-Chair of JUF’s Rabbinic Action Committee.

Now young rabbis seek his counsel, including his daughter Mason-Barkin who is a rabbi at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, Calif. During the June tribute, she described her father as an invaluable mentor.

“He is there when I have a Jewish question that I don’t just think, but I know is silly. He is there when I’m afraid, like the time I called in panic before a difficult hospital visit and I didn’t know what to do.”

By far, the most important lesson she has learned from Mason is about being real-in work and in life.

“When you listen to him preach or teach or play guitar, when he sits with you at your hospital bedside, when he celebrates with you at a family simcha , you are seeing him panim el-panim , face-to-face. This is a man who doesn’t ever fake it,” she said.

Mason and his wife Patty are not leaving the community. But this is the right time to fulfill items on their retirement bucket list like longer visits with their five grandchildren in Northern California and traveling to new places. Mason said he also plans to make time for writing and music.

A guitar sits on the floor of his office, and he explains that he’s been playing since he was 10 years old. Mason’s guitar playing infused congregation services and programming with many good vibrations over the years.

Chances are good, the rabbi will be back soon with his guitar in tow.

Jennifer Brody is a freelance writer living in Chicago.