Dedicated to strengthening CRS’s relationship with Israel, the Israel Mitzvah Committee annually chooses non-profit organizations in Israel to receive donations from our community — one within the Reform movement, the other(s) more broadly focused.
This year, with all the numerous challenges Israeli society is confronting due to the war against Hamas and the conflict with Hezbollah in the North, the committee will make grants to three organizations, all of which provide psychological and other support to the victims of the October 7 attacks:
› The HaSharon Rape Crisis Center, which supports women and men who have been traumatized by sexual violence.
› Safe Heart, which was specifically formed in response to the October 7 attacks to provide mental health support to survivors of the NOVA music festival attacks, and
› The Israeli Reform Movement (IMPJ), which in addition to uniting and serving all Reform institutions and congregations in Israel, has been extremely active providing pastoral care to people who have been harmed by the Hamas attacks and those experiencing displacement because of attacks by Hezbollah.
Even as we rejoice at the recent rescue of four hostages, much work remains to be done to help those affected by these tragedies. We hope you’ll join us to help fund these three very worthy organizations. Make your donation online here (please select Israel Mitzvah Projects).
You can more about each of these organizations below.
Hasharon Rape Crisis Center (HRCC) Israeli society has never encountered sexual violence on such a massive scale as occurred on October 7. Since then, the HRCC stepped up its response to accommodate the high call surge from women and men impacted by sexual trauma, who are experiencing higher levels of distress and PTSD symptoms. The HRCC is ready to support survivors of and first responders to the attacks, who are beginning to come forward and seek help.
The HRCC was established in 1984 and provides practical and emotional support to survivors of sexual violence and their immediate environment, including crisis intervention hotlines, support groups, counseling, and medical and legal accompaniment. HRCC also delivers public education programs to achieve awareness and prevention of sexual violence. Its chat-based hotlines run on a national scale and in-person programs target residents of the entire Sharon Region from 21 municipalities.
In 2023, HRCC provided services to more than 14,000 survivors and engaged with more than 40,000 youth and 5,000 education professionals.
Many of the victims of October 7 did not live to tell their stories. Survivors who witnessed the atrocities,, the first responders who arrived at the scenes, and those tasked with investigating and piecing together what occurred after need support HRCC also learned that some of the hostages released by Hamas thus far, both men and women, were sexually assaulted while in captivity. The HRCC provides practical and emotional support to survivors of sexual violence and their immediate environment and delivers community-wide education programs to achieve awareness and prevention of sexual violence. Their mission is to respond to immediate crisis and long-term needs of survivors by means of a trauma-informed approach, as well as to change cultural and social norms that sustain sexual violence. They are the only rape crisis center in the Sharon region that provides comprehensive services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a toll-free hotline, chat on-line, legal and medical advocacy, and individual and group counselling.
HRCC Sharon is primarily a volunteer-based organization whose staff receive specialized training and ongoing supervision to deal with sexual violence. Compelled by mission and guided by experience, HRCC has pioneered innovative and effective programs to address sexual violence. Their response and prevention programs are constantly evolving and expanding, and several of the programs were scaled up into a national service. They foster a culture of collaboration and share best practice with other Rape Crisis Centers to enhance support for survivors of October 7.
Below is a brief link to a video created by HRCC:
Safe Heart is a mental health organization that is providing support to survivors of the NOVA festival. Safe Heart brings together a professional network of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, psychotherapists and qualified clinical instructors, all of whom have experience working with severe traumatic experiences and in the field of psychedelic harm reduction and integration. The Safe Heart team knows that some of the NOVA festival survivors were using substances and may have experienced the attacks in an even more extreme way. Safe Heart invites anyone who was at the NOVA music festival in Southern Israel to share, talk, and receive support from therapists who specialize in working with extreme traumatic experiences, understand what a music festival entails, and have experience with supporting patients who have consumed mind-altering substances. In the past months they have been treating over 1,000 individuals and now have a staff of over 350 therapists.
Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) is The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism. It is the communal, spiritual, and social Jewish movement that acts to promote the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state according to the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. The IMPJenriches Jewish identity among the vast and diverse Israeli public, and works to significantly influence religious, educational and public discourse in the State of Israel and in the entire Jewish world. The IMPJ’s work in Israel includes Progressive Jewish education; establishing pluralistic Jewish communities; youth and young adult leadership; social action and advocacy for religious pluralism in Israel; engaging immigrants from the Former Soviet Union with their Judaism; deepening ties between Israeli and Diaspora Jews. Importantly, the Rabbis of IMPJ have been working tirelessly with people who need pastoral care after being evicted from their homes due to the war in Gaza as well as the ongoing hostilities from Hezbollah in the North and suffering awful personal losses. In many cases, Reform Rabbis are the only people to whom the displaced people can turn for such care. The Israel Reform Movement represents a growing network of more than 50 Reform congregations across Israel. Together, they engage Israelis in Jewish learning, life cycle events, holiday and Shabbat services, social action, and cultural programming. Below is a link to a brief video created by IMPJ:
The Religious Action Center – New York (RAC-NY) is advocating for the passage of the NY Equal Rights Amendment. Read more about the ERA with information from RAC-NY, and attend Pride Shabbat at CRS on Friday, June 21 to learn more.
What is the NY ERA?
The New York State Equal Rights Amendment is an amendment to New York’s State Constitution that adds explicit protections for people who experience discrimination, even going beyond the protections of the federal constitution.
Adding to existing protections against discrimination based on race and religion, this amendment would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex- including their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare, and autonomy.
How do we add the ERA to the State Constitution?
New York State Constitutional amendments must pass in two consecutive legislative terms and then approved by voters in a ballot referendum. The ERA was voted on by the New York Legislature on July 1, 2022, in a special session, following the Dobbs v. JWHO decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and again on January 24, 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of that landmark decision. New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on the Amendment in November 2024. If voters approve it, the ERA will be added to New York’s State constitution.
Why is the NY ERA important?
This Amendment will ensure that New York’s founding document contains the strongest legal protections for people who experience discrimination. This is especially important in a time when we are seeing state governments and courts walk back our rights
Embedding these protections within the New York State constitution insulates New Yorkers from the political winds that seek to ban, eliminate, or reduce access to abortion care through changes to the state law.
The ERA will provide discrimination protections for many marginalized groups, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. For example, lawmakers would be prohibited from excluding gay people in public school curriculum or restricting healthcare access to trans individuals.
No New Yorker should be targeted by the government because of who they are or who they love. The NY ERA will guarantee people what we want most: our fundamental rights, without political interference.
This November, New Yorkers have the opportunity to vote for the NY Equal Rights Amendment to protect our rights and freedoms, including protections for LGBTQ+ communities and abortion rights.
The ERA explicitly links sex discrimination and reproductive rights to LGBTQ+ rights and others, showing how an attack on the any one of these freedoms is an attack on all of them.
Why is the NY ERA important to us as Jews?
Jewish tradition instills in us the importance of kavod ha’briyot, respect for individual dignity. Enshrining reproductive freedoms in the New York State constitution will help ensure that all New Yorkers are able to make the reproductive health decisions that are right for them.
As Jews, we believe that all humans are created b’tzelem Elohim – in the Divine image – and deserve dignity and respect regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. As it says in Genesis, “And God created humans in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created them…” (Genesis 1:27). The expansive discrimination protections the ERA offers are reflective of this important Jewish value.
What can we do?
The question to vote on the New York State ERA will be located on the back of the ballot in November. Voters should turn their ballot over and vote yes!
How can RAC-NY support this as a 501(c)3?
As a 501(c)3, RAC-NY can participate in advocacy (lobbying), which includes organizing around ballot initiatives where Jewish values are implicated. Since RAC-NY has a long history of working on discrimination protections, this is considered an acceptable form of lobbying.
We pray on this night to God, who we call Podeh u’Matzil, the One who rescues and saves, who redeems and protects. Guide our loved ones home. Teach us the tools to Rescue and Save, to Redeem and Protect.
Strengthen, God, the hearts of those kidnapped, to help them hold on and be brave through this ordeal, to know resilience and hope through it all, to feel in their bones that they will not be abandoned.
Soften, God, the hearts of their captors to see humanity in themselves and in those they have taken from their homes, that they may release them soon and in good health.
And focus, God, the hearts of the soldiers and officials who will themselves enact the mitzvah of pidyon shvuyim. Make them wise and clearsighted and ready them for this task in which they will act while holding all of Israel’s heart in their hands.
Ana Adonai Hoshianah. Ana Adonai Hatzlichana. May the ancient words in our scrolls amplify our voices as we cry out for the safe return of our people. We pray for the peace of Israel and for the safety of all innocent lives in danger on this night.
—By Rabbi Mishael Zion
Prayer in a Time of Struggle
Our God, we pray for the peace, security, and vision of the State of Israel and its people.
Spread blessing upon the Land and upon all who labor in its interest.
Protect the people of Israel during this time of hate, war, and terrorism.
Protect the innocent among the Palestinian people, that they may be safe and free from death and injury.
Inspire Israel’s leaders to both defend our people and follow the ways of righteousness and compassion.
Remove from the hearts of our people fear, hatred, malice, strife, and vengeance.
May the ancient hope of Zion inspire in us to strive towards Israel’s founding ideals of equity and embrace of all her inhabitants.
May we raise our eyes towards a future in which everyone in the region, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, and nationality, have the capacity to live in safety and with opportunity.
May we be beacons of hope, standing in solidarity with generations of Jewish people striving for a world of justice, compassion, and peace.
In recent years, as synagogues have been adapting Judaism’s male-dominated, heteronormative traditions to include women and queer people, many have been also working to include people with disabilities. This work-in-progress begins—but doesn’t end—with ensuring that everyone who wants to go to synagogue can actually get into the building.
Accessibility is a step towards belonging, people told me: “Everybody who wants to be part of the community should have that opportunity. And it’s important for us to make people feel included,” said Rabbi Laurence Sebert, of Manhattan’s Town & Village Synagogue. “Everyone, whatever abilities they have.”
Profanity. When massacre is celebrated as liberation and rape as an act of redemptive resistance, we see a horrific mutation of our most precious values. When such vulgarities echo across the campuses of our most prestigious halls of higher learning, we witness a desecration beyond measure. Our children, who once approached college campuses as centers to challenge and expand understanding, to inspire visions of possibility and ignite courageous calls to shape a better world, now face encampments that call for death and destruction as the desirable paths towards a better future. As universities move classes online, as policies of free speech are used selectively in ways that leave Jewish students feeling abandoned, alarm rightly rises as the profane becomes mundane.
Against the backdrop of our Passover seders, we feel a fragility that echoes the fear of past generations, a reminder of narrowing spaces of safety even in this country that brought the greatest freedoms and securities in Jewish history. Most anguishing are the dwindling places where one can stand as proudly Jewish. How we respond – to our anger, to our fear, to our vilification – will be one of the vital determinants of this next chapter of American Judaism.
I am struck this year by the moral challenges embedded in our Passover story and our Haggadah. Our early rabbis imagine after crossing the Sea of Reeds, the heavenly angels witness the vanquished Egyptian army and start to sing in joy. God admonishes them, saying, “My creations are drowning, and you wish to sing?!” Many of us at our seder tables continue to reenact this same ethic by spilling out wine from our seder cups for each of the ten plagues, diminishing our own blessing to recognize the suffering they caused others. As our world spins into extremism, we center humanity, a desire to witness many competing moral needs, and a commitment towards building a better future. Ours is a tradition that urges the high cost of freedom never be ignored. In centering the loss of even those unintentionally harmed on the path to freedom, and in the same breath naming the responsibility entwined with such freedom, we remain focused on being builders rather than destroyers. With such a mindset, we can cry out for the release of 133 hostages still held in captivity by Hamas alongside heartbreak for tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed in this war, we can decry antisemitism and affirm Israel’s right to exist without devolving into the demonization of others, and we can call for the urgent needs of Jewish solidarity and also uphold our perpetual prayers for peace.
This is a bewildering moment. Many of us feel the lure of simplicity, to fall into the ease of certainty. We feel ourselves withdrawing from people and spaces. We find ourselves exhausted by perspectives and ideas that feel too complicated or too absurd. We notice that, in our desire to vanquish profanity, we don the very tools of such profanity – vilifying, abandoning, mutating values to apply only selectively. As we move into this Shabbat and deeper into Passover, may we hold fast to our humanity, naming the high costs of our freedom, feeling our obligation to be builders of what ought to be rather than justifiers of simply what is, and noticing that our most potent response to anger and fear is to join together. In community, we may see that we are not alone. In connection, we may see our own efficacy to cross even the most impossible of barriers. And in shared resolve, we may find the strength to reach together towards a better future. From our foundational Passover story, this has always been our purpose.
We are delighted to announce that Arielle Stein will be joining Congregation Rodeph Sholom as Assistant Rabbi this July. Arielle served as a rabbinic intern here at Rodeph Sholom last summer through the Tisch Fellowship. She will be ordained in May by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.
Arielle’s Jewish journey started as a child growing up in the Conservative movement before she found her home within the Reform movement. While at HUC-JIR, Arielle served as rabbinic intern at Columbia-Barnard Hillel, Congregation B’nai Shalom in Bristol, TN, and as a rabbinic fellow with the Center for Small Town Jewish Life in Maine. Arielle has taught adults and youth across the world, including with the Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Learning Collaborative, and as a visiting instructor at Colby College. She is passionate about integrating Judaism and visual art, a topic explored in her rabbinic thesis, an illustrated exploration of the Song of Songs and its medieval commentary. In addition to her rabbinic studies, Arielle also holds a BFA in Studio Art from New York University. We are excited to welcome Arielle to our team, and for the many new facets she will bring to our clergy and congregation!
View Rabbi Stein’s acceptance speech here, from the 2024 Annual Meeting:
Ten years ago, Larry and Elisabeth Lerner made a gift to our community that would shape generations of teens to come. By establishing the Susan Goodstein Lerner Youth Engagement Initiative in loving memory of their wife and mother, they paved the way for hundreds of CRS Confirmands to deepen their learning, their Jewish identity, and their CRS connection through our Confirmation capstone trip to Berlin, Germany. As we approach a decade since the creation of this transformative learning experience, we know that more teen travel opportunities can only benefit our high schoolers.
With enthusiasm and joy, we announce the launch of our 12th Grade capstone trip to Spain in May 2025. This 12th grade journey is made possible by support from The Lewis Weinberg Educational Enrichment Fund, established by Erika Weinberg and Matthew Nord in loving memory of Erika’s father Lewis – a dedicated educator. Their generosity will enable CRS to subsidize the travel of every student who wants to participate in this exciting experience.
Why Spain? As our seniors prepare to launch beyond the nests of home and CRS, it’s imperative that we position them to enter adulthood with pride in their Jewish identities. We are also obligated to prepare them to encounter Jewish diversity with curiosity and confidence. The Spain trip is an opportunity to expose our oldest teens to the multi-vocality of Judaism. By exploring the rich and different traditions of Sephardic Judaism, we can further drive home a key tenet of our Reform belief – that there is no one right way to be Jewish. Especially as teens explore campus life, new communities, and new relationships, it’s essential that Jewish difference is introduced as a value to be embraced.
The 12th grade trip to Spain will serve four main goals: to nurture ongoing bonds among teens, educators, and clergy, to build a bridge to life at CRS post-high school, to highlight the authenticity of Jewish diversity, and to celebrate the milestone of concluding high school. The Clergy and Education teams are partnering to create a trip where we will explore Jewish history, celebrate your children’s achievements, and introduce them to Jewish life as they prepare to enter a new chapter.
We feel so blessed to now offer such a robust curriculum and travel calendar for our 8th-12thgraders and we look forward to growing with your families.
When the echoes of Michael Jackson’s beats ignited a young Stefano Iacono’s love for music, little did he know it would pave his way to becoming a cantor. Join Nicole Kelly as she chats with Stefano on Shebrew in the City and shares a symphony of anecdotes that illustrates how his musical zeal intertwined with a spiritual awakening. Together, they’ll explore the nuances of his melodious journey, from acquiring guitar skills out of envy to finding solace in the strums that now feel like an extension of his soul, all while uncovering the serendipitous twists that shaped his path to the harmonious role he cherishes today.
In this extra packed episode of Shebrew In the City, come on a journey of discovery and heart as Stefano takes Nicole beat by beat through his life, his conversion to Judaism, and his work in the clergy today.
A year and a half ago, we published a book on the awakenings transforming Jewish life for the better. While we found that mainstay organizations forged by community needs a century ago remained in decline, a burgeoning nonprofit sector of Jewish startups was rising to meet new needs of our people. Jews remained deeply interested in Judaism, and the American Jewish population was rising faster than that of the American population as a whole. The question was whether our communal organizations could catch up to people who had been embraced by American society as the most well-liked religious group in America.
We are so proud of our CRS teens who completed the L’Taken Social Justice Advocacy weekend in January with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism! They lobbied on Climate Change, Reproductive Rights, Support for Israel, and Raising the Minimum Wage. They also visited the staff of Senator Gillibrand and Representative Nadler, attended Havdalah at the Jefferson Memorial, and overall represented CRS by being incredible participants and advocates.
Arielle (she/her) served as a rabbinic intern here at Rodeph Sholom in the summer of 2023 through the Tisch Fellowship. She was ordained in May, 2024 by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and joined CRS as Assistant Rabbi in July.
Arielle’s Jewish journey started as a child growing up in the Conservative movement before she found her home within the Reform movement. While at HUC-JIR, Arielle served as rabbinic intern at Columbia-Barnard Hillel, Congregation B’nai Shalom in Bristol, TN, and as a rabbinic fellow with the Center for Small Town Jewish Life in Maine. Arielle has taught adults and youth across the world, including with the Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Learning Collaborative, and as a visiting instructor at Colby College. She is passionate about integrating Judaism and visual art, a topic explored in her rabbinic thesis, an illustrated exploration of the Song of Songs and its medieval commentary. In addition to her rabbinic studies, Arielle also holds a BFA in Studio Art from New York University.
Cantor Stefano Iacono
Stefano Iacono (he/him), our new Assistant Cantor, was ordained as Cantor from HUC-JIR’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York City in May 2021. Cantor Iacono (pronounced ya-ko-no) brings his deep sense of Jewish spirituality to the CRS community. His goal, as he puts it: “To enhance prayer and foster learning. To share in celebration and mourning. To connect with one another as we seek connection with God. To make distance feel close.”
For the past four years, Stefano served as Student Cantor of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, NY, leading services and teaching in their religious school. An alumnus of the Weitzman-JDC-HUC-JIR Fellowship for Global Jewish Leaders, he traveled to India in 2019 where he found a centuries-long legacy of Jewish community and thought anew about global Jewish peoplehood. Cantor Iacono composes Hebrew texts to various musical genres and traditions, his way of celebrating the diversity of Jewish expression in worship and ritual. A native of San Antonio, Stefano lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Alex and their conure, Gandhi.
Rabbi Deborah Goldberg
Deborah Goldberg (she/her) was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH in May 2021. She was thrilled to join Congregation Rodeph Sholom in July of 2021 as our assistant rabbi. Deborah attended Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where she studied history and political science, graduating with college honors in 2013. She grew up in the Chicagoland area and spent her summers as a camper, staff member, and unit head in Wisconsin at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, the Reform Movement’s first summer camp. Deborah returned to camp for two summers during rabbinical school to serve as the summer program director. Before starting her studies at HUC-JIR, she served as an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC, and as the teen programs coordinator at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs in Chicago, IL. While in school, Deborah served communities in Columbus and Sandusky, OH, as well as Grand Forks, ND. She is the proud recipient of the Rabbi Morris H. Youngerman Memorial Prize for best sermon delivered during the academic year 2019-2020.
Deborah is proud to work with Sholom 20s & 30s, our community building initiative for 20s and 30s in NYC. At Sholom 20s & 30s, we celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays, connect to Jewish wisdom, and meet old and new friends. Deborah also leads our Discovering Judaism course, our introduction to Judaism class for anyone looking to learn more about Judaism and Jewish life. She loves sharing her love of Jewish learning with students! She is passionate about building Jewish communities that are warm and inclusive, that enrich people’s lives with meaningful Jewish engagement, and that help people feel connected to Judaism and each other.
When she isn’t working or reading for fun, you can find Deborah exploring museums, trying new restaurants, or petting as many dogs as she possibly can.
Justin Callis
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
A native of West Hartford, CT, he was an active participant in his home congregation of Congregation Beth Israel. Justin earned a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and English and a Certificate in Music Theatre from Northwestern University in 2011. While in Chicago, IL, he was an active participant in its religious music scene, having worked there as a teaching artist, music director, and composer. He also worked extensively with youth of all ages and backgrounds.
Justin then served as the student cantor for East End Temple in New York City and Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC. For Justin, becoming a cantor has been a lifelong calling. He told the Washington Jewish Week (July 27, 2021), “I’ve always had the experience of, whenever I walk into a synagogue, someone always asks me, ‘Are you a cantor? You should be a cantor!’”
High Holy Days Live Stream
We welcome you to worship with us for the High Holy Days
Rabbi Robert N. Levine, DD, led Congregation Rodeph Sholom for three decades, its tenth Senior Rabbi from 1991 to 2021. An inspiring teacher, speaker, counselor, and frequent guest of local and national media, he has been beloved by congregants and community alike.
Rabbi Levine was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1977 and received his Doctor of Divinity Degree in March 2002. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Columbia College.
Rabbi Levine is the author of three books. What God Can Do For You Now: For Seekers Who Want to Believe; Where Are You When I Need You? Befriending God When Life Hurts; and There Is No Messiah and You’re It: The Stunning Transformation of Judaism’s Most Provocative Idea.
Especially active in communal affairs, he is a past President of the New York Board of Rabbis, as well as having served as Vice-President and Chairman of its Interfaith Committee. He was Chair of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue with the Archdiocese of New York, the publications committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and is a member of the Commission of Religious Leaders of New York City, the American Jewish Committee, and Synergy/UJA Federation. He served on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advocacy Board and the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council.
Among his many awards are the New York Board of Rabbis’ Maria and Joel Finkle Prize for Rabbi of the Year; the International Humanitarian Award by the World Union for Progressive Judaism alongside Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel; the Westy Award from the West Side Spirit; the Champion of Choice from NARAL; the All Stars Project Bridge Building Award for Leadership in Community Relations; and he was inducted into the Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame in 2020 by the Manhattan Jewish Historical Initiative.
Rabbi Levine and his wife Gina are blessed with three children, their spouses, and grandchildren.
Cantor Sam Rosen
Cantor Sam Rosen grew up in Sugar Land, Texas, and completed Bachelor’s degrees in Music (Ethnomusicology) and Jewish Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2013, he moved to New York City and earned a Master’s degree in Jewish History at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (2015) and was ordained as a cantor by the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR in May 2022. An avid home cook, Sam loves sharing recipes and culinary creations with friends and family near and far. Since August 2022 he has served as Cantor at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST), the LGBTQ synagogue of New York City.
Kirsten Agresta Copely
Kirsten Agresta Copely is an international award-winning harpist and composer who has made music in four continents for heads of state (U.S. President Obama, Mexican President Felipé Calderon), in blockbuster movie soundtracks (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), alongside Billboard 100 artists (Lady Gaga, Beyoncé), on late night television (Saturday Night Live), and on the most recognized world stages as a classical artist. Copely served as the Associate Professor of Harp at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music (2017-2021) and Affiliated Artist at Sarah Lawrence College (2003-2014). A Voting Member of The Recording Academy (NARAS), member of ASCAP and the World Harp Congress Board of Directors, she holds degrees from Indiana University (B.M. & M.M.).
Sam Chung
Sam Chung was born in Seoul and raised in Vancouver. Sam received his Bachelorin Classical Cello Performance at MSM in May of 2021 with a commencement award (Hugo Kortschak Award) for outstanding achievement in chamber music.An avid string quartet player, Sam has performed at the WQXR Radio station Midday Special concert (Elysian String Quartet) and also the opening of the MET museum’s art gallery opening concert. Most recently, he returned to Manhattan School of Music with a shared studio of David Geber and Philippe Muller under President’s award scholarship for Masters in Classical Cello Performance. Meanwhile his newly established String Quartet, ‘Dyllis String Quartet’ was accepted into the prestigiousInternational Mozart Competition Salzburg 15th edition and participated in the Robert Mann String Quartet Seminar.
Cantor Jonathan Comisar
Cantor Jonathan Comisar’s eclectic music background includes Eastman School of Music (pre-college), Oberlin Conservatory (piano) and a Masters in classical composition from the Manhattan School of Music. Comisar is an ordained Cantor with a Masters in Sacred Music from the Hebrew Union College Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music and currently serves as spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Torah in Florham Park, NJ. He is a highly esteemed and sought after composer of Jewish themed music and has received numerous commissions and artist residencies from synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout North America. Cantor Jonathan Comisar has served on the faculty of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music since 2009, teaching classes on music theory, arranging, and composition. He brings a unique spark of musical creativity to his coaching/mentorship of cantorial students, teaching and encouraging them to bring all of their musical talents to their future congregations.
J. David Williams
J. David Williams was born in the small Tennessee town of Paris and was exposed to music from the very beginning owing to the fact that his mother is a church musician, choir director, and singer. After high school, he attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, Memphis State University, and received his Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He then moved to New York City and studied organ at The Juilliard School for a Master’s degree, then later at Manhattan School of Music for a Doctoral degree. Mr. Williams has held numerous church positions including Associate Organist at The Riverside Church, and temple positions including Music Director and Soloist at Progressive Temple Beth Ahavath Sholom. Presently, he is the Music Director at Congregation Rodeph Sholom and Director of Music at The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, New York.
Corey Schutzer
Corey Schutzer, bass, can currently be heard on Broadway in the Tony-nominated production, New York, New York, having played in numerous productions prior. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Corey now performs and records regularly with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and has held a chair for the past 8 seasons of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The highlight of his week is performing in Erev Shabbat services every Friday at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
John Hadfield
John Hadfield (Drums/percussion) As a composer and percussionist, John Hadfield’s dedication to music has taken him from his native Missouri to concert halls and clubs across the world. He has released three albums of his own compositions—John Hadfield’s Paris Quartet, The Eye of Gordon and Displaced and has composed for many projects, including Heard By Others, a duo project with Lenny Pickett, Believers a trio with Brad Shepik and Sam Minaie, For James a duo with Ron Blake, as well as the feature-length documentary After Spring. In 2019 he composed and performed in Apologue 2047, a multimedia performance art piece directed by Zhang Yimo which explored themes of the relationships of humans and technology. John’s ability to cross genres has allowed him to appear with a broad range of artists such as Kinan Azmeh’s City Band, Nguyen Le’s STREAMS Quartet, the Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Silk Road Ensemble. He has collaborated on more than 100 recordings, including the GRAMMY award winner Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of Joy and Peace.
Elana Arian
Elana Arian is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, and is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music today. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the Czech Republic, and everywhere in between. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira, the Wexner Heritage Foundation, Shirei Chagiga, and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union Collegein New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.
Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Ivan Barenboim
Bio coming soon!
Ted Rosenthal
Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianist/composers of his generation. He actively tours worldwide with his trio, as a soloist, and has performed with many jazz greats, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, and James Moody.
Rosenthal’s orchestral performances include solo and featured appearances with The Detroit Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony The Boston Pops, The Grand Rapids Symphony, The Rochester Philharmonic, The Pittsburgh Symphony and The Fort Worth Symphony. Rosenthal performed Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue for the opening concert of the 92nd Street Y’s 2015-16 season. The New York Times called his playing “notable both for its flair and languid, sultry expressive gestures.” In 2014 Rosenthal performed Rhapsody in Blue at Town Hall in a concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of its premiere.
Doori Na
Known for his sweet and “sumptuous” (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacher’s Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Na’s first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Currently living in New York City, Mr. Na plays with numerous ensembles around the city. He has played with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with tours in the US, Japan, and Europe performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Musiverien in Vienna. Other orchestras include American Symphony Orchestra at Bard College, American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, and Riverside Symphony at the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. The music of our time has also been an integral part of Mr. Na’s New York life. He is part of the New Music Project of Argento Chamber Ensemble performing the works of Georg Friedrich Haas, Beat Furrer, Tristan Murail, and many more. One of his favorite groups to work with is New Chamber Ballet, where he has been a member since 2013. He provides live solo music for dance at their regular venue of City Center Studios and have also gone on tour to Lake Tahoe, Germany, and Guatemala.
Michael Roth
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
As a chamber musician, Mr. Roth has collaborated on violin and viola with artists such as Eugene Drucker, Menahem Pressler, James Buswell, Steven Doane, Hamao Fujiwara and members of the Brentano, Manhattan and Ying Quartets, and recently presented a recital of contemporary Cuban solo violin and chamber music in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the American Composers Orchestra. With Orpheus, the Eos Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuosi, The New York Pops and the American Composers Orchestra and others, Mr. Roth has recorded for the Sony, Angel, Telarc, Decca, BMG, Point Music, ESSA.Y. and Arbors Music labels.
Mr. Roth has recorded for the Sony, Angel, Telarc, Decca, BMG, Point Music, ESSA.Y. and Arbors Music labels.
Sarah Adams
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
She is principal violist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the Riverside Symphony and the violist of the Roerich Quartet,performing and recording in NYC, upstate New York and Vermont.
Formerly violist with the Cassatt Quartet and assistant principal violist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Adams is a member of the American Ballet Theatre, and performs with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Opera Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among others.
She has performed as soloist with the Jupiter and Riverside
Symphonies in Alice Tully Hall as well as in recital with the New York Viola Society.
Ms. Adams’ festival appearances include the Bard Music Festival, the Cape May Music Festival, the Windham Music Festival, the Sherman Chamber Music Festival, and the Catskill Mountain Foundation concerts.
Ms. Adams has been teaching viola and chamber music at Columbia University since 1993.
Daniel Bailen
Daniel Bailen is a bassist, guitarist, singer and award-winning songwriter born and raised in New York City. His performing experience began at the Metropolitan Opera’s Children’s Chorus where he appeared in over 10 operas and was a featured soloist in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, singing alongside the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Rene Fleming and Placido Domingo.
Daniel’s band, BAILEN, with his twin brother and sister, have toured internationally. Their debut record, Thrilled to Be Here, was released on Fantasy Records and produced by Grammy winning producer, John Congleton. Rolling Stone Magazine titled their review “Bailen conjure CS&N, Fleetwood Mac and TLC on an impressive debut”. Their song “I Was Wrong” reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Chart and their album garnered praise from artists of all generations including David Crosby to Hozier, who took them as his opening act on his 2019 U.S tour. NPR voted their song “Something Tells Me” #5 on the Best Songs of 2019, and Spotify included it on their list of best alternative songs of the past decade. Bailen has also toured and worked with Amos Lee, Grace Potter, Joseph, Local Natives, The Lone Bellow, Head and The Heart, Lucius, and X Ambassadors. They have performed their music on CBS this Morning, The Today Show, and Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio2 produced music for Hulu’s “Looking For Alaska” and FX’s “Son’s of Anarchy.”
Daniel has also performed extensively as an actor-musician. He has starred in the hit Off-Broadway show, What’s it All About; Bacharach Reimagined directed by Steven Hoggett at New York Theatre Workshop and The Menier Chocolate Factory in London. The show was renamed Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined when it transferred to London’s West End, which Daniel also starred in. He was featured on Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Cello, Guitars and Vocals.
As a bassist Daniel has also toured extensively with Grammy nominated Jazz virtuoso, Raul Midon, and appears on records, or has performed with, Burt Bacharach, Bill Withers, Jonathan Batiste, Dianne Reeves, Liz Wright and the New York Pops.
Susan Rotholz
Praised by the New York Times as “irresistible in both music and performance.” flutist, Susan Rotholz continues to be in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician and teacher. Winner of Young Concert Artists with Hexagon Piano and Winds and of Concert Artists Guild as soloist, Susan is Principal Flute of the Greenwich Symphony, The New York Pops and The New York Chamber Ensemble and is a member of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Little Orchestra Society. She has performed as soloist and toured nationally and internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Susan Rotholz is co-founder of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble presenting multi-genre chamber music concerts, she also appears each season with the Cape May Music Festival, Greenwich Chamber Players the Sebago Long Lake Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom and theSaratoga Chamber Players.
Susan attended the Yale School of Music in 1979-81 and the Marlboro Music Festival in 1980 and 1981 and through the Marlboro Festival, became the principal flutist with the New England Bach Festival for the following 25 years. Her recordings of the complete Bach Flute Sonatas and the Solo Partita with the late forte–pianist, Kenneth Cooper and the more recently released American Tapestry, Duos for Flute and Piano with pianist, Margaret Kampmeierhave continually been received with acclaim. Susan is Professor at Vassar College, Columbia University, ACSM at Queens College and Manhattan School of Music Pre–college.
Ron Epstein
Ron comes to us from Brotherhood Synagogue, where he was Director of Development and Membership. Prior to Brotherhood, he had a long career in the financial services sector, having led high profile corporate efforts at institutions such as National Australia Bank, Noble Group, MarexSpectron, Merrill Lynch and Oppenheimer & Co. Throughout his career he has been deeply involved and connected to synagogue life. For more than seven years, Ron served as President of Temple Beth El of Great Neck, where his strong managerial experience, people skills and financial acumen was of tremendous value in leading such a historic congregation. He has served as Co-Chair of UJA-Synergy’s North Shore Presidents Roundtable and has provided support and counsel to numerous charitable organizations in the NY metro area. Ron loves the outdoors and is an avid biker and hiker, as well as a Yankees and Knicks fan.
Annie Epstein is a senior at Northwestern University majoring in Journalism with minors in Psychology and Jewish Studies. She’s currently finishing up her term as Co-President of Northwestern Hillel. Annie attended RSS since preschool, worked with the Rodeph Sholom Theater Company, and served as Youth Group Board President.
Kai Falkenberg currently serves as EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at G/O Media, a digital publishing company with 10+ category-leading sites, including Quartz, Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, Kotaku, The Root and The Onion. Kai brings to that role over 20 years of expertise in media law including M&A, data privacy, intellectual property, labor relations, compliance, litigation and other matters.
Prior to joining G/O, Kai served as Acting Commissioner and First Deputy Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media Entertainment where she oversaw NYC Media, the country’s largest municipal broadcast network, and the regulation of all film and television production in NYC. In addition to her role as a C-Suite executive, Kai teaches media law at Columbia Law School where she originated and teaches the country’s first course on the Law & Regulation of Social Media. Earlier in her career she served in senior legal roles at several media companies including Forbes and NBC. She was the President of The Jewish Week Media Group and currently serves as a board member for a number of organizations including the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, the Gotham Institute for Film & Media, 70 Faces Media and the NFT platform known as Voice.
Kai began her legal career at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Law School, where she was a Kent Scholar and Senior Editor of the Law Review. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their two children.
Debora serves as the Vice President, Brand & Marketing at ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). In her role, she is responsible for creating awareness of and engagement with ADL and its brand through impactful integrated campaigns and events. Her team works to tell ADL’s story and address its mission, “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all,” in addition to managing direct response marketing efforts and all engagements within the sports and entertainment industries.
Debora joined ADL in August 2017, as a consultant, program manager following a career in the sports industry. Prior to ADL, Debora’s experience includes leading marketing efforts for the 2017 World Baseball Classic during her second stint at Major League Baseball, being Director of Marketing for Thuzio, an influencer marketing and sports events company, and serving as Manager of Communications and Digital Marketing for the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee.
Debora has a BA in History and minor in Jewish Studies from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives on the UWS with her husband Bryan and daughters Jamie (RSS ’34) and Rory. Aside from her family and friends, she loves the Yankees, dumplings, pizza and puns.
Rabbi Mira Weller
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received her Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaism’s many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
Alan Goodis
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
For more than a decade, Alan has been a strong presence in the Reform Jewish movement to engage and empower Jewish youth and adults through music. He’s served as Musical Director for NFTY InternationalConvention and on faculty at Hava Nashira. In 2011, he developed Nashir: NFTY Teen Song leading Institute in partnership with the URJ to provide meaningful song leader training to high school students. Alan has been a featured performer and presenter at URJ Biennials and the Wexner Foundation. In 2014, Alan released his long awaited full-length studio album “This Place.” In 2016, Alan co-founded “Friday Night: A Key ShabbatCelebration” with two Chicago congregations to engage underserved young professionals. Later that year he was named to Chicago’s Jewish 36 under 36. Later this year Alan will release a new album entitled Joy.
Alan lives in Chicago with his wife Codi and their daughters Noa and Maya. To learn more about Alan visit: www.alangoodis.com.
Julie Silver
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Although she resides in Southern California, Julie’s roots are deep in New England. She was raised in Newtown, Massachusetts and by the time she was 18, she was leading raucous song sessions throughout the Reform Jewish movement and playing coffeehouses in and around Boston. Eventually, she would become one of the most sought-after song leaders in the country. She graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and was selected by her senior class to deliver the commencement address and sing an original song at Graduation in May, 1988. It was her first audience of thousands—the first of many.
After college, Silver landed a job as an on-air personality at WMJX, Magic 106.7 in Boston, the number one adult contemporary radio station in the city. She started as an overnight DJ, and quickly became the weekend host of “Bedtime Magic”, a show that consistently hovered at the top of the Boston radio market.It was a natural fit for Silver who has impeccable comic timing as well as a silky-smooth speaking voice.
However it was her singing voice, her overwhelming desire to play her own music that would eventually take center stage. Julie moved to Santa Monica in June of 1994 to continue writing and recording. By the time she released her first album, Julie was stepping confidently into the national spotlight—a place where she shines most brightly to this day.
Without backing from a major label, Julie has sold more than 120,000 copies of her CDs. Between 1992and 2020 she released some of the highest selling, successful albums of original Jewish music (Together, From Strength to Strength, Walk With Me, and beyond tomorrow). Her songs have become so tightly woven into the fabric of American Judaism that they have become “standards” in worship, camp, and academic settings.
In 2002 Julie released Notes from Montana, a collection of original folk/rock songs that featured a duet with the Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt. Julie’s children’s CD, For Love to Grow, was released in spring 2005 and quickly honored as a Parents’ Choice Blue Ribbon Recommended work. The honor is especially sweet for Julie, who recorded this beautiful CD as a tribute to her childhood music teacher, the prolific Boston-based composer, Aline Shader. It’s Chanukah Time, was recorded in 2007, and was the first Jewish holiday CD produced exclusively for the Barnes and Noble bookstore chain. It was also the ONLY Jewish album to ever be recognized on any of the Billboard charts, peaking at #5 in 2009.
Julie released Reunionin 2009, a mix of new liturgical settings and narrative story-songs with smart, sophisticated lyrics in English (“Monica’s Chair,” “The Barefoot Sisters”). As a bonus, Julie includes a cover of Carole King’s classic “Been To Canaan.”
In 2014, Julie released Anniversary, a retrospective collection celebrating her 25 years of composing, recording and performing Contemporary Jewish Music throughout the world.
Silver is focused on painting (see link), zoom concerts, being a mother, mentoring up-and-coming singer-songwriters, participating in Social Justice projects and making the Jewish experience more meaningful. “I try to enhance the way people experience Judaism by adding my own take on our sacred texts” Silver says. “I also want people who have historically been marginalized to feel included in the Jewish community or in any community and to be encouraged to tell their stories and live their lives openly. Our tradition compels us to express ourselves…our joys, our hopes, our faith and our fears. The only path to healing is through sharing our stories with one another. As a songwriter, I write and sing my story and hope it resonates with people”
Julie whole-heartedly supports and is quite often the featured performer for many worldwide Jewish organizations including the Association for Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), The World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), National Council of Jewish Women(NCJW), Hadassah, The Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), The Religious Action Council (RAC) and Women of the Wall in Israel. She also performs for American Jewish World Service and has performed and has served on faculty for The Wexner New Member Institute in Aspen, Colorado. In April of 2015, Julie helped lead a March of the Living trip through Poland and Israel.
In 2016 was given a lifetime achievement award by ARZA, in honor of her work in supporting pluralism, peace, and progressive actions in Israel.
During the summer of 2011, Julie sang the National Anthem before 38,000 fans at her beloved hometown Fenway Park in Boston, a dream come true for a life-long Red Sox fan. Also a published author, Julie’s essay, “From Exile to Redemption” is included in the anthology, “Dancing at the Shame Prom”(Seal Press, September 2012). Julie made her acting debut in the feature film, Then She Found Me, inascene opposite Bette Midler.
Silver lives in Southern California with her partner Mary Connelly, a highly acclaimed Executive Producerand their daughters, Sarah and Katie.
Dan Nichols
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Dan has toured over 190 days for the last 20 years, where he often serves as artist-in-residence and teacher for congregations and camp communities. He has served on the faculty of Hava Nashira since 2001. In 2009 he co-founded Shulhouse Rock, a song leading workshop for Jewish high-school students. He has performed live in Israel at the historic fortress of Masada and in the studio for the groundbreaking XM Radio presentation of Radio Hanukkah.
Dan created the Road to Eden Deep South Sukkot Tour to bring the message of Sukkot to communities in the southern United States, where he and his band played 11 shows in 10 days. Their experiences are captured in the documentary film, Road to Eden. In addition to these highlights, Dan has been featured at conferences and conventions of nearly every major Jewish movement, including the URJ Biennial, NFTY Convention, BBYO International, Limmud and the Wexner Heritage Program.
Naomi Less
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Joanie Leeds
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leeds’ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performer’s mic at a party and belted out the entire song“Tomorrow” from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMY® Award for her original music.
As a musical theater major at Syracuse University, Joanie began composing her own songs. After graduation, she did the New York City thing, bartending at The Bitter End when not on stage performing. While making the rounds as a singer/songwriter in NewYork clubs (her favorites were Rockwood, The Bitter End, The Living Room, Arlene’sGrocery and CBGB’s), Joanie tried her hand at about ten different day gigs until a friend suggested that she get a job where she could sing with kids during the day and perhaps sleep at night. You could say that Joanie found (as in “discovered”) herself, managing one of the Manhattan Gymboree locations and singing with and for kids all day long. The nocturnal club scene was fun, but making music with children was real fun. Life clicked into place when Joanie realized that when she was with children, they transformed themselves into amazing creatures of joy, forgetting how to hold back. Seeing the kids get in touch with their true selves gave Joanie a sense of fulfillment that far surpassed playing for adults on the club circuit.
The songs that Joanie Leeds began turning out reflected this sense that life is a joyful adventure. Entertaining at birthday parties and pre- schools soon progressed into concert performances nationwide back in 2008 and has since generated material for nine full length albums: City Kid!, Challah, Challah, I’m A Rock Star, What A Zoo, Bandwagon, Good Egg, Meshugana, Brooklyn Baby and most recently, GRAMMY®Nominated All the Ladies! Joanie has also released 2 full length DVDs, City Kid Live and Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights- Live from Madison Square Park.
Over the past decade, Joanie has won 1st place in the USA Songwriting Competition, an Independent Music Award, a GOLD Parents’ Choice Award, NAPPA GOLD Award, Family Choice Award and is a John Lennon Songwriting Competition Finalist and international Songwriting Competition Finalist. She has performed at venues nationwide including Lollapalooza, Clearwater Festival, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Wolftrap and Levitt Pavilion. Her music has been featured in the New York Times, People Magazine, Parents Magazine, Billboard and The Washington Post and played on radio stations and rose to #1 on Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live.
Joanie released her GRAMMY® AWARD WINNING album (All the Ladies) in April 2020 during the ongoing pandemic and spent the pandemic working on song commission work, releasing several singles and performing from home. Joanie is thrilled to be back on tour bringing songs from her 9 albums to a city near you. Her favorite job of all is mama to her 6 year old daughter.
Elana Arian
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Noah Aronson
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
After earning a degree in Jazz Composition and Piano from Berklee College of Music, Noah held the positions of Composer-in-Residence at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA where he produced four albums of Jewish communal music with his mentor, Cantor Jodi Sufrin.
As a solo musician, he has released four full-length albums and songbooks entitled, ‘Am I Awake,’ ‘Left Side of the Page,’ ‘More Love’ featuring his five-member Israeli Berklee alumni band, and his latest album; a completely self produced project created entirely in his home studio, ‘I Want To Sing Your Song.’ Music from these albums are now sung in progressive communities and summer camps worldwide and have been included as part of the curricula in all of the major progressive cantorial schools in the US.
In 2013, Noah had the distinct honor of leading over 5,000 people at the URJ Biennial in San Diego for the largest gathering of Reform Jewish Shabbat evening prayer. In 2015, he partnered with Berman House, the most distinguished publishers of Jewish educational materials, to create an innovative, music-based curriculum entitle Hebrew in Harmony.
Noah’s educational and liturgical music has been featured on several compilations from the PJ Library series and multiple Transcontinental Music Publications’ projects including their Ruach Series, Shabbat Anthologies, Mishkan HaNefesh Project, and Chazak v’Emetz Social Justice release.
Throughout 2017 and 2018, Noah released four music videos including his acclaimed Goofy Guf children’s movement song and he created a unique Passover Seder ‘Musical Maggid’ that’s been incorporated into countless family seders. Additionally in 2018, Noah created ‘The Chai Project,’ where he partnered with 18 communities across the United States to compose 18 new songs for 2018. Each song was created in collaboration with the leadership of each congregation to reflect both their uniqueness as well as their connection to the broader Jewish community.
In 2019, Noah created ‘The Movement Movement’ where he composes electronic dance music for prayer and facilitates intentional movement practices. Noah partners with different organizations to create unique movement experiences to help individuals become more embodied.
At the beginning of 2020, Noah started a new company called, ‘BeMajor’ to inspire individuals and organizations towards personal growth and team building by creating original music for communal singing experiences. For more information go to bemajor.co
Noah currently lives in New York City and tours year-round visiting communities nationwide and abroad. In addition to his tour schedule, Noah pursues his love of teaching by serving on the faculty of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in Manhattan, as well as on the faculty of Jewish music, leadership, ritual, and worship conferences such as Hava Nashira, Shabbat Shira conferences at OSRUI in Wisconsin, the Wexner Heritage Institute’s annual retreat in Colorado, and Shirei Chagigah in London, England.
Michelle Citrin
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Best known as a pioneer in creating holiday viral videos on Youtube that have garnered millions of views and leading soulful worship services, Michelle enjoys “taking what’s old and making it new” to help people connect to the rich tradition, culture and wisdom of Judaism.
Michelle’s music is celebrated in Jewish communities around the world, on radio and on television and her knack for songwriting and composition has led to a variety of accolades such as ranking as one of Billboard Music’s top Songwriters, A VH1 Song of the Year Finalist, and is proud to have been considered one of Jewish Week’s “Next Wave of Jewish Innovators.”
Kol B’Seder
Kol B’Seder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
Rabbi Juliana Karol
Rabbi Juliana Schnur Karol (she/her) is our Associate Rabbi. She first served here as rabbinical intern then Assistant Rabbi, and prior to that at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC and the Union for Reform Judaism in New York City. Rabbi Karol is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, the Tisch Rabbinical Fellowship, and the American Jewish World Service Global Justice Fellowship, and a Senior Fellow of Humanity in Action.
With a passion for building community here among her congregants, Rabbi Karol launched CRS Outings as a way for them to experience fun and adventure in New York City and beyond while creating connections with each other. She also convenes the LGBTQIA+ Working Group, launched in 2021, which strives toward full inclusion and belonging for LGBTQIA+ members of our community. This group has instituted annual observances of National Coming Out Day, Trans Day of Visibility, and worked to grow Rodeph Sholom’s Pride Month celebrations, as well as auditing our programming, systems, and culture to ensure all genders, sexual orientations, and gender expressions are recognized and honored.
Rabbi Karol is privileged to serve on the Board of American Friends of the Parents Circle—Family Forum, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization working toward peace and reconciliation. Juli grew up in Scarsdale, NY and now lives in Manhattan with her husband Adam and their two children.
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New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Born in Honolulu Hawaii, he played the violin before switching to the double bass at the age of 13 and later went on to study at the Juilliard School with famed teachers Homer Mensch and David Walter.
In 1985, Wagner was appointed Solo Bassist with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble with which he toured throughout Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Wagner is associated with the venerable choral ensembles Musica Sacra of New York, The Oratorio Society of New York, The Choirs of St. Ignatius Loyola, and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine and has performed extensively with acclaimed choral conductor Kent Tritle.
Wagner appears regularly with The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, The New York City Ballet, and The American Ballet Theater among many other ensembles in the tri-state region.
He has played on many classical recordings with Philharmonia Virtuosi and The Munich Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he has recorded numerous television and motion picture soundtracks.
Setsuko Otani
Oboist Setsuko Otake, a founding member of the Broadway Chamber Players, enjoys a diverse career as chamber musician, orchestral performer, and teacher.
Throughout the U.S. and Japan, she has presented numerous chamber music recitals with various woodwind quintet and trio groups-including the 2002 recital debut at the Carnegie Weil Recital Hall. She currently holds the second oboe/ English Horn position with the Riverside Symphonia in Lambertville, New Jersey. And as a freelance oboist, regularly appeared with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and Queens Symphony.
On Broadway, frequently appeared as a substitute member including Miss Saigon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, On the Town, Les Miserables, Porgy and Bess, and Mary Poppins to name few. Most recently she was the oboist for the Grammy nominated The Public Theater production of Soft Power.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with former New York Philharmonic oboist Joseph Robinson. During the summer, she is an oboe and chamber music coach at the Summerkeys, adult music camp in Lubec, Maine. Ms. Otake is also the oboe teacher at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn,Rodeph Sholom School, and from 2021 at The Dalton School in Manhattan.
Oren Fader
The guitarist Oren Fader played Brilliantly.” — The New York Times.
“His scholarship, technique, and intelligent musicianship are plainly evident and the beauty of his tone is consistently compelling.”— Guitar Review
Classical and electric guitarist Oren Fader (www.orenfader.com) has performed in Asia, Europe, and throughout the United States. Concerto performances include the Villa-Lobos Guitar Concerto with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” with the New Jersey and the Omaha Symphonies.
Mr. Fader has performed hundreds of concerts with a wide range of classical and new music groups, including the Met Chamber Ensemble, Cygnus Ensemble, Bowers Fader Duo, New York Philharmonic, Talea Ensemble, ICE, Mark Morris Dance Group, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
He has premiered over 250 solo and chamber works with guitar, and can be heard on over 50 commercial recordings and film.
Mr. Fader received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Purchase and his Master of Music degree from Florida State University. His major teachers include David Starobin and Bruce Holzman. Since 1994 Mr. Fader has been on the guitar and chamber music faculty of the Manhattan School of Music. He also directs the classical guitar programs at Montclair State University and SUNY Purchase.
Todd Groves
Todd Groves is a New York City based performer and composer, performing and recording on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, recorders, and world flutes. His performances range from Broadway pit orchestras to jazz ensembles, commercial ensembles, classical orchestras, solo appearances, and more. Todd plays Reed 1 for Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway; has been an orchestra member for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and NY City Center’s Encores since 2009; has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera (receiving a Grammy for being a part of the 2019 recording of Porgy and Bess), Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Pops, NYC Ballet, the Knights, American Symphony; and is a member of both the New York and New Jersey Saxophone Quartets. Other recent Broadway: Sunday In The Park With George, Motown, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Follies, Catch Me If You Can. He has performed with Seth Macfarlane, Audra McDonald, Michael Feinstein, Kristin Chenoweth, Randy Newman, Johnny Mathis, Boyz II Men, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and many others. Todd is adjunct professor of saxophone and jazz at the University of Delaware, saxophone at Brooklyn College, and woodwind doubling at New Jersey City University. He also teaches at the Summer Music in Tuscany chamber music festival. As a composer, Todd focuses on writing chamber music for woodwinds and music for jazz ensembles of various sizes. Check out his videos where he performs all of the parts for many of his compositions at his website, toddgrovesmusic.com.
Daniel Bailen
Daniel Bailen is a bassist, guitarist, singer and award-winning songwriter born and raised in New York City. His performing experience began at the Metropolitan Opera’s Children’s Chorus where he appeared in over 10 operas and was a featured soloist in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, singing alongside the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Rene Fleming and Placido Domingo.
Daniel’s band, BAILEN, with his twin brother and sister, have toured internationally. Their debut record, Thrilled to Be Here, was released on Fantasy Records and produced by Grammy winning producer, John Congleton. Rolling Stone Magazine titled their review “Bailen conjure CS&N, Fleetwood Mac and TLC on an impressive debut”. Their song “I Was Wrong” reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative
Chart and their album garnered praise from artists of all generations including David Crosby to Hozier, who took them as his opening act on his 2019 U.S tour. NPR voted their song “Something Tells Me” #5 on the Best Songs of 2019, and Spotify included it on their list of best alternative songs of the past decade. Bailen has also toured and worked with Amos Lee, Grace Potter, Joseph, Local Natives, The Lone Bellow, Head and The Heart, Lucius, and X Ambassadors. They have performed their music on CBS this Morning, The Today Show, and Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio2 produced music for Hulu’s “Looking For Alaska” and FX’s “Son’s of Anarchy.”
Daniel has also performed extensively as an actor-musician. He has starred in the hit Off-Broadway show, What’s it All About; Bacharach Reimagined directed by Steven Hoggett at New York Theatre Workshop and The Menier Chocolate Factory in London. The show was renamed Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined when it transferred to London’s West End, which Daniel also starred in. He was featured on Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Cello, Guitars and Vocals.
As a bassist Daniel has also toured extensively with Grammy nominated Jazz virtuoso, Raul Midon, and appears on records, or has performed with, Burt Bacharach, Bill Withers, Jonathan Batiste, Dianne Reeves, Liz Wright and the New York Pops.
Dear volunteers and HIAS staff!
I hope everyone doing great. I hope you guys know that all your volunteer work does not go unnoticed. The Volunteers give the world the greatest gift of care. I know that volunteers don’t ask for rewards, but I hope that my sincerest appreciation can be a reward for all of your help, support and love,You’ve done the impossible, and I will never forget it. The way HIAS staff and Volunteers inspire everyone with their great and valuable work proves that they are a complete natural.Thank you for the energy and passion you put into the cause. You all are remarkable human beings with a big kind hearts for others. You guys have done so much for me, I don’t know where to start, I want you all to know that I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.Stay blessed, Stay healthy & Stay warm
Best regards,
Shabab Haider
Hey Everyone!
I am doing well and I hope all of you are doing well too. My name is Mujtaba Hussain and I am 28 years old. I was born and raised in the Village of Borki in Pakistan. It is very close to Afghanistan. I was studying pre-med back home but I did not complete my studies because there was always fighting, bombing, target killing and suicide attacks. I was so tired always of taking risks and staying low that I then decided to escape from there in July 2013. I got to Christmas Island, Australia in August 2013 where I asked for asylum. I was in Christmas Island for one month when they transferred me to the detention center in Hell Hole Nauru. I used the word Hell Hole because I suffered there, along with my cousin and friends.
In that tiny island, I lost a part of myself there which I’ll never get it back. It’s a long story that is still hard for me to talk about. I was in Nauru for 58 months and 6 days when I heard that some of us will go to America and we’ll have interviews with the DHS. I was so excited and happy because I had new hope at last. I had interviews with DHS and I waited for a few months to get the results. One day I got positive news and was happy to come to America.
My real life started on July 7th, 2018 when I landed on LA airport. The next day, I arrived in the world’s one and only one beautiful City of New York. GOD BLESS NYC.
Some people from HIAS and CRS volunteers were waiting for us at JFK to welcome me. They took me to an apartment in Manhattan which had been rented for us. Next day I met my case manager from HIAS: I also received some cash $$ and a mobile phone to communicate with them and my family back home. I was so excited and grateful.
The next few weeks I meet many nice volunteers from CRS and they took me, my cousin and another refugee from Nauru to a lot of different places in the city and they bought us a lot of clothes, shoes and even stuff for our home. I appreciated and thanked them. I just want to let those volunteers know that you people are not forgotten, never. They found us jobs and they helped us pay our monthly rent for a year. They were trying their very best in every possible way to support us.
HIAS is a nice organization and the volunteers from CRS are very wonderful people. They did a lot for us. I appreciate the people who helped me very much.
I want to say that today I am a trucker. Do you guys want to know why I chose to be a trucker? I was always thinking that America brought me from Hell Hole Nauru and it’s a huge favor. I knew that I should become something to return this favor to HIAS, CRS and to all Americans. I studied for a CDL license and I have it now. I am driving a truck since September 2020.
While you guys are sleeping at night, I am driving on the highway returning the favor to you all. It’s nice being here in America. I am a permanent resident now and currently live in Dallas, TX.
Thank you all very much for listening. (GOD BLESS AMERICA)
Mujtaba Hussain
Margaret Kampmeier, piano, enjoys a varied career as soloist, collaborative artist and educator. She is equally fluent in classical and contemporary repertoire. She has concertized and recorded extensively and premiered hundreds of works. She is a founding member of the Naumburg award-winning New Millennium Ensemble, and performs regularly with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. She has appeared with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic Ensembles, Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble, Kronos Quartet, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Mirror Visions Ensemble. As a recording artist, Ms. Kampmeier can be heard on the Albany, Centaur, CRI, Koch, Nonesuch, Bridge and Deutsche Gramophon labels. A dedicated educator, Ms. Kampmeier teaches piano at Princeton University and is Chair and Artistic Director of the Contemporary Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music. She has given lecture recitals on a wide range of topics including preludes and fugues through the ages, contemporary techniques, and the music of women composers.
Leonard Bernstein described Paul Woodiel as “a first-class performer who combines spirituality with intellect.” A busy New York-based purveyor of violin and fiddle music, his broad stylistic compass includes the dance fiddle traditions of America and the British Isles, ragtime and jazz, and the music of Charles Ives. Mr. Woodiel has presented recitals at the 92nd St. Y, Wesleyan University, Caramoor, Miller Theater, Yale University, and the New York Festival of Song at Carnegie Hall, and has appeared as soloist at festivals from Bard College to Moab, Utah. A veteran of dozens of Broadway orchestras, Mr. Woodiel has dozens of productions to his credit, including Ragtime, Sunset Boulevard, West Side Story, and Sting’s The Last Ship. A three-time New England Fiddle Contest champion in his hometown, Hartford, CT, Mr. Woodiel is a widely respected exponent of the fiddle traditions of New England. In this vein, he performs across the US and abroad with the Scottish dance band Local Hero. His many film credits include Woody Allen films and Carter Burwell scores, and he is heard on recordings for Tony Bennett, Sting, Fall Out Boy, and over 20 Broadway cast albums. Other engagements have included performances and recordings with Steve Reich, piano wizards Dick Hyman and Neely Bruce, Marin Alsop’s Concordia, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, American Composers Orchestra and the Grammy Awards Orchestra. Mr. Woodiel’s proudest achievements to date are his son Carter and daughter Tennessee.
Sarah Adams has appeared as viola soloist with the Riverside and Jupiter Symphonies in Alice Tully Hall, Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Caramoor, Berkshire Bach Ensemble, Washington Square Music Festival, Philharmonia Virtuosi, and Adelphi Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Adams appeared as recitalist for the Hong Kong Chamber Series, Houston Chamber Music Society, Parnassus, New York Viola Society, Long Island Composer’s Alliance, Brooklyn Philharmonic’s Off the Wall series and at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. Ms. Adams is a long-time member of Sherman Chamber Ensemble and the New York Chamber Ensemble, and former violist of the Cassatt, Tahoe, and Roerich Quartets. She performed and recorded with Smithsonian Chamber Players, Windham Chamber Orchestra and Parnassus, and appeared as guest artist with the Amernet Quartet, Haverford College Music Series, Bard Summerscape, Friends of Mozart, Claring Chamber Series, New Jersey Chamber Music Society, Speculum Musicae, Si-Yo Chamber Concerts, and the Metropolitan Museum Chamber Series. Ms. Adams is principal violist of the Riverside Symphony, a member of American Ballet Theatre, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Little Orchestra Society and New York City Opera, and performs frequently with New York City Ballet. She was formerly principal violist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, associate principal violist of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, guest principal violist of American Symphony Orchestra, and appeared frequently with Orpheus, the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. Summer festivals include NYC Ballet at SPAC, Festival Napa Valley, Classical Tahoe, Cape May Music Festival, Windham Music Festival, Seal Bay American Chamber Music Festival, Music Mountain, and Bargemusic. Sarah’s Broadway credits include Jerome Robbin’s Broadway, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Candide, Aida, La Boheme and Swan Lake. She has recorded for the Atlantic, Dorian, Koch, New World, Nimbus, Nonesuch and Virgin labels, and performs on a Hiroshi Iizuka viola, circa 1982. Ms. Adams has been a Music Associate at Columbia University since 1993, where she teaches viola and chamber music, and is director of Viola Hour. Sarah and her family live in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y, where she is an amateur gardener, bread baker, mandolinist, and chief dog walker.
Michael Roth, violin and viola, a native of Scarsdale, NY, received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory and continued his studies with Marilyn McDonald. While at Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. Michael Roth completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. He is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of Slice Too Sharp, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and After the Rain, violin music of ArvoPärt. In addition, Mr. Roth is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He has served as concertmaster of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists. As a chamber musician, Mr. Roth has collaborated on violin and viola with artists such as Eugene Drucker, Menahem Pressler, James Buswell, Steven Doane, Hamao Fujiwara and members of the Brentano, Manhattan and Ying Quartets. He regularly participates in the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival and the Windham Chamber Music Festival and recently presented a recital of contemporary Cuban solo violin and chamber music in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the American Composers Orchestra. He has recorded for the Sony, Angel, Telarc, Decca, BMG, Point Music, ESSA.Y. and Arbors Music labels with Orpheus, the Eos Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuosi, The New York Pops, The American Composers Orchestra and others.
Eliot Bailen has an active career as an artistic director, cellist, composer and teacher. Strings Magazinewrites, “At Merkin Hall ‘cellist Eliot Bailen displayed a warm focused tone, concentrated expressiveness and admirable technical command always at the service of the music.” Founder and Artistic Director of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, now celebrating its 40th year, whose performances the New York Times has described as “the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert,” Mr. Bailen is also Founder and Artistic Director of Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom in New York and Artistic Director of the New York Chamber Ensemble. Principal cello of theNew Jersey Festival Orchestra, New York Chamber Ensemble,Orchestra New England, Teatro Grattacielo and the New Choral Society (The Michael B. Packer Chair),Mr. Bailenhas performed regularly with the Saratoga Chamber Players, Cape May Music Festival, Sebago-Long Lake Chamber Music Festival as well as with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York City Opera and Ballet,Oratorio Society, American Symphony, Stamford Symphony, New Jersey Symphony and is heard frequently in numerous Broadway shows. Among Mr. Bailen’s commissions are an Octet, a Double Concerto for Flute and Cello, Perhaps a Butterfly, Saratoga Sextet, The Tiny Mustache (a musical) and recently a Dectet (“Inclusion”) commissioned by the New Choral Society. Mr. Bailen is recipient of over fortycommissions for his “Song to Symphony” for schools (subject of a NY Times feature article Sept. 2006 and winner of a Yale Alumni Grant).In 2002 he received the Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking. Mr. Bailen received his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from Yale Universityand an M.B.A. from NYU.He is on the cello and chamber music faculty at Columbia University and Teachers College.
Shoshana Nambi
Shoshana Nambi (she/her), our Rabbinic Intern, grew up in Mbale, Uganda’s Abayudaya Jewish community, learning Hebrew at the nearby synagogue and teaching songs and the Torah portion to young children. Shoshana, who is interested in sharing, will undoubtedly introduce her new Rodeph Sholom community to Ugandan Jewish traditions.
After graduating from the University of Kampala in 2011, she worked three summers as camp counselor and Tefillah coordinator at URJ Camp Coleman in Cleveland, GA. Having learned more about Judaism there paved the way to her dream of becoming a rabbi. After a year studying Hebrew and Jewish texts at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, she was offered admission to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City and spent her first year at its Jerusalem campus.
Along with her 12-year-old daughter, Emunah, who is a student at Schechter Manhattan, we welcome Shoshana who hopes: “Most importantly, I am on my way to becoming a Jewish leader myself, just like the leaders I admired growing up.”
Cantor Shayna De Lowe
Cantor Shayna De Lowe (she/her) is our Senior Cantor. Shayna has dedicated her career to Congregation Rodeph Sholom, beginning her role in our community directly after being ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s School of Sacred Music in 2007. Growing up in a very small, tight-knit Jewish community in the Midwest, Shayna never imagined finding her spiritual home in one of the largest congregations in the country, but she was immediately drawn in by the warmth and connection she found at CRS.
The feeling of connection was so impactful in Shayna’s life that she has focused her work in the cantorate on helping others find connection and fulfillment. Shayna is a seeker, always looking for more ways to deepen spirituality in both herself and others. She is a graduate of the Clergy Leadership Program through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, which trains clergy in the study of Hasidic text, chant, meditation, silence, and yoga. This program fueled Shayna’s search for different avenues of spiritual connection at CRS and she dives into this work in various ways. Shayna helped develop a special needs B’nai Mitzvah program which opens Jewish tradition to families with all kinds of needs. She created an American Sign Language choir, combining ASL and singing to offer prayer in a medium accessible to those in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. In 2016, she and Rabbi Spratt created Minyan, a small-group initiative focused on making deep connections between members of the CRS community. This is the first initiative of its kind at Rodeph Sholom.
Shayna has also made social action and social justice a focus of her work here. As the clergy liaison to the Social Action committee, she partners with congregants as well as outside organizations to maintain CRS’s commitment to bettering the world. Actions include becoming a sponsor through the HIAS domestic refugee resettlement that resulted in CRS resettling five refugees to America, supporting and expanding the Backpack Buddies weekend food program, supporting the work of Days for Girls, and helping to run the Homeless Shelter that is at the heart of our synagogue. Shayna sees it as the job of each person to continue the work of making the world better and she strives to instill that value throughout the CRS community.
Called to the cantorate by the desire to use music to guide people as they navigate their own spiritual path and to bring people closer to one another, Shayna continues to be called by that desire and is honored to do this work at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
Rabbi Greg Weitzman
Rabbi Greg D. Weitzman (he/him), our Associate Rabbi, started his tenure at Congregation Rodeph Sholom as Rabbinic Intern in 2012, working closely with our youth groups. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in May 2015 and installed as our Assistant Rabbi later that year. Rabbi Weitzman tends to the needs of his congregants who are in major transitional moments of their lives. He sees to those individuals who are interested in becoming Jewish through our Jewish Basics program and families new to the Rodeph Sholom community through our Sholom Sprouts program. Working closely with our partner, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, Rabbi Weitzman is a forceful advocate in fighting food insecurity in New York City.
His enduring passion for Jewish education began at Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, followed by three years at Central Synagogue as a full-time teacher and Youth Director. Besides meeting his future wife Ashley there, he spent many years at Eisner Camp as a camper, counselor, song leader, and Education Director. Dedicated to building community amongst young Jewish professionals, he was instrumental in the success of NextDOR NYC, a pilot initiative sponsored by Synagogue 3000 in which he was co-director, and Shabbat Unplugged where he used his musical skills as bandleader. Greg grew up in Stony Brook, NY and graduated with a BA from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2005. Ashley and Greg, who were married here at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, live in Manhattan with their daughter Eden, son Jonathan, and their Goldendoodle Chewbacca. With a warm and joyful outlook and always available for a chat and a nosh, Rabbi Weitzman is beloved by congregants and students alike.
Ben Spratt (he/him) is the 11th Senior Rabbi in Congregation Rodeph Sholom’sdistinguished 179-year history. He previously served as our Senior Associate Rabbi and the Rabbi in Residence of Rodeph Sholom School. His Jewish journey took him from the Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and Renewal worlds to becoming ordained from the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary, and eventually landing him as Rabbi here, one of the country’s renowned Reform congregations.
It is with a passionate drive that he works to build and shape community beyond existent boundaries. In 2009, Ben helped found CRS’s Shireinu, an inclusion initiative for Jewish families with special needs that now serves as a spiritual model for synagogues and churches around the world. With prominently featured articles in the New York Times, The Jewish Week, Autism Speaks, Huffington Post, Jewish Journal, and Times of Israel, the Shireinu program has also received numerous national awards and grants including the Union for Reform Judaism’s Exemplar Award for Inclusion and the UJA-Federation of New York’s First Place Synagogue Inclusion Award. Ben serves as co-chair of Inclusion and Disability Awareness for the Central Conference of American Rabbis. In 2014, he co-founded Tribe, a joint initiative to engage Jewish Millennials through grassroots leadership and a community of empowerment. In 2016, Rabbi Spratt and Cantor Shayna De Lowe collaborated to reimagine the future of a large legacy congregation, planting the seeds of Minyan, a Jewish small-group-based approach to human flourishing through connection. In 2017, he was co-editor of a special symposium edition of the CCAR’s Reform Jewish Quarterly Journal on Millennial Engagement and sparked the New Day Fellowship to foster connection between Muslim and Jewish Millennials.
Cantoral Intern Emily Hoolihan
Emily Anabeth Hoolihan (she/her), our Cantorial intern, is currently a fourth year Cantorial student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. She spent her first year of HUC-JIR studying in Jerusalem before moving to New York City in 2019.
She is also receiving a second masters degree in Jewish Non-Profit Management from the Zelikow School of Jewish Non-Profit Management in Los Angeles. Emily will be the first cantorial student ever to graduate with these dual masters degrees. Before attending HUC-JIR, Emily was the Development Manager and an actor of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, known for its recently successful production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. Originally from San Diego, California, Emily attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, minoring in Music and Jewish Studies. Passionate for artistry, innovation, and Jewish music, Emily led the Reform services at her Hillel as a song-leader and worked at Temple Keneseth Israel as a Religious School teacher during her undergraduate studies. Emily previously worked as the cantorial intern for Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY and Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, NY. Emily now happily lives in Hell’s Kitchen with her fiancé, Francesca, their dog Kiwi, and their two cats, Hugo and Finn.
Scott Hertz
Scott Hertz joined Congregation Rodeph Sholom of New York City as the Director of Engagement and Program in July 2019. Prior to this role, he spent three years as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Jewish Community Project in Lower Manhattan. Scott began his career at the Union for Reform Judaism where he spent 14 years as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Camp, NFTY and Israel programs. Scott graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. A lifelong product of the Reform Movement, Scott grew up at Congregation Emanu El in Houston and he has been a camper, staff, faculty and camp committee member at the URJ Greene Family Camp and URJ Kutz Camp.
Lisa Schiff
Lisa Schiff is an experienced early childhood educator with a special expertise in programming for Jewish enrichment. She holds a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College and a second Masters Degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Lisa creates grownup and me classes, Shabbat and holiday experiences that provide opportunities for family togetherness and connect families with young children to Jewish life at Congregation Rodeph Sholom. Lisa has been with our congregation for 5 years and lives on the Upper West Side with her husband David and their children Shayna and Ari.
Sholom Sprouts
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
Accessibility Fund
Providing dues assistance to any family in need is a core value of our synagogue. Especially during times of crisis such as the last 18 months, no one should have to worry about being able to afford their CRS support system. The $2m Accessibility Fund created by this campaign ensures that no family will be turned away if not in a position to pay full membership dues. We incrementally draw funds out of the Accessibility Fund each year to support our operating budget and cover increases in dues assistance.
Endowment
Despite the instability of the world, CRS is here to stay. Much of the reason for this is the existence of our endowment, which we will ultimately grow by roughly $8m through this campaign. To provide for our long-term financial stability, perpetuate our meaningful traditions, and allow for continual innovation to serve our ever-evolving Jewish community, a strong endowment is essential.
Physical Plant
Fifth Floor Education Wing
We completely reconfigured our fifth floor and developed a space that is modem, developmentally appropriate, competitive with other local programs, and specifically designed for our Religious School and Sholom Sprouts programs. Upon our return to the building, we look forward to the floor becoming a place where children can grow and where parents can build friendships and connections that deepen their ties to each other, our clergy, and the Rodeph Sholom community.
Rabbinic Office Suite
We transformed a portion of our third floor into a home for three of our rabbis in order to unify their work environment, provide quiet waiting and meeting spaces for congregants seeking pastoral services, and better reflect the high regard in which we hold our clergy.
Welcoming Lobby
Our new lobby is an open and welcoming entry point to our congregation. We also enhanced security by relocating the security desk into the vestibule between the main entrance and the lobby, and created a Community Room for informal gathering and space for onegs that includes a CRS history exhibit. If you join us in person these High Holy Days, we hope you will be delighted with the new space.
Yahrzeit Light Prayer
By Barbara Rothstein
Why a light for a yahrzeit
The yahrzeit light shines with the light of their souls
The yahrzeit light glows with the love they shared with us during their lives
The yahrzeit light dances with the laughter they brought out in us
The yahrzeit light allows us to look back and remember the best of times we shared with them
The yahrzeit light reminds us that although the dawn comes up without them, they want us to go on and carry out our shared goals
They brought light into our lives and the yarzeit light reminds us that they are counting on us to leave a shared legacy to make this a better world
We must take this external light and rekindle the light in our souls
In doing so they live with us as long as we live
Through us may their light glow on
Love Song to the House of Mourning
By Jessica Kirzane
Love song to the woman who sits
alone in her house mourning her mother.
Her voice echoes off hardwood floors.
She pours a cup of tea
and lifts it, steaming, to her lips.
Love song to the steam that tingles
against her weathered cheeks.
Alone in her house mourning her mother –
she yearns to chide old dear friends
for bending over to sweep up crumbs.
Love song to the old dear friends
who filled her home when her husband died –
the buzz of their voices mingled with her laughter and sobs.
Alone in her house mourning her mother
she aches for the smell of their coffee.
Love song to the coffee percolating in the dining room
to the cakes and bagels piled on trays
to the leftovers she apportioned into Tupperware
to the pile of coats on the bed, which now is bare and she –
alone in the house mourning her mother.
Alone in the house mourning her mother
she cooks her own dinner and eats it,
washes the dishes, and puts them away.
She cradles the cup of tea in her hands –
Love song to the hands longing to be held.
Eternal Rest, Eternal Peace
By Suzanne Sabransky
When the time has come,
When we leave this physical plane,
We do not depart into blackness,
We do not disappear into nothingness.
We transition from here to there,
From life among the breathing
To a place of profound security,
Safe at the right hand of Our Creator
No longer do we dance the dance of frailty.
No longer are we confined by the limits of body.
At last we are free to allow our souls to take wing,
At last we can know the splendors of the Shechinah.
We grieve at this time, we feel heartache and loss,
Yet the departure of our loved ones is freedom for them.
The ones we love, now know the blessings of Adonai,
And they are bathed in the brilliance of G-d’s mercy.
With heart and mind, memories are sustained,
As they are forever bound to those who remember them.
The wings of Sukkat Shalom embrace them in love,
And they are granted peace and joy for all eternity.
May the One who heals, heal us all.
May those who suffered find sanctuary.
May The Giver of Life comfort us in mourning,
And may we find we are better for having known them.
Amen
The Journey Through Grief
By Deborah Greene
The journey through grief
So vast, dark, and uncertain
Where is my compass
God, are you with me
I search, eyes closed, heart open
Oh Source of comfort
I cry out in tears
A primal ache in my soul
Help me to find you
Prayer is hard for me
How do I speak to you God
Tears flow down my cheeks
They carry in them
All the words I cannot say
Hear them God, hear them…
I ask, Ayekah?
In the still quiet moments
The wind whispers back
I listen closely
Hineni, the wind calls out
Here I am, with you
The journey is long
The gentle breeze carries me
Forward with God’s grace
2010
Accessibility efforts of the early aughts started a larger dialogue about inclusion. How could we better serve those for whom attending a religious service was difficult? In 2010, we inaugurated first Shireinu special needs worship service at Rosh Hashanah. CRS now leads four holiday Shireinu services each year.
2016
The way we live now175 years after our founding, Congregation Rodeph Sholom remains a steadfast beacon for Judaism and celebrating Jewish traditions. We are also a nimble and adaptable institution that strives to serve our people and community now and for generations to come.
Early 2000s
We’re not just getting better—we’re getting older! CRS took on some major capital projects in this era. Accessibility and space upgrades ensure optimal access and worship experience for our congregants.
2000: Rebecca Garfein appointed first female cantor; CRS building and bimah made handicapped accessible.
2001: Rodeph Sholom School added 7th and 8th grades.
2003: The sixth floor of CRS completely rebuilt to include Schnurmacher Chapel, Eisner Auditorium and an outdoor play area for the nursery school; ground fl oor lobby expanded and renovated with a second elevator for access to the sixth floor.
2004: The first graduating class of the Rodeph Sholom School.
2005: CRS and Rodeph Sholom School implement new school governance plan giving RSS increased independence; Friends of RSS incorporated.
2006: Rabbi Robert N. Levine elected President of the New York Board of Rabbis.
1990s
In 125 years, Congregation Rodeph Sholom has had four senior rabbis. Our number four , Rabbi Robert N. Levine, is celebrating 25 years along with the shul’s 175th. The 1990s also saw CRS making a bold move with new clergy.
1990: Janet Neuberger elected as first woman President of CRS
1991: Rabbi Robert N. Levine installed as Senior Rabbi; Nursery School renamed in honor of the Schnurmacher family; Day School renamed to honor Rabbi Gunter Hirschberg; Sisterhood celebrated its centennial year; Meyer W. Nathans Service Award established; Caring Community established.
1992: The Congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary.
1993: CRS acquired buildings on West 78th and 79th Streets for expansion of Rodeph Sholom School; 79th Street building dedication ceremony.
1995: Camille Shira Angel appointed Assistant Rabbi, the fi rst woman Rabbi at CRS and the second self-identified gay or lesbian Rabbi to serve a mainstream Reform Congregation.
1998: Lewis Steinman Religious School Enrichment program for special needs children established in CRS Religious School.
1980s
Tikkun olam, in the form of sewing, helping the poor, and making contributions to worthy causes were part of CRS from the first day. In this era, we upped our game considerably.
1981: Concerned Citizens Committee established as CRS’ social action and community outreach arm.
1983: In response to challenge from Mayor Koch to NYC synagogues and churches to house the homeless, CRS opens homeless shelter for men.
1985: CRS embarked on a major refurbishment of the lobby and the Sanctuary, restoring them to their original state.
1988: Rabbi Gunther Hirschberg elected President of the New York Board of Rabbis.
1989: Congregation mourned the death of Rabbi Gunter Hirschberg.
1970s
Education was a top priority for Rodeph Sholom, which made some first-ever moves by a Reform congregation.
1970: Rodeph Sholom Day School, first in U.S. sponsored by a Reform congregation, started as pilot project with kindergarten and 1st grade; Parents Educational Guild founded to represent parents of Nursery and Day Schools; the opera “Tamar and Judah,” with libretto by Rabbi Newman, performed as tribute to his forty years of service.
1971: CRS chosen by Channel 13 for live broadcast of “Hear Our Voices,” a tribute to cantorial singing;
Sisterhood celebrated 80th anniversary.
1972: Rabbi Gunter Hirschberg appointed Senior Rabbi upon the death of Rabbi Louis I. Newman;
Board of Trustees formally approved the Day School, consisting of kindergarten through 6th grade; CRS began family services.
1973: Rodeph Sholom Community Chorus founded with Paula Biran as Conductor.
1974: Children’s Choir founded by Cantor Ephraim Biran; Nutrition and Health Program initiated with neighboring church, including hot lunches served on the Sabbath for neighborhood senior citizens; Bernice Kaufman appointed Director of the Nursery School.
1976: Adult Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah initiated, with 37 men and women completing program; new prayer book, Gates of Prayer, adopted; Ecumenical Thanksgiving service celebrated with Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
1977: Rodeph Sholom Day School moves into new building on West 84th Street adjoining the synagogue; early “Welcome the Sabbath” services and dinners for congregants and school parents initiated.
1960s
With early waves of immigration now mostly a faint memory, younger generations were interested in reclaiming their identity, through learning Hebrew and travel to Israel. The Seven Day War of 1967 proved to be a strong rallying point for support of Israel and Jewish pride.
1963: Gunter Hirschberg ordained and appointed Associate Rabbi; Ephraim Biran inducted as Cantor.
1965: Congregation purchased four brownstone houses on West 84th Street as future site for Day School.
1967: Congregation celebrated 125th anniversary at Plaza Hotel with guest speakers Senator Jacob Javits and Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
1968: First Festival of Jewish Arts initiated. Business and Professional Club established to meet needs of those not served by other Temple activities; Brotherhood celebrated its 50th anniversary.
1940s and 50s
1940s and 50s– Rodeph Sholom worked hard to support the war effort, and to be essential part serving earlier pioneering generations as they grew into their retirement years in the 1950s. The 1950s was also an era of new view of early childhood education as a foundation for a good life, and CRS stepped up.
1942: 100th anniversary of CRS celebrated with guest speaker Presidential candidate Wendell Wilkie.
1942-45: CRS became a model for congregational involvement in World War II war effort. Under the direction of the War Activities committee, it served as a distribution center for items sent to troops overseas and as a headquarters for local air raid wardens and air defense groups.
1952: Gunter Hirschberg appointed Cantor, succeeding Nathan Meltzoff who retired as Cantor Emeritus; Foundation Fund established to ensure Temple’s future financial stability.
1953: Golden Age Club founded for local seniors, a pioneer activity in the Reform Movement.
1958: Nursery school founded under the direction of Mrs. Gerda Miller.
1920s-30s
CRS roared through the 1920s in robust health, purchasing land for what is our current building and having an architect draw up plans. The early 30’s continued a trend at CRS that is still with us to this day—welcoming clergy and staff who choose to spend their entire careers at CRS.
1923: Congregational Bulletin founded.
1924: Union Prayer Book adopted, marking CRS’ formal identification with Reform Judaism.
1926: Land on West 83rd Street purchased for building new synagogue; final service at Lexington Avenue synagogue held on October 4; new Gate House at Union Field Cemetery authorized to replace Chapel built in 1889.
1928: Temporary services held at Mecca Temple for two years, with Mitchell S. Fisher as interim rabbi (Rabbi Grossman passed away in 1927.)
1930: In March, CRS moved to its present home on West 83rd Street. Louis I. Newman inducted as Rabbi, with Rabbis Stephen Wise and Nathan Kras participating in ceremonies; Parents Association formed under sponsorship of Honorary President Samuel Falk; The Chronicle was launched.
1934: Sunday morning community services introduced. Offered until 1949, they featured classical choral works performed by a 40-voice community choir under the direction of Cantor Meltzoff, and included guest speakers Franz Werfel, Sean O’Casey, Orson Welles, and Jan Masaryk.
1937: Max Feder appointed first Executive Secretary, serving until retirement in 1972.
1900s & 10s
As Jews began to assume leadership positions in political life and in industry, Jewish identity shifted to a strong emphasis on “being American.” Those of an older generation were disinclined to pass along fluency in Yiddish to their children and grandchildren. This was also an era where Jews served in large numbers fighting for their country.
1901: CRS joined the Union of America Hebrew Congregations and became a supporter of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati
1906: In addition to aiding refugees suffering from persecution in Russia, the congregation helped victims of San Francisco earthquake.
1912: CRS paid tribute to Democratic Congressman Henry Goldfogle, later President of CRS, for leadership in protesting Russian discrimination against Jews.
1914: Women’s Association formed to implement cultural programs and philanthropic activities of Sisterhood.
1915: Nathan G. Meltzoff inducted as Cantor, serving until his retirement in 1952 when he became Cantor Emeritus.
1917: Congregation celebrated 75th anniversary for three days, together with 25th anniversary of Rabbi Grossman’s appointment
1918: Dedication of bronze plaque bearing names of CRS members who served in World War I.
1880s
An era of prosperity paved the way to assuring the future of Judaism in America, through founding new institutions and keeping up with the congregants.
1884: Funds raised for relief of Jews suffering from pogroms in Russia.
1887: Fire in Clinton Street synagogue necessitated rebuilding and rededication
1889: Resolution passed to sell Clinton Street synagogue and move uptown due to changing demographics and the need for larger quarters.
1891: On September 4, first service held in new synagogue at Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street; Rodeph Sholom Sisterhood founded, revitalizing the Young Ladies Sewing Society.
1892: “Anniversary Oration,” celebrating 50th year of the Congregation, was delivered by 18 year old Stephen S. Wise.
1896: Sudden death of Rabbi Aaron Wise; Rabbi Stephen Wise declined invitation to succeed his father.
1897: Rabbi Rudolph Grossman inducted as new Rabbi; a revised Prayer Book introduced and used for many years.
1899: In a sermon, Rabbi Grossman appealed to the congregation to make the wearing of hats by men optional and to abandon second day of High Holy Day services.
1870s
In this era CRS functioned as a shul working steadily to ensure that Jews had wide and equal access to American health care and social welfare.
1871: Passover collection made for Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC; formerly known as Jews’ Hospital.
1875: Rabbi Aaron Wise, father of Stephen Wise, appointed Rabbi; renovated synagogue rededicated with Conservative service, using choir and organ for first time; criticism evoked by occasional sermons in English instead of German.
1878: Dedication of Union Field Cemetery in Cypress Hills, then a three hour ride from the Synagogue by horse and buggy.
1879: Young Ladies Sewing Society distributed 100 dresses to Hebrew Free School.
1850s & 60s
As Rodeph Sholom became an established shul, leadership and congregants pursued tikkun olam and its central role in the serving the Jewish Community.
1850: With 189 members, CRS moved to new home on Clinton Street. Synagogue purchased tract of land in Cypress Hills for future site of new cemetery, presently Union Field Cemetery.
1858: CRS contributed financial aid to Jewish community in New Orleans stricken by epidemic.
1865: Representatives of CRS participated in Memorial services at Union Square for President Lincoln.
1866: Magazine Jewish Messenger praised congregation for allowing “liberal” Rabbi Huebsch to preach a sermon.
1840s
In the 1840s, the Lower East Side, new Americans flooded into the city. Many used their new freedom to practice religion to set up houses of worship that would also serve as centers of social and cultural life
1842: Agreement in German signed by 80 people to establish Congregation Rodeph Sholom at 157 Attorney Street, NYC Land purchased for use as cemetery at Park Avenue and 88th Street, then the outskirts of the City.
1844: Rabbi Merzbacher, first Rabbi, left congregation over dispute on use of sheitels by women members.
1849: CRS participated in support of a Jewish Day School, known as Union Day School.
1980s
1980s – Tikkun olam, in the form of sewing, helping the poor, and making contributions to worthy causes were part of CRS from the first day. In this era, we upped our game considerably.
1981: Concerned Citizens Committee established as CRS’ social action and community outreach arm.
1983: In response to challenge from Mayor Koch to NYC synagogues and churches to house the homeless, CRS opens homeless shelter for men.
1985: CRS embarked on a major refurbishment of the lobby and the Sanctuary, restoring them to their original state.
1988: Rabbi Gunther Hirschberg elected President of the New York Board of Rabbis.
1989: Congregation mourned the death of Rabbi Gunter Hirschberg.
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Known for his sweet and “sumptuous” (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacher’s Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Na’s first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Praised by the New York Times as “irresistible in both music and performance.” flutist, 
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received her Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaism’s many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leeds’ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performer’s mic at a party and belted out the entire song“Tomorrow” from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMY® Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol B’Seder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Sarah Adams 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
