CRS 2020 Roundup—Together, Even While Apart
“Our synagogue is so much more than bricks and mortar, it’s a lot of love.”
Peter Ehrenberg, President of the CRS Board
Was 2020 the worst year ever? It was one strange and extraordinary year! But living through a pandemic did not diminish our faith in ourselves nor our beloved shul.
Although 2020 may have been a dumpster fire of a year, our attempts to extinguish this calamity include these moments listed here in our First-Annual CRS Roundup.
THESE MOMENTS WE SHARED TOGETHER:
January
No Hate. No Fear.
January 5, 2020
CRS and RSS joined the Solidarity March against anti-Semitism going across the Brooklyn Bridge.
January 7, 2020
Jonathan Aaron Weitzman was born.
January 21–March 11, 2020
We voted in the World Zionist Congress Elections for a large Reform Jewish presence in Israel and the US.
March
A Virtual Congregation Begins!
March 12, 2020
- Beginning with Friday’s Erev Shabbat service, all services would be live streamed on our website and Facebook page.
- Religious School went into distance learning.
- RSS shifted to distance learning.
March 14, 2020
Havdalah at Home debuted with Rabbi Karol and family at 7:00 PM (later changed to 7:05 PM to accommodate the daily cheer for essential workers).
30 with the Clergy debuts with 30-minute offerings daily with our CRS clergy.
March 19, 2020
Washing Your Hands: A Jewish Thing! First COVID blog post.
April
April 3, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service celebrates 50 Years of Rodeph Sholom School.
April 7, 2020
Coffee with the Caring Community: Congregants found companionship and comfort over coffee and conversation in this new weekly program.
April 15, 2020
Passover Yizkor Service with Rabbis Levine and Karol and Cantor Garfein. Congregants shared their reflections on mourning.
April 23, 2020
For Yom HaShoah, Evie Blaikie recounts her survival during the Holocaust as a hidden child. Presented by our Religious School.
April 28, 2020
Commemorating Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. RSS parents, Avi Shalem and Daniel Aminetzah, and former CRS Shinshinit, Shirly Kaplansky shared their moving stories. WATCH >
Passover
April 8–15, 2020
Our first virtual Seder with Rabbi Spratt and Cantor De Lowe. With the Haggadah on our screens, we experienced the Seder together.
April 29, 2020
Religious School Youth: Yom Ha’atzmaut Escape Room Challenge: For their first virtual endeavor, students mastered their mission to help David Ben Gurion and his time-traveling friend create the state of Israel!
May
May 6, 2020
Chazzanut and Healing: Cantor Don Gurney of Wilshire Blvd. Temple in LA and past CRS cantor spoke with Cantor Rebecca Garfein.
May 8, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service celebrated our High School Seniors.
May 11, 2020
Farewell to Cantor Toby Glaser after 3 years at CRS as our Cantorial Intern. WATCH >
May 29, 2020
MAY 29: Shavuot Family Yizkor Service featured congregant reflections. Sharing memories of love and loss were Danny Karpf, Lisa Timmel, and Gia Machlin.
September
September 8, 2020
New Wines for a New Year: Rabbi Weitzman hosted a conversation between the Kishor Winery’s winemaker (sitting in his backyard in Israel!) and CRS member Arie Hochberg of Israeli Wine Direct. A great way to start the New Year! Presented by CRS Brotherhood. WATCH >
September 15, 2020
Sept 15: Religious School 3rd–6th Grade: Students created biography posters to highlight their goals and ways that they hope to grow this year.
High Holy Days 5781
September 18–20 & 27–28, 2020
October
October 2, 2020
Religious School: Culinary Arts Sukkot Workshop
October 4, 2020
Sholom Sprouts Virtual Sukkot Scavenger Hunt! The Sprouts explored the themes of gratitude and welcoming guests while hunting for everything they needed to build a tabletop sukkah.
October 6, 2020
Rabbi Weitzman hosted Knishes, Kugel, and Conversation featuring Noshes By Sherri. Sherri and Michael made their special noodle kugel. More drooling ensued.
October 9, 2020
Erev Shabbat/Simchat Torah Service. We welcomed Aliza Rivka, a Kohenet Hebrew Priestess and Dance/Movement therapist from Costa Rica, who showed us her own Torah of movement and prayer. Then after the service, she led us in lively movement and dance. WATCH >
October 20, 2020
Rodeph Sholom Teens: Gotham BBYO Est. 2020! Our BBYO Chapter really took off this year, leading the Manhattan region in membership growth! Due to an incredible teen board, we are officially chartered! WATCH >
October 20, 2020
Oct 20: Exploiting Your Family History for Fun and Profit with Alina Adams. This was one fun conversation with a fun and enlightening author!
WSCAH Harvest Benefit Dinner
October 20, 2020
Rabbi Levine was the Special Main Event Speaker for West Side Campaign Against Hunger’s virtual Harvest Benefit Dinner.
October 23, 2020
The debut of our new short pre-service and post-service Schmoozes in our virtual community room, the Schmooze Space hosted by fellow congregants.
October 23, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service: Five B’nai Mitzvah lit the candles and chanted Kiddush.
October 28, 2020
Jews and American Politics: Implications for This Crucial Election: A thoughtful pre-Election teaching with Rabbi Levine.
November
November 6, 2020
Together in Feelings: A much needed post-Election processing with our clergy.
Forward, Together
November 19, 2020
Forward Together: Rabbi Levine led an educational and eye-opening post-Election analysis with Michael S. Schmidt, Washington Correspondent and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Congressional Editor for The New York Times.
November 20, 2020
Meyer Nathans Service Award honored Jane Dystel.
November 11, 2020
At 11:11 am, Cantor Garfein was wed to Alexander Hatzidiakos.
November 17, 2020
Family B’nai Mitzvah Program: B’nai Mitzvah families joined together on Zoom to choose dates in 2024 as clergy offered them the priestly blessing.
November 21, 2020
With a Grateful Heart: Honoring our Freedom Through Music: Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom presented a special concert of classical and modern chamber music celebrating our freedom. With Artistic Director Eliot Bailen (cello), Cantor Garfein, Susan Rotholz (flute), J. David Williams (piano), and folk-rock trio BAILEN. WATCH >
November 24, 2020
Rodeph Sholom Teens: The Mitzvah Team Leaders: Perspectives for Change! Our Social Action Teen Community kicked off their first major initiative on Instagram— education for underprivileged youth. Go to @perspectivesforchange
December
Chanukah 2020/5781
December 10, 2020
Night 1: “Raise Up The Menorah” with Cantor Garfein. Zoom candle lighting and the premier of Children’s Choir Eliot Bailen song.
December 11, 2020
Night 2: Erev Shabbat Service with Consecration
December 11, 2020
Night 2: Zoom candle-lighting together and Comedy Night!
December 12, 2020
Sprouts Singin’ Swingin’ Shabbat celebrates Chanukah!
December 14, 2020
Night 5: Rabbi Levine The “Miracle” of Chanukah
December 16, 2020
Night 7: Chanukah Jeopardy: CRS Special Edition
December 17, 2020
Night 8: Chopped with Rabbis Spratt and Weitzman
December 3, 2020
Religious School 3rd-6th Gr: Learning about gratitude (hakarat hatov) and how blessings offer us a way to express gratitude daily, students used different media to express their gratitude.
December 8, 2020
Sholom Sprouts: Learning Together completes its fall semester with a total of 57 families enrolled throughout 2020.
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.
Based in New York since 2001, South African-born pianist, composer and producer has performed on four continents in leading venues such as Carnegie Hall, had her original music performed in venues such as New York’s Lincoln Center, appeared on a host of recordings of classical, world music and multi-genre recordings and produced numerous recordings and inter-disciplinary programs from Cape Town to Los Angeles. She has created her own unique language at the piano, made up of techniques she developed and experimented with to expand the piano into a full electro – acoustic orchestra.
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.
