The Israeli Hug Center at Rodeph Sholom is profiled in NY Jewish Week
Initially founded to provide immediate relief for Israeli families arriving to the New York area after the Hamas invasion, one year into its existence the Israeli Hug Center has evolved…
Marking One Year of Grief
One year of grief. One year in which lives, hearts, families, communities were torn apart. For many of us, it feels like a different world. Antisemitism now rests comfortably in…
Watch: As we approach one year since October 7th, NYC Upper West Side Clergy offer Shared Blessings in the New Year
As we approach Rosh Hashanah and the one-year mark of October 7th, clergy from across the Upper West Side have come together to offer collective blessings for the new year.…
Mazel Tov to Our Community: Honoring Our Commitment to Refugees
We are thrilled to share some exciting news! HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) has recognized our extraordinary work in supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced people…
From Summer to September
With summer well underway, we are looking forward to seeing you in the fall! As you begin to plan your calendar, we want to highlight a few of the amazing events coming in September: Shabbat in the Street (and…
JTA: [CRS] played an unlikely role in the genesis of ‘Job,’ a new Broadway play
On Tuesday, almost a year and a half after the “Succession” finale, [Peter] Friedman will open in “Job,” a buzzy Broadway play where he stars as Lloyd, a well-meaning but…
Announcing the 2024 CRS Israel Mitzvah Project Grant Recipients
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…
RAC-NY Advocates for ERA
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…
Prayers for Captives and in a Time of Struggle
Prayer for the Captives 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.…
How to Build an Accessible Synagogue
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…
Rabbi Spratt: Passover’s Call of Purpose
Dear Rodeph Sholom Family, 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…
Arielle Stein named new Assistant Rabbi
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…
Launching 12th Grade Capstone Trip to Spain in Spring 2025
Dear CRS Community, 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…
Cantor Stefano Iacono on Shebrew in the City Podcast
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…
Rude ‘Awakenings’: Communal transformations in our time of crisis
By Rabbi Joshua Stanton, Rabbi Benjamin Spratt 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…
CRS Teens Lobby at the US Capital in Washington, D.C.
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…
CRS In The News: A 35-foot challah in NYC attempts to break a Guinness World Record
New York City kitchens are notoriously small. Nonetheless, on Friday Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side unveiled a 35-foot-long challah that they and their partners hope will break…
In Solidarity: Rodeph Sholom Israel Trip
When we invited our congregation to join us for an information session on October 4th about next year’s intergenerational trip to Israel, the world looked very different than it does…
Landmark West • A Musical Connection: Senior Cantor Shayna De Lowe
“I catch Shayna’s attention in the golden-hued lobby of the historic synagogue of Congregation Rodeph Sholom, walking past a myriad of smiling children beaming with excitement on a Friday morning. She…
RABBI DAVID ELLENSON, z”l
Congregation Rodeph Sholom mourns the loss of our longtime, beloved member and teacher, Rabbi David Ellenson, devoted husband of Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson. The family will observe Shiva at Congregation…
Israel Emergency Fund – Support Kehillat YOZMA
With 81 hostages now released, many of us feel the growth of hope for the 160 still held in captivity. The tearful reunions with family and friends capture the power…
Holding Grief Alongside Vision
Dear Rodeph Sholom Family, I’m shattered most by the children. Israeli children slaughtered. Palestinian children used as human shields. The children of this congregation who feel abandoned in halls of…
In Solidarity With Israel
Over the past three weeks, we have felt horror and heartbreak, moving from massacre to war and to increasing antisemitism and abandonment in New York City and around the world.…
CRS in the Press: The New York Times- At U.S. Synagogues, Calls for Peace and Too Many Emotions to Process
“What I needed to do was get out of my house and be with my community,” said Isabel Hochman, 23, who attended the Saturday morning Sabbath service at Congregation Rodeph…
Parshah Noach: Great Flood
Written by Joshua Rothstein I met David in May 2018 on my Birthright Trip to Israel. Like me, David is 26 and loves basketball, music, and ice cream. In fact,…
Israel at War: A Night of Solidarity in Learning, Prayer, and Action
As Israel’s war against the Hamas invasion unfolds, our concern and fear beg us to act. Your CRS Clergy invite you to a solidarity briefing of learning and prayer to strengthen…
Israel at War: Standing Together
This message was sent to the Rodeph Sholom community on October 7, 2023 The elders are gone from the gate, the youth from their music;The joy of our hearts has…
Welcoming New Jews
On Tuesday, September 6, Congregation Rodeph Sholom welcomed six new Jews to the People of Israel! We were honored to call them to the bima to lead our community in…
Shoshana Nambi Featured in a NY Jewish Week 36 To Watch
Our Rabbinic Intern Shoshana Nambi has just been named one of NY Jewish Week’s 36 To Watch 2023, honoring those who are making innovative contributions to the Jewish community. Since…
Announcing the 2023 CRS Israel Tzedakah Project Grant Recipients
Our congregation gives an annual grant to a worthy general Israel charitable organization and to an Israel Reform/Progressive movement (IMPJ) project/organization. This year’s general Israel recipient is Hillel : the Right to Choose. (This organization is unrelated to the…
Stories of Supporting Asylum Seekers
“As a child, I listened to the stories of my ancestors and their migration to America. They escaped persecution and poverty and hoped to find freedom and opportunity in our great…
Builders of Light • Rabbi Spratt’s Response to “National Day of Hate”
Builders of Light Rabbi Spratt’s Response to “National Day of Hate” This weekend, in synagogues around the world, we will read the details of the Tabernacle and the Jewish call…
Helping Turkish and Syrian Earthquake Victims
More than 46,000 people have been killed and thousands injured by the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria while, amazingly, rescue efforts are still ongoing. Now a humanitarian crisis,…
18Doors: Transforming Jewish Responses to Interfaith Marriage
A discussion between Rabbis Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt, the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism’s Edmund Case, and 18Doors’ Jodi Bromberg and Rabbi Robyn Frisch on current transformations in attitudes…
Syrian Response
Delivering shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, and hygiene items to aid Syrians whose lives have been disrupted by war: Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees
U.S. Southern Border
Uri L’Tzedek welcomes and supports asylum seekers in the Phoenix metro area: Uri L’Tzedek
New York Local Assistance for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Here is a list of organizations in New York that are helping refugees and asylum seekers: – Emma’s Torch (Culinary Training for Refugees)- Hearts and Homes for Refugees- Met Council…
JBS: “In the Spotlight” – Rabbis Spratt & Stanton
Having taken an unsparing look at the landscape of Jewish life for their book Awakenings, Rabbis Benjamin Spratt & Joshua Stanton join Abigail Pogrebin to discuss what they see as…
Courageous Conversations: What Does Your Faith Say About Belonging to Each Other?
As we work to nourish a culture of belonging in our communities, how can faith be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division? Courageous Community welcomes Eboo…
The Wisdom Daily / CLAL / 92NY / Fellowship in Prayer
Wisdom for Builders: Providing Jewish inspiration for those who build community, initiative, and social venture with Rabbis Benjamin Spratt, Joshua Stanton, and Joui Hessel. Read more here >
Rabbi Spratt at Religion News Service
Stories by Rabbis Spratt and Stanton surrounding the book, Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging. Read here >
My Jewish Learning: Rabbi Without Borders
Sukkot and a New Ecosystem of Jewish Leadership by Benjamin Spratt and Joshua Stanton Read More Here.
Zioness Presents The New Jewish Awakening
Inspired, nimble religious organizations of all kinds are now retooling to meet the very different needs of American Judaism today. Zioness is a key example of this trend, in creating…
Opinion: Religion News
Bishop Robert Stearns wants to reinvent evangelicalism without leaving it behind. The pastor from western New York is one of a rising cohort of evangelical leaders who are looking beyond…
Principles of the Jewish Awakening
Our numbers are growing, American Jews burst with pride of identity – and yet many of our institutions remain in decline. This combination of circumstances is creating space for those…
Israel Operation Breaking Dawn Statement
A Message from our Clergy – August 10, 2022 As we approach Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of Comfort and Consolation, we turn our hearts towards Israel. Following the IDF arresting…
American Jewish Experiences of Identity & Belonging
Springtide Research Institute’s Head of Community Engagement Marte Aboagye was joined by Rabbi Joshua Stanton and Rabbi Benjamin Spratt: co-authors of the just released book, “Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in…
Community: Tablet
The New Jewish Awakening: Our obsession with the narrative of our community’s decline overlooks threads of optimism and opportunity by Benjamin Spratt and Joshua Stanton. Read the article here.
Book Review: The Jerusalem Post
American Jewry needs to wake up to new possibilities – book review: In contrast to the narrative of constant decline, two young American rabbis offer a powerfully positive and perhaps…
Rabbis Without Borders: My Jewish Learning
Commodifying Faith by Benjamin Spratt and Joshua Stanton Read the article here.
Tri-Faith Initiative: Awakenings with Rabbi Josh Stanton and Rabbi Ben Spratt
Join the authors of Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging (https://www.amazon.com/Awakenings-Ame…, Rabbis Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt, and Executive Director Wendy Goldberg as they dive into critical…
Senior Clergy Installation Response: The Story of Tonight
Senior Rabbi Ben Spratt and Senior Cantor Shayna De Lowe 5.20.2022 BEN: The story of tonight is really the story of this community. Ours is the story of two people…
Opinion: Haaretz
American Judaism Is in Decline. That’s Great News for American Jews: Synagogues closing, rising intermarriage, deepening denominational and political rifts: That’s one way to tell the story of today’s American…
Opinion: Daily Beast
Break Up America’s Clergy Cartel [God Is Not A Business]: We’re Reform rabbis who want more transparency for clergy contracts and fewer protectionist obstacles that keep good people from answering…
Talking to Our Children about Uvalde and Other Tragedies
Turning Together in Heartbreak
Opinion: The Jerusalem Post
Judaism must learn to welcome outsiders to its traditions: Non-Jewish people should be able to explore Jewish traditions and elements without having to commit to converting by Benjamin Spratt and…
Review: Publishers Weekly
The future of American Judaism looks bright, contend rabbis Stanton and Spratt in their strong debut. The authors argue that the “seeds of a new Jewish awakening” lie with “those…
Opinion: eJewish Philanthropy
New Kinds of Growth: Edifice Rex by Rabbi Benjamin Spratt and Rabbi Joshua Stanton Read the article here.
Who’s ‘Really’ Jewish: the Sefardi Floridian, the Ashkenazi Californian, or the New York Jew By Choice? ‘Authenticity’ is a Trap | Religion Dispatches
Opinion: Religion Dispatches
Who’s ‘Really’ Jewish: the Sefardi Floridian, the Ashkenazi Californian, or the New York Jew By Choice? ‘Authenticity’ is a Trap by Rabbi Ben Spratt and Rabbi Joshua Stanton. Read the…
A Reckoning by Lin Saberski
In March, 2022 70 congregants traveled to Georgia and Alabama on a Civil Rights Journey. Lin Saberski wrote about her experience on the trip, which was published in Monterey News…
Opinion: Close Campuses, Open Possibilities
The role of rabbis is not the same as it was in America a century ago. Our institutions should not look the same either. Now is the time for them…
Opinion: Religion News
An awakening is coming to American religion. You won’t hear about it from the pulpit: The future of American religion resides with innovative lay leaders who focus on empowerment, rather…
Opinion: Interfaith America
An Awakening is Coming to American Religion. You Won’t Hear About It From the Pulpit by Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt Read the article here.
Meet Your Senior Clergy!
Rabbi Ben Spratt and Cantor Shayna De Lowe were featured on the Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist podcast (Episode 219) on February 14.
Refugee Shabbat – March 2022
Written by Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt RodNational Refugee Shabbat – March 4, 2022
Responding to the Crisis in Ukraine
Written by Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt Responding to the Crisis in Ukraine As we look with horror and fear at the invasion of Ukraine, we bring awareness to this escalating…
A Message from Rabbi Spratt
Written by Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt A Message from Rabbi Spratt Reform Movement Strongly Condemns Amnesty International Report February 3, 2022 Dear Rodeph Sholom Family, Jew-hate. From swastika graffiti to synagogue…
Welcoming Rabbi Mira Weller
We are pleased to welcome Assistant Rabbi Deborah Goldberg and Assistant Cantor Stefano Iacono, new members of our clergy team as of today.
Gratitude & Conviction
Dear Rodeph Sholom Community, We begin this day with gratitude. First and foremost, our gratitude that all four hostages, including our colleague Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, are now safe after 11…
We the People
We the People A Prayer for Our Country on January 6, 2022 Written by Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt Our nation beganWith the right, the dutyTo throw off absolute despotismTo oppose…
Gratitude in Action
A Note from your CRS Clergy Team Dear Rodeph Sholom Family, The Hebrew word for “Judaism” is Yehadut, from the root hodah – gratitude. In namesake, thanksgiving is at the root…
Gratitude in Action
THE MEYER W. NATHANS SERVICE AWARD Erev Shabbat Service Friday, November 19 at 6:00 PM Please join us for this special Erev Shabbat Service as we honor Dr. Carlos Vaamonde…
A Special Announcement about Cantor De Lowe
A Message from CRS President Peter Ehrenberg Dear Rodeph Sholom family, I am delighted to provide you with additional news about our incredible clergy team. As you will recall, Cantor…
Remember and Reflect: Shabbat Shuvah and Commemorating 9/11
by Rabbi Ben Spratt, Senior Rabbi As we turn tonight to Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of turning and returning, we hold these days of awe for reflection. This year, Shabbat…
Celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah 5782
JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS CONCLUDE OUR HIGH HOLY DAYS! SUKKOT MON, SEP 20 – WED, SEP 22, 2021 AboutSocial ActionResourcesRecipes We celebrate Sukkot to give thanks for the fall harvest. Meaning “booth,”…
Haiti and Afghanistan: We Can Help
It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it.—Pirke Avot 2:21 Two disasters during the same period of time.…
Welcoming Our New Clergy Interns
We are pleased to welcome Assistant Rabbi Deborah Goldberg and Assistant Cantor Stefano Iacono, new members of our clergy team as of today.
RABBI SPRATT in THE JEWISH WEEK
For Rodeph Sholom’s New Senior Rabbi, Judaism Is a Search for Belonging “I have always been searching for my place of belonging. I do feel I have found it here,”…
Pardes Learning Seminar Summer 2021
To learn more about the Pardes Learning Seminar program, which runs during the summer and winter, please visit www.pardes.org.il/seminar. Elaine Hochberg Where do I begin? I spent five days last week…
Welcoming Our New Clergy
We are pleased to welcome Assistant Rabbi Deborah Goldberg and Assistant Cantor Stefano Iacono, new members of our clergy team as of today.
RABBI LEVINE, WE CELEBRATE YOU!
A D’var Torah & Reflection by Eric Berman
Election of Rabbi Spratt as Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Levine To Be Honored in Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame
Rabbi Robert Levine has been selected by The Manhattan Jewish Historical Initiative to be inducted into the 2020 Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame!
Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt
It is with great pride that we celebrate the election of Rabbi Ben Spratt as our next Senior Rabbi during the CRS Annual Meeting on May 18. Rabbi Spratt will…
CRS Celebrates Rabbi Levine
Save the date for a celebration of Rabbi Levine’s time at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
Current Events in Israel & Prayers for Peace
CRS x One Day University
Introducing a groundbreaking partnership to build Jewish community through wisdom in the most Jewish way possible—debate, discussion, dialogue!
Ranked Choice Voting: Why it Matters for NYC’s Historic 2021 Election
CRS SPRING FOOD DRIVE
Pursuing Justice
179th Annual Meeting & Town Hall
CRS Reads: Round III
Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
Check out the upcoming programming for Israel Memorial Day and Israel Independence Day
Stop Asian Hate
Announcing Our New Clergy
Passover: Prepare for your Seder
For a compiled list of all things Passover-related, including recipes, craft projects, and online Hagaddot, be sure to check our Virtual Passover Portal.
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.
