Biography
I am currently enrolled in my fifth year of the Master of Sacred Music/Diploma of Hazan program at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. It is a five year program leading to investiture as Cantor. I look forward to a lifetime of serving Jewish congregations around the USA and perhaps even overseas as a member of the Jewish clergy, as a vessel of Jewish music tradition in all its richness. I am a proud recipient of the Margaret R. Rice Scholarship Fund, the Dr. Hirsch Herman Scholarship Fund, the LCU Foundation Housing Grant, and the Sanders and Pikus Family Scholarships. Hazzanut improvisation for the textual insertion 'biy'mei matisiyahu,' added to the amida during Hannukah.
Performed at Kehillat Netzach Israel, Ashkelon, Israel, as part of a Hannukah concert November 30, 2013. Cantorial students at JTS demonstrate progress in learning traditional chazzones through yearly Vocal Boards. I chose to sing Moshe Ganchoff's Al Hatzadikim from his weekday mincha service, which I first encountered in Cantor Mendelson's class at Klezkanada 2012, and then coached with Cantor Nadel at JTS. While I wouldn't use this in my service leading (it's too long for a weekday service), it's well worth learning for its own sake, as a beautiful piece of music and a masterful interpretation of the text.
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Sample Service
A yearly, 15-minute nusach presentation is a part of my cantorial studies at JTS. I put together an Avodah service for Yom Kippur, with the help of my coach Cantor Nadel, and a fabulous women-only vocal quartet (Summer Greenwald-Gonella, Jennifer Rolnick, Sarah Levine, and Hillary Chorny). Thanks to Ethan Goldberg for filming this video (in two parts). |
Working Experience: Shaliah Tzibur
Working Experience: Ba'al Koreh
Here's a recording from JTS WLSS Purim 2012: |
* Asterisk indicates professional positions.
Photographs from (left to right) Julian Voloj, Miriam Alster (leading Women of the Wall for Rosh Hodesh Iyar 5774), Mark Kovnatskiy, Summer Greenwald-Gonella, used with permission.