I consider myself a third culture kid, having grown up both in Israel and Germany during my formative years and beyond. In Israel, I studied at the B’nai Akiva Yeshiva. In Germany I earned a Masters degree in Architecture and worked in Berlin as an Architect.
While in Architecture school, I served as a cantorial soloist at several congregations. The passion for singing and service leadership bred by those experiences led me to pursue cantorial studies at the newly established Institute of Cantorial Arts in Berlin, part of the Abraham Geiger College. I spent my final academic year at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, where I wrote my thesis on the development of the Friday evening liturgy in Germany, and in June 2009, was invested as the first Reform cantor to be trained in Germany since World War II.
I have been blessed to serve congregation Beth Chayim Chadashim, the world’s first synagogue founded by and for the LGBTQIA+ community in Los Angeles since my arrival in 2009 and am humbled to be of service of meeting the spiritual needs of the congregation in partnership with my co-clergy and lay leaders. In collaboration with congregants, co-clergy, and/or other musicians, as teacher, officiant, counselor, prayer leader, meditation guide, choir director, concert producer, songwriter and recording artist, I endeavor to be a spiritual and musical guide along life’s journeys. I performed and led services at conventions and gatherings throughout the country and have been involved in several recording projects with various Jewish musical artists.
Some of my professional highlights include being clergy in residence for several missions to Israel by A Wider Bridge, serving as Programming Committee Chair for the 2018 ACC (American Conferrence of Cantors)/GTM (Guild of Temple Musicians) Convention in Dallas, Texas where I got to sing with the Dallas Street Choir, attending and leading a workshop at Eighteen:22 | A global Network for Change Conference in Salzburg, Austria and speaking on LGBT Liturgy and service leader at Congregation Shirah Chadashah in Melbourne, Australia.
I am proudly serving the American Conference of Cantors as an Executive Board member. Check out my interview with the ACC as part of their “spotlight” series here.
I’m currently working on my 4th album, to be released in late 2022. I am pursuing the path of becoming a certified counselor of Non Violent Communication (also known as Compassionate Communication) based on the writings of Marshall Rosenberg and I’m interested in the intersection of Jewish mindfulness and NVC.
In addition to being a Reform Jewish clergy my passions include mental health, yoga, animal welfare, veganism and living sustainably in ways that ensure a healthy planet for future generations.
I currently live in Los Angeles with my canine companion Tikvah.