My Journey towards the sacred. My love and dedication for my clergy-cantorate.

At the age of seven, I watched my cousin become a Bar Mitzvah. I had to be up on that bimah! I was too young to understand that the feeling overcoming me was connected to God, as a sacred calling to the cantorate. The years passed, and I joined the synagogue choir at the age of eleven. I led the cantorial portions of the service at my Bat Mitzvah, began tutoring B’nai Mitzvah at 13, and often filled in for my cantor during my teenage years when he was away.

It was a joy and a connection that filled my soul, although, still as a teenager, I was not yet ready to make any decisions beyond the vocal training I sought. I studied Vocal Arts Performance at the University of Southern California on a merit scholarship. My training there helped build a solid vocal foundation that grew stronger as I grew professionally.

Post-graduation, while opera was a true passion of mine, I was still missing something. I rediscovered my connection to Judaism and the cantorate after reaching out to over 60 synagogues to offer my B’nai Mitzvah tutoring services. I found my home at Temple Judea of Tarzana, CA. I honed my skills, not only as a tutor, but as a pastoral provider to my students and their families. I discovered my passion for working with B’nai Mitzvah. It is more than Hebrew we are working on. We are working with children and families to build beautiful connections to Judaism and young leaders of our congregations. The experiences I had in my first year working with Temple Judaea finally helped me realize my calling to the Cantorate. I was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, in 2013, in New York City.

Since that time, I have had the pleasure of serving in Atlanta, Ga. Louisville, KY, and now the place I call my forever home, the DMV, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the Northern Virginia region.

Studying the Bel Canto technique provides me with the flexibility and agility to sing in a wide range of musical styles. From classical to folk to jazz, and with an emphasis on communal congregational singing, I can do it all because of the incredible teachers I have been blessed to study under. The gifts I receive as a Cantor are too many to count. The connections made through pastoral care, whether bringing a new life into the Jewish community, helping our B’nai Mitzvah grow as leaders, or being present and supporting families as their loved ones transition from this world to the unknown, are profound and affirm my dedication to this extraordinary calling of the clergy-cantorate. Nothing is better than joining together with congregants in song-prayer. When we join together in this kind of song-prayer, our voices connect our souls as a singular unit that elevates community, divine connection, and profound transcendence. This connection fosters a community that remains resilient even during the most trying times.

Music breathes life into both despair and joy. Music forms nearly unbreakable bonds within a community, allowing us to elevate justice, pursue peace, and build an incredible, intergenerational community that speaks truth to power and engages in Tikkun Olam, the act of repairing our world.

I look forward to connecting with you and building such a relationship. To learn more about my professional career and vision, click the links on the page. Please feel free to reach out to me directly and discover what is possible as we forge relationships together.