Rockville, MD

Age: 32
Song: “Elohai N’shama”

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Hazzan Matthew Klein has been with Congregation Beth El since 2011. He is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS), where he received a master’s degree in sacred music and investiture as a hazzan. He concentrated in pastoral care, and spent one summer as a chaplain at Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York and another with the JBFCS as a chaplain for adults with mental illness. He earned his BA in music summa cum laude from the College of William and Mary in 2006.

At Beth El, Hazzan Klein has expanded the musical and spiritual life of the synagogue, introducing new melodies in services and online, and recently piloting the new alternative service, Minyan Olamim. He is a 2013 graduate of the Davennen Leaders Training Institute, a two-year training in creative Jewish worship.

Hazzan Klein remains an up-and-coming leader among American cantors. He currently serves as the Cantors Assembly (CA) representative to the Committee on Jewish Law & Standards and was recently named to the Cantors Assembly’s Executive Council for the 2014-2017 term. He is also a member of the cantorial band, “The Wizards of Ashkenaz” and will soon be featured on their new album, “Wizards Live.”

Hazzan Klein is married to the love of his life, Rabbi Elyssa Joy Auster.

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