Ilene Safyan, “Hashkivenu”
Portland, Oregon
Age: 63
Song: “Hashkivenu”
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ilene Safyan currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she has become one of the West Coast’s most celebrated Jewish musical artists. Whether in her role as cantor, teacher, performer or composer, Ilene weaves the multicultural musical strands of the Jewish experience into a rich, harmonic tapestry of sound. She has shared her music at holiday services, Shabbatons, concerts and simchas throughout the US, Canada and Latin America.
Her six cds of Jewish music have been recognized by such publications as Entertainment Weekly, the American Library Association and Parents’ Guide to Childrens’ Media. Parents’ Choice Magazine awarded her “Just in Time for Chanukah!” (recorded with Margie Rosenthal) the Gold Medal for excellence in childrens’ recordings; “Where Dreams are Born” was awarded the Silver Medal.
Her work has been featured on XM radio’s Hanukkah station, Children’s Media Network, WQXR and NPR and is a part of the Dartmouth and FAU Jewish Sound Archives.
Ilene serves as cantorial soloist at Congregation Neveh Shalom, one of the largest synagogues in the Pacific Northwest and Congregation Havurah Shalom, in Portland, Oregon.
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