Franklin Lakes, New Jersey Age: 69 Song: “Erev Shel Shoshanim” Cantor Ilan Mamber was born in Bnei Brak, a suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel. As a child, he was a member and soloist in various choirs in the “great Synagogues” of Tel Aviv and its surrounding towns. Upon his arrival in the United States, he…
Corte Madera, California Age: 59 Song: “Sha’alu Shalom” Marsha is a cantor, composer and recording artist who works individually and collaborates with others. She writes soulful Jewish liturgical music that is sung around the country and recorded by other artists. Her song, Heart of Mine, has been a Jewish summer camp hit single since 1995….
Brooklyn, NY Age: 27 Song: “Raisins and Almonds” Cantor Aryeh Leib Hurwitz is a soloist and performer from Brooklyn, NY, whose brilliant voice has been featured all over the world. From the United States to France, England to South Africa, from the wild beauty of South America, his voice has shaken audiences and pierced hearts….
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Age: 59 Song: “Tzadik Katamar” Rebecca Schwartz is a professional singer, guitarist, and award-winning songwriter. Her liturgical music is sung on the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) and other holy days in synagogues around the world. Rebecca has written and co-produced five albums, has also released three singles, and has written and recorded songs to…
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,…
New Paltz, New York Age: 38 Song: “Broken Hearted” Shir Yaakov engages Jewish, multi-faith, and non-affiliated people around the world, building spiritual communities, facilitating and inspiring communal music, and helping people connect with their inner wisdom and truth. He works in formal and informal educational settings as a spiritual leader, teacher, and musician. Shir Yaakov,…
A Jewish Brooklyn artist has plastered the borough with “I Sit With Kaepernick” posters backing the now-famous protest of football superstar Colin Kaepernick. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback became part of a nation-wide controversy with his refusal to stand during the national anthem to protest racism and the oppression of black people in America. Designer…
Wilmette, Illinois Age: 44 Song: “Ana Dodi” Cantor Pavel Roytman is a native of Nikolaev, Ukraine. At the age of seven, he was accepted as a piano student to a specialized music school for gifted children. He continued his studies in piano and conducting at the Kaliningrad Rachmaninov Music College in Russia and later at…
Rockville, MD Age: 32 Song: “Elohai N’shama” 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…
New York, NY Age: 25 Song: “Ki Eshmera Shabbat” Jacob Spike Kraus is an up and coming singer-songwriter from Boston. He released his first secular studio EP, The King’s Beanie EP, in the spring of 2013, and his first full-length studio album, Shake Off The Dust, in April 2015. Currently based out of Astoria, NY,…
Alford, MA Age: 40 Song: “Komo Vas a Ser?” Sarah Aroeste, inspired by her family’s Sephardic roots in Greece and Macedonia, has spent the last 15 years bringing her contemporary style of original and traditional Ladino music to audiences around the world. Aroeste writes and sings in Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish dialect that originated by Spanish…
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