At a recent board meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, the big donors and high-powered operatives in the room went around the table to make sure they had someone supporting each potential Republican nominee. Jeb Bush backers were easy to find. Supporters of Marco Rubio, too, were plentiful. Ted Cruz had friends there, as did…
Students returning to college in the coming days can expect to find the same campus tensions over Israel that they left behind in June. But they will notice a new reality: much more pro-Israel activity, fueled by a large new flow of cash. The Campus Maccabees, backed by up to $50 million from casino mogul…
Leon Rodriguez spread out a collage of black-and-white family photos he keeps in his Washington office. There was his father, surrounded by Jewish activists under a picture of Theodor Herzl in Havana; his grandparents smiling to the camera back in Turkey; his grandfather behind the sewing machine, making shoes. Next to the collage rests a…
Cantor Temple Israel Natick, Massachusetts Age: 42 Nominated by: Himself Song: “Ana B’choach,” Ken Richmond As a cantor, I’ve been surprised at what a small percentage of my time is taken up with Jewish music. But my experiences and teachers of Jewish music are what drew me to be a cantor — moments like my…
Volunteer music leader Havurah Shalom Portland, Oregon Age:52 Nominated by: Herself Song: “Sparks,” Beth Hamon Jewish music is, put simply, any music that reflects some aspect of a Jew’s life — sometimes soulful, sometimes just plain fun. Music expresses ideas and feelings in ways that words alone cannot. It reaches into your insides and draws…
Cantor Congregation Mishkan Tefila Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Age: 28 Nominated by: Rabbi Jonah Rank Song: “Ruah HaOlam Malkati,” Sarah Myerson Cantor Sarah Myerson is a world traveler and a multi-instrumentalist capable of playing accordion, piano, flute, drums and more. She composes pensive music for the lesser-known parts of tefillah, to help her community become more…
Cantor Temple Beth Abraham Oakland, California Age: 66 Nominated by: Rabbi Marc Bloom Song: “Birkat Kohanim,” Liturgy As a seeker of wisdom and a musician whose main spiritual practice has been Judaism for the past 30 years, Jewish sacred music has been utterly central to my life. This music’s power to create an expanded soulfulness,…
Cantor Temple Beth Torah Sha’aray Tzedek Tamarac, Florida Age: 27 Nominated by: Himself Song: “Chad Gadya,” Moishe Oysher When I was 6 years old I began playing the violin because I saw the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” My experience with the violin eventually led to me singing in my synagogue’s choir, which eventually led…
Song leader URJ Camp Newman, UCLA student San Rafael, California Age: 21 Nominated by: Rachel Mercer Song: “Lech Lecha,” Jackson Mercer Perhaps it is the ultimate act of a Jewish mother to nominate her own son, but he was song-leading up at Camp Newman with limited Internet access [during this nomination process,] so here goes….
Music coordinator Congregation Havurah Shalom Portland, Oregon Age: 62 Nominated by: Herself Song: “P’tach Lanu Sha’ar,” from Yom Kippur Liturgy, music by Ilene Safyan Jewish music — whether the origins are Eastern European, Israeli, Sephardic or American — has always resonated deeply within me. These melodies express yearning, hope, laugher and life. When I moved…
Cantor Sinai Temple Los Angeles Age: 31 Nominated by: Rabbi David Wolpe Song: “V’al Yedel Avadecha” Zavel Kwartin I didn’t choose to be a cantor, rather I responded to a sacred calling: to touch people’s lives at their most vulnerable moments. to enhance their joy and ease their sorrow. Jewish music is the perfect vehicle…
