I am a rabbi and cantor whose path to Jewish life was interrupted, and ultimately became a calling I chose with intention and heart.

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My earliest Jewish memory is as a four-year-old in Sunday school in Beverly Hills, reciting blessings over grape juice and challah. When my mother, a single parent, could no longer afford temple dues, my Jewish education came to an abrupt halt. For years, I watched from the outside, longing to return.

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That return came years later, unexpectedly, during my time as a voice major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. On a Friday night, I walked into Shabbat services at Hillel and was met with warmth, music, and a sense of belonging. That night changed me. I found my way back to Judaism—and to my Jewish identity.

 

As a young adult, I committed myself to learning Hebrew and quietly celebrated my Bat Mitzvah, reading Torah during my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah. That moment transformed my identity and marked the beginning of a deeper commitment to Jewish life.

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As I continued my studies, I researched the story of my great-great-uncle, Hazzan Gershon Sirota, whose golden voice and legacy left a lasting imprint on Jewish sacred music. It is believed that his life ended in the Warsaw ghetto, during the Holocaust, on Kristallnacht. Learning about him brought together my love of music, my connection to Judaism, and a sense of purpose—to carry forward a voice that had been silenced. I entered cantorial school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, with a dream to become a cantor and earned a Master in Sacred Music in 2009 and was ordained as a cantor in 2010.

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I began my career in 2010 as a cantor in Ohio at a large congregation of over 600 families. There, I came to understand that my role extended far beyond the bimah. I celebrated with families, guided students to B’nai Mitzvah, taught, and, most meaningfully, sat with congregants in moments of vulnerability—holding hands in hospital rooms, listening to grief, and offering presence and prayer.

During one period serving as sole clergy, I walked with a family through the loss of a child. In that moment, I felt the limits of my training—and the depth of my calling. I understood that I was meant to serve not only through music, but through relationship, presence, and care. I was called to become a rabbi.

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I returned to Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, where I earned a Master of Hebrew Letters and received rabbinical ordination in 2017. While in school I served as a chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where I provided care to patients of all faiths, deepening my commitment to pastoral presence and compassionate support.

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From 2017 to 2023, I served as the solo rabbi and cantor of Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim, a historic Reform synagogue in Alexandria, Louisiana, established in 1859, where I became the congregation’s first female rabbi. I led all aspects of congregational life, served the broader Central Louisiana community, including Fort Polk, and built strong relationships across interfaith and civic organizations.

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I have also served as President of the Southwest Association of Reform Rabbis, taught at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, and pursued advanced training through Yeshiva University in gerontology and palliative care, strengthening my ability to support individuals and families through illness, aging, and loss.

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Today, I serve as Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El in Knoxville, Tennessee, leading a vibrant, multigenerational congregation of over 220 households. I guide its spiritual, pastoral, and communal life, partnering closely with lay leadership with music and prayer to shape vision, deepen connection, and foster a community grounded in belonging, learning, and meaningful Jewish engagement.

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I am a proud mother to my son, Gabriel, a rising fourth grader who plays ice hockey for the Knoxville Jr. Ice Bears. I find deep joy in family, music, and creating spaces where people feel genuinely welcomed—drawn in by an approach that is both authentic and easy to connect with.