Office Staff Rabbi Melanie Aron

Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy

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I was born in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I attended both Michigan State and the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. I took a year off and then applied to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Cantors, like the Rabbinic students and the Education students, spend the first year of their program in Israel. After the first year, I returned to New York to complete the next three years of the program. Our program consists of many courses. We receive courses in education, music education, liturgy, theology, Bible, Rabbinic texts, ethnomusicology, and of course music. There is a vast amount of Jewish music in existence. We receive a background in both traditional and Reform music. In addition to that, we receive a course in Jewish modes, Yiddish folk song, and Jewish and Israeli Art song. At the end of our third year, we submit proposals for our thesis. My thesis topic was "Liturgy and Drama: Max Janowski: A Case Study." In conjunction with the thesis, we also gave a senior recital.

While in Cantorial School, I had the pleasure of being the student cantor at Temple Emanu-El in Waterford, CT. While there, I taught a seventh grade liturgy course, as well as music in the religious school. Along with the Rabbi, I led all the worship service. I tutored all the B'nai Mitzvah students. I created and led a volunteer choir. I also taught an Adult trope class.

At Shir Hadash, I work with the B'nai Mitzvah students—both the children and the adults. I also direct the Shir Hadash choir. The Shir Hadash choir meets twice a month and sings at Friday night services once a month. They begin preparations for the High Holy Days starting in July through the end of the High Holy Days. They perform annually at many community functions throughout the year. They have also had the opportunity to work with several Jewish composers, including Bonia Shur, Peri Smilow, Cantor Jeff Klepper and Danny Maseng. Over the last couple of years, we have also added a Junior choir to the congregation. It meets on Sunday mornings after Sunday school and sings about 3 times a year.

I also teach several adult education classes on Sunday mornings. These classes usually consist of a musical nature, such as "Music of the Friday Night Worship service," "Music of our Reform Youth and Camps," and Cantillation classes. Cantillation, also known as trope, is what we use to chant from the Torah and the Haftarah. I have also used and taught the curriculum created by the URJ and the ACC called D'vrei Shir.

I officiate at all services and all holiday services within the congregation. I also participate and officate at life cycle events within the congregation, including funerals, weddings and baby namings.

In addition to my congregational duties, I also belong to some professional organizations. I am a member of the ACC, the American Conference of Cantors. I belong to the NCBC, the Northern California Board of Cantors and Synagogue Musicians. In 2002, I was the chairperson of the ACC-GTM, West Coast Midwinter retreat, to be held here in Los Gatos. I am a past chair of CRAGSJ, the Cantorial and Rabbinic Association of Greater San Jose. And in 2008, I completed a unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Kaiser-Santa Clara Hospital.

Since moving to California to become the Cantor at Congregation Shir Hadash, I met and married my husband and we are the proud parents of three children.

When I am not working (note—I like to be busy), I like to read, swim, bowl, play softball, and golf. I am an avid sports fan. And while I have adopted the home teams around the Bay area, my heart still roots for my beloved Chicago teams: the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Bears.

My door is always open and I am always available to answer any questions that you might have. Please feel free to stop by and say hello.

Devorah Felder-Levy, HUC-JIR SSM '96; ACC (American Conference of Cantors, www.accantors.org)