Staff Spotlight: Cayla Newnan - Shir Hadash's New Communications and Community Life Coordinator!
Date: Nov 10, 2025
Author: Cayla Newnan
If you've been to the Shir Hadash office over the last few weeks, you may have noticed a new face. That new face would be me, Cayla Newnan. Last month, I started working full-time as Shir Hadash's new Communications and Community Life Coordinator. Although I've already met a lot of you, I would love to introduce myself to the broader Shir Hadash community!
ABOUT ME
I'm originally from West Hills, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. I grew up going to synagogue at Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks, where I had my very first job as a religious school madricha. I always had a flair for the creative, which carried into my college years a media studies and creative writing double major at UC Riverside. As an undergraduate, I got my first experiences in digital marketing through campus jobs and student organization involvement. After graduating in 2022, I began working as a Communications Assistant at DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, a trade association for the entertainment and technology industries.
My time at DEG cemented my passion in not just digital communications, but the experience and connectivity that comes with member engagement. Although we were a remote workplace, I had the chance to stay in touch with hundreds across the DEG community through email correspondence, newsletter publications, and wearing all kinds of hats at our annual in-person events. My favorite aspect of my position was using multiple channels of communication to help members get the most out of their DEG experience. I learned that the things that seemed little to me went a long way for members, whether it was an email confirming an event date, a share on LinkedIn, or an in-person introduction at events.
AT SHIR HADASH
I learned about the position Shir Hadash at just the right time in my life. I had lived in San Jose with my longtime partner for just over a year, and I knew I wanted to serve and engage with the South Bay community through my work. I was also eager to reconnect myself with Reform Judaism, as I had admittedly become less involved over the years.
Although I have been at Shir Hadash for just under a month, I have already had the chance to learn a tremendous amount and use my professional skills in ways I previously could not have anticipated. I'm most proud of launching the Community Recap feature for the website and In Tune, and it has been heartwarming to see that so many people are enthusiastic to share their events and milestones.
Of course, I've greatly enjoyed interacting with the congregants and leaders in our community, whether via email in person. I'm in the Shir Hadash office full time throughout the week, so feel free to come and say hi. I would love to introduce myself!
So far, I've been able to serve as a point of contact for publicity and communications, and I intend for this aspect of my role to only further evolve as time goes on. I'm also integrating into the Community Life half of my position, so I'd be delighted to speak with anyone about how I can use Shir Hadash's communications channels can best support your membership experience. You can reach me at my email, Cayla@shirhadash.org. I look forward to connecting!
Fun facts
- I love reading! I got my LA Public Libray card at age 5 and never looked back.
- I'm a huge theater nerd, and saw 14 shows this last year.
- I love dachshunds in spite of not having one myself (I will one day).
- My guiltiest of guilty pleasures is the TV show Big Brother.
- Though I'm not particularly athletic, I do enjoy a nice bike ride or a long walk with my lovely partner Kai (pictured here).