B’nai Mitzvah Program Update

JUNE 2021   KEEPING CONNECTED

Dear Friends,

I wanted to share with you all information about a staffing change and update in Congregation Shalom’s B’nai Mitzvah program. After many years of helping to train our students, Barbara Rennert has decided to say good-bye to our community in order to pursue other interests. It is with incredible gratitude that I thank Barbara for all she has done to help our students and families during this important life journey. Barbara has been a deeply committed and conscientious teacher to our students, and she has passed on a love for Torah learning and respect for our ancient tradition. I have been honored to work with her during her tenure at Congregation Shalom and would like to say, thank you Barbara. Good luck with your future endeavors.

It is also with enthusiasm that I would like to introduce you to my new colleague who will be taking over the role of B’nai Mitzvah coordinator/tutor at Congregation Shalom. Cantor Rachel Reef-Simpson has been serving at Temple Emanuel Sinai in Worcester, MA for the last few years and has now moved to York, Maine to pursue a chaplaincy training program. Yes, she is a friend of Sue Horowitz’s and they will enjoy being neighbors when Sue in on the east coast! Some of you may have met Canto Rachel earlier this year when she helped to lead a havdallah service for our community.

Cantor Rachel will continue to work in a very part-time position as a cantor in the greater Boston area. She loves working with B’nai Mitzvah students, however, and is looking forward to teaching the students in our community through the amazing technology of Zoom. Cantor Rachel received her investiture as a Cantor in May 2016 at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR in New York and received a Cantorial Arts Certificate at Hebrew College in Newton in 2007. Before that she served congregations as Cantorial Soloist for in the Greater Boston area for many years. Welcome Cantor Rachel.

Warm regards,

Rabbi Shoshana Perry