Rachel Vernon has been training and performing in modern dance since the age of four, and over the past 20 years has had the privilege of working with many of Toronto’s leading modern dancers and choreographers. Rachel has performed in various Canadian cities, including Calgary, …
Chana Shavelson received her vocal training from Elizabeth Coss, a former principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera; Mark Aliapoulios, at the Boston University School for the Arts; and Miriam Meltzer, at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music. Chana has attended the Tanglewood Institute and appeared …
Peninnah Schram, well-known storyteller & author, is Professor of Speech and Drama at Yeshiva University’s Stern College. Vibrantly elegant in her storytelling, she tells Jewish stories of wisdom and wit. Her latest book is an illustrated anthology, THE HUNGRY CLOTHES AND OTHER JEWISH FOLKTALES (Sterling Publ.) and a CD, THE MINSTREL & THE STORYTELLER, with singer/guitarist Gerard Edery (Sefarad Records). Peninnah is a recipient of a Covenant Award for Outstanding Jewish Educator and the 2003 National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ashira Morgenstern composed/released the first recording of original music by and for Jewish women in 1983 under the guidance of Rav Sheinberg of Torah Ohr and Rav Nachman Bulman. A close student of Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Freifeld, a”h, she was the founding director of Tapeynu, …
Leah Levy is a new up and coming filmmaker. Her films capture her struggles, adventures and fears as she journeyed into frumkite. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Art’s in Sociology from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, she came to New York and worked in music. …
Marilyn Lechtman began ballet training at Les Grand Ballet Canadienne in Montreal and continued studies in jazz and modern dance. She taught and performed for a number of years before turning her artistic expression to clothing and costume design. In 2005 she debuted her one-woman show “Letters of Appreciation” which she performs as a charity project for Synagogue groups, schools and other organizations. Professionally, she is a real estate agent and considers all her challenges opportunities for creativity. Marilyn lives in Toronto with her husband of 34 years. She has two grown children and two grandchildren. She is proud to be a co-founder of Koleinu and would like to express her heartfelt appreciation to be blessed with the support of family and friends to participate in this wonderful production.
Tziporah Miriam Halperin, Mezzo-soprano, has appeared in concert and in a wide range of opera roles with companies around the U.S. including the Caramoor Festival, West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and the Sanibel Festival. Noted especially for her dramatic flair …
Ariella Goldberg is a singer-songwriter originally from Beverly Hills, California. She tours communities in Canada and the US performing a dramatic musical program From 90210 to 613, a musical rendition of her odyssey from secular Beverly Hills to life as a Chassidic woman. As she …
Chanale Fellig is a singer, songwriter, recording artist and performer whose melodic and moving songs open the hearts and touch the spirits of women in communities everywhere. Her powerful performances excite and inspire all-female crowds in places as far as China, South America, Alaska and Israel, in schools such as Bais Yakov, Bais Rivka, and TAG. Her career began in 1999 when she was invited to sing for “Women in Song,” a concert that featured performances from talented female musicians from all over the country. Chanale debuted the song “Esa Aini” to a sold-out crowd and, more importantly, discovered her passion for musical entertainment. Her music reflects her strong Jewish heritage and embraces her contemporary musical taste. A powerful performer, Chanale charms her audience with her charisma, upbeat attitude and warm smile, creating a unique bond with listeners. She has been hailed as the fastest rising Jewish female singing sensation in the last decade and she is here to stay. www.chanalesings.com
Rachel Factor is a Kollel wife and mother who makes her home in Eretz Israel. Her journey from Hawaii, where she was born, to Los Angeles and then New York as a singer, dancer and actress and finally to her home in Yerushalayim is chronicled …
Chava Schneider was born and grew up in Chelsea. Both her parents were involved in music professionally- her father taught high school music and her mother played in orchestras locally. From an early age, Chava studied choir and piano, but immediately loved guitar. She was …
Katia Bolotin, a pianist, composer, arranger and vocalist, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and The Cleveland Institute of Music. She holds a Master’s degree in musicology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She lectures and performs both nationally and internationally. She is the founder of “One Voice,” a movement committed to inspiring spiritual growth among Jewish women and girls, through motivational lectures and musical events. [Sunday PM]
Phyllis Blackman comes from a musical family and has always been in chorales and musical groups, receiving honors for her vocal performances. She has been part of the recording groups Blue Spectra and Dubie Duke and the Duchess. Phyllis composes and sings her own music …
Chana Leah Yerushalmi, JUNIOR (2012) Age 12. Chana Leah’s beautiful and inspirational songs came streaming though her a week and a half before her bas mitzvah last spring. She recorded an album in a mere week and a half with original lyrics that she composed …
Malka Russell, JUNIOR (2012) loves to act, sing, and play her guitar. She had a role in the play Oliver when she was 9, and played the leading role as Joseph in an original musical school play, when she was 14. She played the evil uncle in her school play “A Daughter in Disguise” last year. She loves to cook, bake, and spend time with her family. She can be heard throughout the house at late hours of the night, strumming on her guitar, singing. Music is the pen to her soul, and her creative spark inspires her to pursue her dreams and share her love of music with others.
Natali Polonsky, JUNIOR (2012) is a 7th grader at Yavne High School. Natali has been singing and dancing since the age of 3. Natali has been studying Ballet, jazz, and hip hop at the Creative Learning Institute of Dance and has studied voice with Katia …
Tzippa Marchette, JUNIOR (2012) is an 8th grader at New England Hebrew Academy in Boston. Involved with music from a very young age, Tzippa sings and plays piano and guitar. She has studied piano and voice with Melody Michaelson and songwriting with Esther Leah Marchette, …
Hannah Laskow, age 14, from Agouti Hills, California has been performing on stage from the age of four. Since then she has held major roles in dozens of musicals through school, camp and community theater, including Class Act and Kol Neshamah. What she loves most about theater is singing. At age 10, she began writing her own songs and producing them in her home studio. This past year, she wrote the songs, trained the vocalists, produced the recordings, directed the stage show and marketed her very first all girls concert — Shalosh! The audience members thought they were going to see a kids’ show. The jaw dropping performance wowed the women who attended, who then leapt to their feet and gave a standing ovation. The concert was a smashing success and the talk of the town for several weeks. We’ve all heard family and friends of famous performers talk about how they knew someone was destined to accomplish their dream of success at an early age. Hannah Laskow is one of those people.
Rebecca is a 12 year-old singer, actress and dancer from Great Neck, New York. Her performance credits include the title role in the 2011 Great Neck Public School Summer Musical Theater Production of Cinderella. Additionally, she has performed in following Sid Jacobson JCC community theater …
Tziona lives in Northern Israel, where she performs her moving original compositions and teaches singing, Torah, and prayer. She is a mulit-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, riq (a Middle Eastern tambourine), harmonium, and the Persian santur. After living in California, performing improvised music with free …
Through dance, music and Chassidism, Miriam Yerushalmi has been using art to help fix our souls. Her movements echo deep teachings from Kabbalah and Tanya, inspiring children, teenagers, and adults. She deals with themes such as serving G-d with joy, as a bride or an angel, and she dresses up in dazzling costumes. All of her dances and workshops are based on Chassdic teachings from the previous Lubvitchers rebbe and Chassidus. Her dance performances are not typical because embedded within every move is a message. She uses her voice in singing in combination with using her body in dance, so its especially powerful and effective.
Dutch-born Yona Verwer’s paintings and photos feature Kabbalah inspired imagery. Besides solo shows in the Netherlands and New York, her work has been exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art and the Mizel Museum. Her murals are on view at the S.A.R. High School …
Nechama Tarlow is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Music Therapist practicing in New Jersey. Although a classically trained flutist, her favorite way to make music is through improvisation, which is easily facilitated with drums and percussion instruments. Nechama trained with Arthur Hull, …
Elka Reva Sudin is a visual artist who draws inspiration from urban culture and her Jewish heritage. She founded Jewish Art Now with the aim to redefine 21st century art for the Jewish community, and received critical acclaim for her “Hipsters and Hassids” painting series. Sudin received a BFA in Illustration from Pratt Institute in New York. She has curated art exhibitions at the Flomenhaft Gallery, Gallery Bar, and Industry City and has presented at the Jewish Art Salon, Limmud FSU, and Tribefest in Las Vegas. Recently, Sudin was named one of the “36 Under 36” young Jewish innovators by The Jewish Week. Sudin lives with her filmmaker husband Saul, in Brooklyn, New York.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Leah Sigal, who currently resides in Monsey, NY, has had a passion for music since her early childhood years. Besides being a busy housewife and mommy, Leah spends her time composing and arranging soul-stirring, heart-rending and uplifting music, drawing out …
Since the age of twelve, Ilana Chava Shechter has been creating catchy, thought provoking and meaningful music. She combines personal experience and Torah insight to make music that is sure to inspire. Her songs take you on a journey of introspection and expression. These songs …
Light, color, joy, and depth define the work of Tzfat artist, Sheva Chaya Saivan. Sheva Chaya grew up in Denver, Colorado where wide open skies and the majestic Rocky Mountains inspired her to begin her career as an artist. She studied at Princeton University, majoring in visual art and art history, with a concentration in painting. After graduating from Princeton in 1997, Sheva Chaya immigrated to Israel. There, the land, the people, and a rich tradition of spiritual teachings brought a new, deeper dimension to her work. Sheva Chaya now loves living in the Old City of Tzfat, Israel, with her husband and three children. www.shevachaya.com
Rachael Rosenbaum sings for Jewish women. Her first solo performance was at an open mic, Girls Night On! at Makor in New York City. Since then, she has sung a capella, with a guitarist, a pianist, or her harp on several occasions, for example at …
Yocheved Perlman has been performing for over 15 years for Jewish women audiences all over the United States and Canada. She was fortunate to grow up amongst two very talented parents who are professional musicians. As a young girl, she studied with top vocal coaches. …
Shira Nussdorf has been performing since she was a child. She began by touring with Sol Zim’s Jewish choir as a youngster. At the age of 8 she composed her first song “Winter’s On its Way” which quickly became one of her elementary school’s official songs for both violin and voice. She attended the esteemed FAME LaGuardia HS for drama. During college she founded her first production company, Busted Theatre Works dedicated to showcasing independent and avant guarde theatre. She graduated Hunter with a double major in creative writing and English Secondary Education and minors in philosophy and theartre. After going to Israel on a birthright program, Shira began her love affair with Zionism and the Jewish people. Since then Ms. Shira has both studied and taught at the kiruv organizations that helped mikiruv her. She has run children’s programs for Aish, Chabad, Hineni,and Gateways. After attending the Jewel program and Neve Yerushalyim she decided to address her struggles with kol isha as an artist by creating women’s performance programming. Her company Ladies First has helped host hundreds of Jewish women singers. Recently she has hosted events in NY with ATARA in Brooklyn and looks forward to continuing creating opportunities and workshops for women worldwide.
Nishmat HaTzafon is a Jewish women’s performing arts company designed to promote the expression of Jewish women’s artistic talent and creativity. The group creates performances that explore a specific Jewish theme. Their performances interweave dance, song, music, and Jewish text and attempt to inspire and …
Eszter Margit is a writer, journalist, sociologist, art manager, healer and community organizer originally from Hungary. Her first novel, The Jewish Bride was published in 2009 in Hungary and sold out within 3 months. The book had been recently translated to English and is currently …
Talia Lakritz hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and studies English and Creative Writing at Barnard College in New York City. A singer/songwriter and digital content creator known as “nerdwithavoice” on YouTube, her outspoken videos about Orthodox Jewish feminism have been featured on BBC, NPR, Yahoo! News, The Huffington Post, Everyday Feminism, The Forward, and The Times of Israel. She was an artist fellow with the Jewish Women’s Talent Agency and has been a featured performer at VidCon, Jewish Queer Youth’s Community Chanukah Party for LGBTQ Jews and Allies, Barnard’s Take Back The Night Speakout, and In The Glow. When she’s not lugging her keyboard around on the subway on her way to an open mic, chances are she’s updating her Twitter (@nerdwithavoice), Instagram (@nerdwithavoice), and Tumblr (the orthodoxjukebox.tumblr.com).
Dages Juvelier Keates is a movement artist based in Brooklyn. She received her BA in dance from Bard College after attending Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed for choreographers such as Noemie Lafrance, Jennifer Monson, Susan Osberg, Leslie Satin, and Kristi Spessard. She is currently …
Natalia Kadish is a Surrealist artist inspired by the joy received from learning Torah and contemplating the infinite. She received a BA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts. Her art has been displayed in several concerts including Irving Plaza in NYC. While incorporating the …
DeDe Jacobs-Komisar is originally from Baltimore, where she co-founded the Jewish Theatre Workshop and ran JTTV Live!, an interactive teen theater program. While living in Israel, DeDe founded and led BamatMabat Theater Company and appeared in productions of Center Stage Theater and Jerusalem English-Speaking Theater. DeDe is on the advisory board of 24/6 Theater Company, and has been published in Bridges: Journal for Women and Home Planet News. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Theater Management at Yale School of Drama with the goal of founding a professional Jewish company. Current projects include an adaptation of Jewish King Lear for the Yale Cabaret, Where is the Woman – an exploration of women in Tanach through the midrashic poetry of Enid Dame, and the Jewish Women through the Ages Fashion Show, produced by Jewish Women’s Circle. DeDe lives with her husband and son in New Haven, CT.
Penina (Paula) Jacobs is originally from Los Angeles, where she began acting at the age of six. After various roles in theater and television in the United States and Canada, she became involved in theater for young audiences in 1989 though her work as a …
Infinite Light is a women’s band which seeks to spread the teachings of Light and love throughout the land, spread joy and light and inspire women all over to reach inside themselves and express their amazing talents, creativity, and inner beauty. Our songs are Inspired …
Tamar Guterson is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has studied piano and is currently studying voice and she loves music and acting. Tamar has appeared in numerous films including “Becoming Rachel” and “The Keystone.”
Miriam Greeberger started taking belly dance classes in a local gym 8 years ago. She loved everything about it the music, the costumes and the moves, and took the classes very seriously. This led to finding out where there were more classes available and attending …