ACC Welcomes New Associate Members, Celebrates Milestones and Retirements at Upcoming Convention
The American Conference of Cantors is pleased to welcome two new Associate Members, voted into membership, after completing the ACC Membership Exam process, at the March 2023 ACC Executive Board Meeting.
Cantor Kelly Cooper serves Temple Israel of Long Beach, California. She began singing and performing at the age of 13. When she first heard her future mentor, ACC member, Cantor Perryne Anker, leading services at a temple in Los Angeles, becoming a cantor and lifting people up through song became her dream. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis on vocal performance. Cantor Cooper moved back to Long Beach from New York and began working for Temple Israel in 2010. She held various positions including choir soloist, Hebrew teacher, and Tot Shabbat leader. It was during her time as the Tot Shabbat leader that Cantor Cooper was inspired to start her long anticipated journey to the cantorate. Cantor Cooper received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California in May 2022.
Cantor David Wolff joined Temple Beth Am in July 2020 after spending two years as a cantorial intern. He was ordained at Hebrew College in June 2020. He brings pulpit experience from Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, Adas Israel Congregation in Washington D.C., and Congregation Beit Chaverim in Maryland, in addition to almost 10 years of work experience in music and religious education. Cantor Wolff graduated from Amherst College with a degree in music composition before studying Hebrew at Ulpan Gordon in Tel Aviv. He earned a Master of Music in Voice and Music Education from the University of Michigan and Master of Arts in Jewish Education from Hebrew College.
In addition to welcoming our two new associate members and celebrating our other 2023 Milestone Honoress at our 2023 San Diego convention, the ACC will celebrate the retirement of Cantor Kay Greenwald, ACC Director of Placement for the last 10 years. Cantor Greenwald grew up in Southern California where she attended Pomona College, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Religion and Classical Studies. Upon graduating from Pomona, Cantor Greenwald matriculated to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and completed a Master’s in Vocal Performance. She then moved to Vienna and spent the next few years singing opera throughout the country of Austria, as well as numerous venues throughout the United States. When Cantor Greenwald returned permanently to the U.S., she determined to join her love of music with her passion for Judaism. She was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in 1992. Following her ordination Cantor Greenwald moved to the San Francisco Bay area, becoming Assistant Cantor at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California. She served Beth Am for 13 years moving first to Associate, and then to Senior Cantor status over the course of her service to the congregation. Today Cantor Greenwald is Cantor Emerita at Congregation Beth Am. Having served on numerous ACC task forces and committees, as well as the ACC Executive Board, Cantor Greenwald is a past president of the ACC. Cantor Greenwald has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Union for Reform Judaism.
The 2023 Milestone Honoress include:
65 Years
Cantor Martin Feldman
Cantor Irving Shulkes
60 Years
Cantor Bernard Dienstag
Cantor Stephen Stein
50 Years
Cantor Rabbi Scott Colbert
Cantor Glen Groper
Cantor Bruce Malin
40 Years
Cantor Rabbi Vicki Axe
Cantor Roy Einhorn
Cantor Robert Gerber
Cantor Martha Novick
Cantor Jodi Sufrin
Cantor Ellen Sussman
Cantor Alan Weiner
25 Years
Cantor Karen Berman
Cantor Dr. Andrew Bernard
Cantor Rabbi Oksana Chapman
Cantor Gabrielle Clissold
Cantor Herbert Cole
Cantor Linda Ecker
Cantor Jessica Epstein
Cantor Geoffrey Fine
Cantor Florence Friedman Hurwitz
Cantor Deborah Hartman
Cantor David Katz
Cantor Chanin Rosen
Cantor Jennifer Seeger
Cantor Louise Treitman
Cantor Sarah Zemel
Cantor Amy Zussman
2023 HUC-JIR, DFSSM Ordination Class
Jordan Goldstein
Emily Short
Becky Mann
Sydney Michaeli
Agnes Valdman
Kalix Jacobson
Emma Maier
Isaac Sonett-Assor
Ze'evi Tovlev
Rokhl Weston
Ella L. Gladstone Martin
2023 Celebrations
Cantor Claire Franco 20th Anniversary
Cantor Rebecca Moses 10th Anniversary
Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas transition from Congregation to ACC Placement Director
2023 Retirements
Cantor Joel Colman
Cantor Laura Croen
Cantor Lori Frank
Cantor Margot Goldberg
Cantor Kay Greenwald
Cantor Penny Kessler
2022 Retirements
Cantor Ellen Stettner
Cantor Diane Yomtov
Cantor Audrey Abrams
Cantor Patricia Hickman
Cantor Deborah Hartman
Cantor Martha Novick
Cantor Dana Anesi
Cantor Beny Maissner
Cantor David Green
Cantor Shoshana Lash