Blog

Miriam Greenberger – Belly Dancer, Choreographer

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 

Esther Freeman – Singer, Songwriter

Esther Freeman is an accomplished performer who brings incredible energy, a beautiful voice, powerful stage presence, creative song-writing and true meaning to the stage. Born and raised in Miami Florida as the 5th child to a Lubavitch family of 7, Esther displayed musical ability at 

Myra Estelle – Singer, Songwriter, Author – New York, NY

Myra Estelle is an English born songwriter, author, teacher, and mother of two sons, as well as a trained architect. Her songs come from her understanding of our spiritual yearnings, and the need for love within each one of us. Her two books are called: THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS: The Journey from Chaos to Peace, which guides people through a practical understanding of the emotional and physical support we can find from the higher conscious energy that exists in us and in our world. AWAKENING LOVE: A Spiritual Quest Into Judaism, explores the spiritual aspect of Judaism from a modern perspective. It uncovers significant kabbalistic wisdom that exists beneath the surface of Judaism. She teaches a monthly class about the spiritual path from a Chassidic perspective, including a short Jewish meditation, at the West 75th Street Townhouse in Manhattan.

Rivka (Eilfort) Fenton – Singer, Songwriter – Pittsburgh, PA

Rivka Fenton is a young singer song-writer born in California to a Chabad family on Shlichus. Rivka started composing music on guitar at the tender age of 15. Her music is folksy and mystical. Her songs integrate deep kabbalistic concepts while at the same time 

Sarah Dukes – Piano Composer – Pittsburgh, PA

Sarah started playing piano when she was six years old and composed her first song—a playfully dramatic number called “Elephant in Tights”—at the mere age of eight. Classically trained until she was 18, the North Carolina raised pianist increasingly turned to music and songwriting as 

Shira Dahan – Vocalist and Producer – New York, NY

Shira Dahan is the co-founder of a music and dance program for girls in Lakewood, NJ called Kulanu Nashir. Kulanu Nashir is still running successfully by Dahan’s partner, Esther Malka Bock, but Dahan has moved to New York and trained with Malky Giniger, for whom she is now a teacher.

Chana Laila – Singer, Songwriter – Western MA

Chana Laila is a cutting-edge singer-songwriter and inspiring instrumentalist who plays flute, guitar, and percussion. She performs her original Jewish music and leads drumming workshops nationally and internationally for women’s audiences. Originally from the NYC area and currently living in western MA, her debut album 

Bulletproof Stockings – Women’s Band – New York, NY

Bulletproof Stockings is a new Jewish Rock band, formed in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, December of 2011. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Perl Wolfe & drummer Dalia G. Shusterman. They make music exclusively for women. Bulletproof Stockings released their first single, Frigid City, 

Yaffa Borukhova – Singer

Born in the former Soviet Union, Yaffa Borukhova moved to the United States with her family in 1991. She received her bachelor of music in vocal perfomance from the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music, followed by advanced studies in vocal performance at Accademia Internazionale delle Arti in Rome, Italy. She enjoys singing different genres of music ranging from jazz to rock to classical and has performed for audiences internationally. In 2007 she released an album titled Contemporary Russian Romances.

Esther Berger – Singer, Songwriter

Esther Berger has been actively involved in music since I was six years old when I first began playing piano. I took up guitar when I was ten and recently spent a year learning vocal technique with a Julliard trained instructor. I have been writing 

Elana Bell – Vocalist, Poet – New York, NY

Elana Bell has been singing since before she could speak. Her first memories are of harmonizing to 1950’s songs around the campfire with her parents in the woods of northern California. Elana has continued to use voice as her primary means of creative self-expression and 

Gayle Ashkenazy – Musician – Great Neck, NY

Gayle Ashkenazy, Classical Pianist. Gayle studied piano at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division, Eastman School of Music and the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Past appearances include solo piano and chamber music performances for Festival Miami, the 92nd Street Y, The Lucy Moses School, Paul Recital Hall at Lincoln Center, The Merrick Library and the Great Neck House. Gayle also recorded and released a cross-over (Broadway) CD with singer, Martin Mansfield, entitled “Demarcations.” Gayle is a Balaat Teshuvah, initially inspired by Lincoln Square Synagogue’s Beginners Service, where she met her husband. Presently, Gayle, her husband, son and daughter live in Great Neck, New York and are members of the Young Israel of Great Neck. Gayle has a private music studio in Great Neck where she teaches piano, sight-singing and music theory. She has also served as a judge and accompanist for Great Neck’s Young Artist Series and holds a law degree from NYU.

Dena Abergel – Dancer – New York, NY

Dena Abergel, Principal dancer NYC Ballet. Dena began dancing at the age of 4. She grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, where she studied ballet with Dorit Koppel until the age of 13. She attended the School of American Ballet until she was invited to 

Devorah Zonenberg- Singer – Baltimore, MD

Devorah Zonenberg is a passionate singer, and native Baltimorean, who returned in 2003 to Baltimore after living in LA for six years and having three beautiful children. It was a dream of mine to become a singer and connect with people in a meaningful way 

Dahlia Topolosky – Musician – Rockville, MD

Dahlia Topolosky is wife and mother, musician and psychologist, and Rebbetzin of Beth Joshua Congregation in Rockville, MD. Dahlia is a licensed psychologist, with a doctorate from the combined school-clinical program at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Dahlia also enjoys singing, playing guitar, and dumbek drums. She has led concerts and kumzitzes for women and appreciates any opportunity to share Jewish mystical teachings and soulful melodies. Dahlia has started “Mommy and Me” Jewish music and movement groups for parents and children, and in 2007, produced her first album called Kol Nearim (Voice of Children), sold in Jewish stores or online. Along with her career commitments and community involvement, Dahlia places family first, spending time with her husband Rabbi Uri Topolosky and their four children: Elyon, Itai, Adi, and Liat. She hopes that their home is always known to be an open and warm place where everyone feels welcome.

Elena Tal – Singer – Baltimore, MD

Elena Tal made her debut at the Victoria International Festival in British Columbia, where she studied voice with her first teacher, Gaelyne Gabora. She studied opera with Carol Mastrodomenico at Tufts University, and has performed both nationally and internationally, at venues including the Italian International 

Andrea Sokol-Albert – Musician – Carlisle, PA

Commended in the British and American press as an “exciting musician of tremendous depth”, pianist Andrea Sokol-Albert has performed extensively as recital/concerto soloist and collaborative artist. Solo appearances include the Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.), two appearances on the Dame Myra Hess Series (Chicago Cultural Center), 

Mark Singer – Musician, Conducter – Baltimore, MD

Dr. Mark Singer, DMA, received his Master’s Degree in Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where he was concertmaster of the orchestra and a violin student of Berl Senofsky. Dr. Singer was a member of the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra and the Maryland Symphony. As founder and principal violinist of the Columbia String Quartet, the Aura Nova Ensemble, and the Tizmoret Trio, he has performed in chamber music concerts throughout the eastern United States. In 2005, Dr. Singer was a Pearlstone Foundation Scholar and Lecturer. In 2010, he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland and was a recipient of a University of Maryland Career Grant. In 2015, Dr. Singer directed and performed in a series of concerts at the Gordon Center for the Performing Arts entitled, From Darkness into Light, which was sponsored by the Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust. Besides conducting the Baltimore Women’s Orchestra, Dr. Singer is adjunct professor of strings at Morgan State University where he leads the Morgan Chamber Ensemble and teaches violin, viola, and string methods. He is also the founder and director of Tizmoret Shoshana Summer Music and Arts Workshop.

Rivki Silver – Musician, Composer, Arranger – Cleveland, OH

Rivki Silver began studying piano at the age of seven and clarinet at ten. She received her Bachelor’s in Music Performance from Truman State University in 2003, where she was principle clarinet of the Orchestra and Wind Symphony, and also studied flute, jazz, and composition. 

Devra Aviva Seidel – Musician, Actor, Singer, Musical Director – New York, NY

Devra Aviva Seidel is a classical pianist, actor, singer and musical director. Favorite roles include Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business without really trying, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Anne Frank in A Diary of Anne Frank and Elizabeth Lavenza in Eric Sirota’s 

Rivky Saxon – Singer – Pittsburgh, PA

Rivky Saxon (JUNIOR) is 16 years old, been singing before I could speak, and have been taking voice training for the past six years with Jamie Fair, founder of East End Performing Arts. I sing everything from Opera to Country, and Rock to Rap. I am the youngest of five children, and when I’m not singing you can find me scuba diving, getting driving hours, or practicing martial arts. I hope to make Aliyah after seminary and have no idea what I want to do after that, ‘cause hey, I’m only 16! 🙂

Abby Pines – Singer

After taking private voice lessons for 2 years, Abby attended Montgomery College as a Classical Vocal major. Two years later, she attended the University of Miami and switched her major to Jazz Vocal. On a summer break from school, Abby auditioned as a singer to 

Esther Newman – Musician – Baltimore, MD

Esther Newman received her Master’s degree in Flute Performance from Northwestern University School of Music and her B.A. in Music from the Oberlin Conservatory. She has specialized in Baroque performance practice on the 17th century wooden flute and recorders, appearing on the faculty concerts at 

Tzirel Mitzman – Singer, Songwriter

Tzirel Mitzman was born into a musical family. Tzirel began singing and writing poetry as a young child, leading naturally into songwriting. She began performing her own original music over 20 years ago. At first, her performances were small and local as she was raising her large family. Tzirel’s style is a captivating mixture reminiscent of Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell. She is a musician on a mission to help bring the beautiful and essential life tools of emunah to women through song and has created “A Musical Journey in Emunah.” Her easy and warm rapport with her audiences helps her seamlessly teach the tools of emunah and faith to a wide range of women.

Shoshana Michel – Musician

Classically trained, Shoshana Michel started playing piano at the age of seven and professionally at seventeen. She has a musical repertoire that spans a variety of genres and has performed at venues including Knott’s Berry Farm, The Olde Town Mall and The Galleria at South 

Lisie Michel – Dancer – Boston, MA

Lisie Michel is a freelance ballet dancer in Boston. After a several-year hiatus from performing, Lisie was thrilled to return to the stage upon finding a ballet company that would accommodate a shomer shabbat dancer. Her most recent performance was in the Urban Nutcracker, where 

Giliah Litwack – Visual Artist, Poet – Maryland

Giliah Litwack is a Maryland artist and poet who uses bold lines and vigorous color to tell stories, usually executed in ink and watercolor. She often uses both words and images to complement each other and convey an emotion, tell a tale, or express a spiritual longing. Working in a variety of two-and three-dimensional media to create paintings, drawings, jewelry, and fiber arts, she feels that her Jewish faith permeates all of her creativity. She has an Etsy shop, has done a variety of commissions, and shown in New York and other American cities. Her work is in private collections in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and Israel. Website

Fraidel Leah Kletter – Musician – New York, NY

Fraidel Leah Kletter Until age 16 Fraidel Leah was fully self-taught in piano and composition. She gave her first public performance at the age of 14, performing the first movement of the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Livingston High School Orchestra. At Rutgers University, Fraidel 

Jamie Eisenberg Katz – Entertainment Attorney

Jamie Eisenberg Katz is co-chair of the firm’s Business and Commercial Transactions group and a member of the firm’s Sports Franchise and Media Rights Law group. Ms. Katz has represented business and its owners across various industries on life-cycle issues from entity formation stage, navigation 

Andrea Grinberg – Cellist – Baltimore, MD

Canadian-born international cellist Andrea Grinberg made her soloist debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at age fourteen. Since then she has been a featured soloist with the Wilfrid Laurier University Symphony Orchestra, and the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, and has won a number of competitions including the Penderecki Chamber Music Prize and has been the recipient of scholarships from institutions such as Wilfrid Laurier University and the Jerusalem Academy of Music. She has performed with many conductors including Bramwell Tovey, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Bobby McFerrin, and has performed in chamber performances with the Israel Philharmonic players and in festivals internationally. As a teacher, Andrea has taught in Canada, US and Israel. In Chicago, she worked as the director of chamber strings and summer program director of The People’s Music School Youth Orchestras, numbering over 100 inner city kids. Since moving to Baltimore in 2013, Andrea has kept an active private studio, teaches inner-city kids through the Baltimore Talent Education Center, and together with her husband Yonatan Grinberg and violist Sarah Lowenstein founded “The Baltimore Bows,” a unique community string orchestra program for young students.

Miri Gottlieb – Musician – Silver Spring, MD

Miri Gottlieb was raised in a musical home and began studying piano at the age of five. She began her music career as a music counselor and a choir director at a summer camp for girls between her years of high school. While studying in 

Deborah Gallant

Deborah Gallant is a New York City-based business coach, dynamic speaker, teacher and workshop facilitator who helps make business topics interesting and valuable. Her lively style, peppered with humor and real-life stories, wins her rave reviews and she has been described as “Carol Burnett with 

Stella Filler – Mime – Bay Area, CA

Stella Filler performs with over 50 years experience of miming. Born in Tangier, Morocco, she spent much of her youth studying and performing ballet, as well as Spanish dance. With time, she moved to Israel and took her dancing talent to the field of mime. As a young adult, she learned with Yoram Boker and performed in Kibbutzim all over Israel. She studied with Fuji at the Theatre de Mime de Paris and with Ella Jaroszewics, the star of the Tomasshevsky Mime and former wife of Marcel Marceau. Other influential teachers of Stella’s were Etienne Decroux and Jean Louis Barrault. Stella reached American Shores in 1974 and promptly began teaching the art of mime. She directed mime performances at Stanford University, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, College of Notre Dame, Stanbridge Academy in Palo Alto and the South Peninsula Hebrew Day school. She created her own dance troupe, Pianomime, and performed with them around the Bay Area. It was while deeply in the world of professional mime that Stella began to incorporate Jewish themes into her art, and has now quickly fame as the world’s only “Kosher” Mime.

Chavi Epstein – Musician – South Carolina

Rebbetzin Chavi Epstein is the Co-Director for Chabad Lubavitch of South Carolina. She is also a renowned lecturer, musician, and founder of the Niggun Workshop Seminar. In South Carolina, she works as the director of Columbia’s Jewish women’s circle programs, as a local community counselor, 

Baltimore Bows

Baltimore Bows is a children’s string music program dedicated to strengthening families and community through the power and beauty of music in a high quality, nurturing and stimulating setting. Students come together twice weekly for string music instruction and an orchestral experience. Our teachers are 

Sarah Zier – Singer, Musician – Jerusalem, Israel

Sarah Zier began her piano studies at the age of three. She added voice and ballet classes to the mix, and soon knew that she was to be a lifelong musician. Wanting to earn a degree and teach music as a career whilst staying within a frum environment, Sarah began her undergraduate studies in Israel at Levinsky Teachers College and the Ron Shulamit Conservatory, where she is currently finishing up a Bachelor of Education degree in music. As a pianist, Sarah has performed in various chamber ensembles and as a soloist in America and in Israel. As a vocalist, Sarah has performed in numerous stage productions and concerts, and as a soloist with numerous ensembles and orchestras, including Zmora, the professional chamber orchestra of the Ron Shulamit Conservatory. She currently enjoys teaching music and dance in several places throughout Israel, and performing in musical theatre productions, most recently seen as Hodel in the WIT production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Audelia Zagoury – Singer – Tzur Hadassah, Israel

Audelia Zagoury – Singer – Tzur Hadassah, Israel

Audelia Zagoury, from Tzur Hadassah, a performer at Atara’s 2018 Jerusalem conference, made aliya with her family 13 years ago from Morocco. She graduated from the classical vocal department of the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance. She sang as a soloist in the Ankor Choir 

Yona Yakobovitz – Drummer, Composer, Arranger, Band Leader – Israel

Yona Yakobovitz – Drummer, Composer, Arranger, Band Leader – Israel

Yona Yakobovitz, a presenter at the 2018 Atara conference in Jerusalem, is Tofaah’s drummer, leader, and its founder. She composes and arranges the majority of the band’s music. She studied drums and percussion from the age of five and played the piano from age six. 

Jezliah Villarreal – Musician, Dancer – Israel

Jezliah Villarreal – Musician, Dancer – Israel

Photo by Rivka Rischall

Jezliah Villarreal is a singer/songwriter/musician/dancer and the co-director and co-founder of the RBS Dance and Music Academy located in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.

Jezliah was born into an Evangelical Christian home that observed the Sabbath. Her father was the pastor of a Latino church in Austin, Texas. Her parents and family are from Mexico and settled in South Texas in their youth. From a young age, Jezliah showed tremendous interest in the performing arts and trained in voice, music and dance.  By the age of nine, she started a dance team at her church and by age 12 she was singing lead in the church band. Jezliah aspired to attend one of the top Christian performing arts colleges to become a worldwide worship leader.

When Jezliah was 17, her mother and father brought Jewish teachings into the church and at home, and after intense research and soul searching, decided to leave the church in search for truth in Torah.

Jezliah married her husband, Yosef Daniel, in 2006 and had their first child in 2008. They finished their conversion to Judaism in January 2010 and made aliya in July 2010. Since then she has found her love of the performing arts once again as co-director and co-founder of the RBS Dance and Music Academy and is now working on her debut album called “Trust In You” She is performing and speaking at events around central Israel.

Jezliah hopes to inspire all women and girls to dream big and to hold on to Hashem who is in control of it all.

Yael Unterman – Poet, Author, Actress, Bibliodrama – Jerusalem, Israel

Yael Unterman – Poet, Author, Actress, Bibliodrama – Jerusalem, Israel

Yael Unterman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. She grew up in Manchester, England, and returned to Israel at the age of 18. In addition to spending several years on advanced Torah studies, she earned a BA in Psychology/Talmud (Bar-Ilan University), and Masters degrees in Jewish