Leadership

Rabbi Michel Schlesinger

Rabbi Michel Schlesinger comes to us from the Congregacao Israelita Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil, the largest synagogue in Latin America, where he was Senior Rabbi from March 2007 to 2021. He had been Assistant Rabbi at the CIP since August, 2005. He has a Bachelor of  Laws from the University of Sao Paulo, and his rabbinical ordination and a Masters in Talmudic Studies and Halacha from the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He took additional coursework at the Rabbinical Management Institute in Los Angeles, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Leo Baeck Institute in London. He has published a book, Dialogues of A Rabbi.

While at CIP, Rabbi Schlesinger also represented his congregation at the Jewish Confederation of Brazil for Interreligious Dialogue, the National Catholic-Jewish Dialogue in Qatar, Religions for Peace, the International Council of Christians and Jews, and the Abrahamic Forum.

Rabbi Schlesinger, his wife, Juliana, and their two daughters, Naomi and Tamar, are excited to be part of the HERJC community. They are enjoying the welcoming and open-hearted nature of our community. It has been particularly gratifying to meet the membership in person.

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rabbi@herjc.org

Tel: 516-599-2634  ext 214

Hazzan Bonnie Zakarin

Hazzan Zakarin graduated from SUNY Binghamton where she received a BA in Judaic Studies. She was then accepted into the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in Manhattan, the premier cantorial school for the Conservative movement on the East Coast. A significant part of the program was going to Israel for the first year and studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. After this, there were four years of study in New York City.

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When she graduated JTS in 2012, Hazzan Zakarin began her career at two different synagogues in two different capacities. She was the Cantor at Or Olam/East 55th Street Synagogue in midtown Manhattan and the Director of Education at The New Shul, which is located downtown. Working in both a Conservative synagogue and a progressive non-denominational synagogue encouraged her to be innovative, experimental, and original in her programming. She has brought these qualities to her work at HERJC.

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Since Hazzan Zakarin started at HERJC she has brought zest, energy, and music to many programs at the synagogue. Among many other activities, she heads the Chesed Committee.  The Committee provides a home-cooked meal to new parents or to congregants returning from the hospital or sitting shiva.  Hazzan also runs the Kinder Kantors program where children from the congregation learn liturgical music so that they can participate in services on Shabbat and holidays. And, of course, she helps children( and adults) learn Torah and Haftorah portions for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and other occasions.

Hazzan Zakarin looks forward to a wonderful and musical future at HERJC, helping to increase the harmony in our vibrant congregational life.

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hazzan@herjc.org

Tel: 516-599-2634  ext 219