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. She graduated from JTS in 2012, and after her first pulpit in NYC, she joined HERJC in 2015.

​Since Hazzan Zakarin started at HERJC, she has brought zest, energy, and music to many programs at the synagogue. She runs the Kinder Cantors program where children from the congregation learn liturgical and contemporary Jewish music. She helps children (and adults) learn Torah and Haftorah portions for their B'nei Mitzvah and other special Shabbatot and Holidays. She also produces the HERJC Purim spiel, music programs for our Early Childhood Center, and yearly cantorial concerts, as well as participating in countless community activities. She has supported increasing our instrumental musical Shabbatot, with invigorating results. In addition to her role as the Hazzan, she also served for five years as our Religious School Director. Most importantly, in the transition to our new Rabbi complicated by the pandemic, Hazzan Zakarin was the steady presence that gave joy and stability to our congregation. 

Hazzan Zakarin is married to her beloved husband, Moshe, and has two beautiful children, Kayla Esther and Heshy. 

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hazzan@herjc.org

Tel: 516-599-2634  ext 215