What’s hot from Hava Nashira – sharing the best of contemporary repertoire from Hava Nashira, the URJ National Songleading Institute.

Cantor Ellen Dreskin is an innovative leader in today’s reform movement. Her expertise extends from music to synagogue transformation, from experiential education to enlivened liturgy and mysticism.  She has worked as a scholar-in-residence with Jews of all denominations from Houston to Chicago and Los Angeles to Boston, has served as Cantor and Educator for congregations in Cleveland and New York, and has taught for many years at URJ Summer Kallot, Hava Nashira, URJ Kutz Camp Leadership Academy, and numerous other national conferences and educational seminars.

Ellen is graduate of HUC-JIR Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University, and is proud to have received her honorary Doctorate of Music from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2011. She is currently the Coordinator of the Cantorial Certification Program at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR in New York.

She is married to Rabbi Billy Dreskin, and is extremely proud of their joint projects: Katie, Jonah (z”l), and Aiden.
Rosalie Boxt currently serves as Cantor of Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland, just north of Washington DC. Rosalie is the URJ Worship Advisor and Biennial Worship Director. She is a Synagogue 3000 Fellow, and is a Partner in the Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health. She is also a past Vice-President for Member Relations of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC). Through PresenTense, an incubator for young Jewish social entrepreneurs and ConnectGens of the DC-JCC, she has launched a non-profit business called Kesher Shir: a venture which brings together Jewish musicians and cantors from diverse backgrounds to study, collaborate, and create meaningful music which will enrich and enliven worship and strengthen communities.  She currently mentors cantors in the field and consults congregations on issues of worship and music. She is married to Jason, whom she met at the URJ Kutz Camp, and is proud mom of Tahlia and Arielle.