We are honored to rise in our roles as co-creators of a healthy, healing ecosystem of sacred, sustainable and systemic love and justice with an ensemble of renowned guest artists, activists and faith leaders from around the world.
Ritual Leaders
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Shira Kline
Shira Kline is an internationally acclaimed performance and ritual artist, recognized as a revolutionary educator and named one of the new re-engineers of Jewish life. A co-founder of both Storahtelling and Lab/Shul, Shira’s work as Director of Worship is to ignite expression of spirit and heart through the medium of the musical soul. Shira has toured in communities of all ages throughout North America and stages in Israel, England, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. She presents extensively across the denominational spectrum, specializing in creative worship and early childhood spirituality for clergy, educators and lay leaders. She is on the faculty of Hava NaShira, Song Leader Boot Camp, and has been adjunct faculty for the HUC-JIR’s Rabbinic and Cantorial seminary. Shira is also privileged to work as Lab/Shul’s Director of Family Education. The product of a modern rabbi and a modern dancer, she blends words, story and music to create a rich experience for children and adults alike. Known as ShirLaLa to the under five set, her award winning Jewish kiddie-rock albums along with her parent and teacher resource center, “Blog Sameach,” are played in homes, schools, classrooms, dance parties, and on the way to Grandmothers’ houses, worldwide.
Naomi Less
Naomi Less is a Brooklyn-based, internationally celebrated singer, composer, musician, ritual leader and educator. Her diverse original music is sung in worship communities worldwide, including Lab/Shul. In 2000, Naomi met Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and became a founding company member of Storahtelling, serving as Director of Education and Training, Director of Storahtelling and ultimately as a founding Lab/Shul ritual leader and Associate Director. Her signature music initiatives include: Jewish Chicks Rock band programs, creator/host of Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio, and co-creator/music director/performer for TRYmester, a touring performance piece that brings to light the oft hidden stories of fertility challenges through narrative, song and dance. Naomi is an activist and consultant for causes such as Bring Back Our Girls New York, a multi-faith volunteer group, and Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journeys (vice president). Naomi received training in spiritual leadership, music, facilitation and education from: Northwestern University, Jewish Theological Seminary Davidson School, Institute for Informal Jewish Education at Brandeis University, Institute for Jewish Spirituality, ChangeCraft (formerly Center for Leadership Initiatives). Listen to Naomi’s music on Spotify, YouTube, and Soundcloud.
Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen
Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen earned his Ph. D. in Homiletics and New Testament at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He entered the Ph. D. program after completing his M. Div. with a focus on Theology and the Arts, also at Union. Within the Presbyterian denomination he worked on the successful campaign for LGBTQ inclusion in church life while serving on the boards of Presbyterian Welcome (now Parity) and That All May Freely Serve. Rev. McQueen is the Associate Director for the Center on African American Research, Sexual Politics and Social Justice (CARSS) at Columbia University. Derrick has worked as a community activist, social worker and is currently an Arts and Culture Poverty Scholar with the Poverty Initiative/Kairos at Union. Currently he serves on the boards of Auburn Theological Seminary, More Light Presbyterians, the LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent the village of Harlem in New York City. Rev. Derrick McQueen is an ordained Teaching Elder in the PCUSA and has served as the temporary Pastor of Saint James Presbyterian Church USA in Harlem, New York since October 3, 2016.
Guest Ritual Musicians
Jeremy Brown
In front of the chuppah at a Chasidish wedding or onstage in a bar on the Lower East Side, Jeremy Brown has been a string player since the day he picked up a cigar box with a ruler attached in his first Suzuki class. Jeremy plays with “Golem”, whose 2015 release “Tanz” is available on the Mexico City based label Discos Corazon, and with “Pitom”, who have released two albums on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records.
Marques Hollie
Operatic tenor and jewsician, Marques Hollie, has been singing professionally since 2008. Since his debut in Opera Omaha’s production of Verdi’s Aïda, he has gone on to perform more than 20 roles in the operatic canon, including rarely performed and new works. Off the opera stage and onto the bimah, he has served as a cantorial soloist for Shabbat and High Holidays services, attended workshops taught by Joey Weisenberg at Hadar, and facilitated meaningful and creative Jewish ritual with FED, led by Deborah Fishman, and Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, NY. An emerging Jewish leader, Marques was named one of New York Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 in 2018 and a member of the inaugural cohort of the Union for Reform Judaism’s JewV’Nation Fellowship where he began developing Go Down, Moshe, a monodrama that explores the Passover story through Negro spirituals, civil rights music, and the narratives of enslaved people. Using his own lived experience to educate others, he has spoken on panels about Jewish seeker-hood, the diversity of Jewish identity, and working with marginalized Jewish populations for organizations including: Limmud NY, the Union for Reform Judaism, and Hebrew Union College.
Adam Kantor
Adam Kantor’s Broadway credits include The Band’s Visit (Telephone Guy – Grammy & Emmy Awards), Fiddler On The Roof (Motel), Next To Normal (Henry), and RENT (Mark). Off-Broadway: The Last Five Years (Jamie), Avenue Q (Princeton/Rod). Regional: Diner (Signature Theatre), Nobody Loves You and Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Old Globe). TV: Billions on Showtime (Pununzio), The Good Wife on CBS (Ezra). Training: Northwestern University and British American Dramatic Academy. Co-Founder of StoryCourse – theatrical dining experiences.
Zafer Tawil
An accomplished Palestinian musician based in New York City, Zafer is a virtuoso on oud, violin, and qanoun, and is a master of Arabic percussion. He has performed and recorded with numerous musicians, ranging from the pop star Sting to avant-garde composer/performer Elliot Sharpe to masters of Arabic music such as Simon Shaheen, Chab Mami, and Bassam Saba among many others. Zafer has composed music for a number of film soundtracks, most recently Jonathan Demme’s My Favorite American (not yet released), Rachel Getting Married, and the documentary Until When.
Eleonore Weill
French-American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Éléonore Weill creates and performs soulful interpretations of Klezmer, Yiddish, French, Occitane music as well as original compositions. In addition to her acclaimed socially-conscious Yiddish music ensemble Tsibele, she performs and records internationally in a variety of ensembles, from klezmer to Romanian and Occitane folk musics with the Baroque Music Center of Versailles (C.M.B.V.), Frank London, Orchestre National de Toulouse, Joey Weisenberg, Midwood, Les Saqueboutiers, and many others. She has performed at leading international festivals including Yiddish New York, the Ashkenaz Festival (Toronto), Kleztival (São Paulo), and KlezKanada (Quebec) on recorder, wooden flutes, piano, accordion hurdy-gurdy, and as a lead singer. With performance degrees from France’s National Conservatories in Paris and Toulouse, Weill holds a Master’s Degree in ethnomusicology from the Sorbonne and Columbia University. Weill’s music is informed by her conviction that traditional songs have great power to create social change.
Guest Artists
Avi Amon
Avi Amon is a Turkish-American composer, sound artist and educator. Recent credits include: CUPIDS with Zoey Martinson (Tribeca Film Festival); MLIMA’S TALE (St. Louis REP); THE COPPER CHILDREN (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); STEW (Soho Rep); THE FISHERMAN (HBO Films); THE BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM (HERE Arts); SALONIKA with Julia Gytri (Berkeley Rep); and several sound installations in a 100-year-old grain silo in Buffalo, New York (Torn Space Theater and The Prague Quadrennial). Upcoming: HEROINE’S GUIDE with Claire Kiechel (Spotify/Gimlet); RATED BLACK with Kareem Lucas (Woolly Mammoth); and INSHALLAH/MASHALLAH: a 3-D-audio opera re-imagining of the 1,001 Nights (Target Margin Theater). He is a Jonathan Larson Grant and New Music USA Grant winner, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a commissioned member of the NNPN Bridge Program, and has been an Artist in-residence with: Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, The O’Neill, THEatre ACCELERATOR, Goodspeed, Yale, New Dramatists, and Weston Playhouse, among others. Avi is the resident composer at the 52nd Street Project and teaches at NYU Tisch. www.aviamon.com
ANDRÉA BRADFORD
Andréa Bradford attended Oberlin College and Conservatory and then Boston University, where she received undergraduate and graduate degrees (respectively) in music. Ms. Bradford toured the United States as a vocal concert artist, sang numerous operatic roles throughout the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, she pursued a business career and established a successful reputation in the areas of talent management and organizational development. Ms. Bradford is a versatile professional, having been an entrepreneur, a professional musician, and having served as national treasurer of a 5,000-member national labor union. Her varied career has included the corporate, non-profit and academic communities, having created and directed programs in Boston and in New York City at Columbia Business School, Right Management, Amnesty International USA, and the Ms. Foundation for Women. After more than four decades in the Northeast, Ms. Bradford retired back to her native Huntsville, Alabama in early 2020. She continues her virtual service as an ordained Ruling Elder at the historic St. James Presbyterian Church (USA) in Harlem, New York. In the Huntsville community, Ms. Bradford has been contributing her skills and expertise in program development and fundraising at Drake State Community & Technical College.
Darian Dauchan
Darian Dauchan is an award-winning actor, writer, and musician who has appeared on both Broadway(Twentieth Century starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche) and Off Broadway theatre(Jean Cocteau Rep., Classical Theatre of Harlem). TV and Film credits include Law and Order, Nickelodeon’s Bet the House as Darian the “SoundFX” Guy, and the Lionsgate feature film Things Never Said. Darian is most known for The Brobot Johnson Project, an Afrofuturism, Sci Fi Hip Hop transmedia piece which won for Outstanding Comedy Series at the LA Web Festival. The show The Brobot Johnson Experience is a critically acclaimed Ben Brantley New York Times Critics’ Pick. Most recently Darian was nominated for a Drama League award for his piece Brobot PSA in the AFO Solo Short series and is a New Music USA grantee. Newly released singles Ohm and Dead can be found on Spotify and other streaming platforms. www.dariandauchan.com.
Jacqueline Nicholls
A London based visual artist, educator, and cultural events producer, Jacqueline explores handwriting as a form of drawing. This interest is informed by her Jewish heritage, a tradition that values scholarly word-play and textual interpretations as religious acts. She often uses a traditional Rabbinic text as a starting point, using her fine art practice to engage with a written tradition. Trained initially as an architect, Jacqueline went on to study to be a medical illustrator – learning anatomy and precise observational drawing along the way. She uses a variety of craft based techniques in her work including embroidery, paper-cutting, dressmaking, book-binding, as well as drawing, printmaking, painting, and animation. Jaqueline has exhibited her artwork in London, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, New York, San Francisco, Venice, Warsaw and Krakow. Recent residencies include Beit Veniza, and the Centre for Jewish Studies at Manchester University. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins.
Kendell Pinkney
Kennedy Pinkney is a Texas-born, Brooklyn-based theatre writer. A graduate of Oberlin College and New York University’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, his collaborative works and songs have been performed and/or developed at venues such as 54 Below, Two Rivers Theatre Company, Goodspeed Opera House, Musical Theatre Factory, The 52nd Street Project, and Joe’s Pub, to name a few. More recently, his broader interests in identity, race, and Jewishness led him to team up with renowned spoken-word artist Vanessa Hidary (aka, the Hebrew Mamita) to produce Kaleidoscope, a multi-media project and monologue showcase highlighting Jews of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Kendell coordinates Kolot Chayenu synagogue’s ever-expanding B’nai Mitzvah events, co-teaches Kitah Daled in Kolot’s Children’s Learning Program, and is involved with all things Jewish in and around New York City.
Jon Adam Ross
Jon has spent more than 20 years making art with communities around the country as an actor, playwright, and teaching artist. Jon has served as an artist in residence at Union Theological Seminary, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and many other religious and educational institutions. He was a Spielberg Fellow in Jewish Theater Education with the Foundation for Jewish Camp and received a Fellowship from the Covenant Foundation to create The In[HEIR]itance Project in 2015. As an actor, Jon has performed in over 90 cities around the globe. His stage credits include: a dog, a 2,000-year-old bird, an elderly orthodox Jew, a spurned housewife, a horse, a British naval officer in 1700s Jamaica, a goat, Jesus Christ, a lawyer, a wrestler, a hapless police chief, and a cyclops. Jon holds a BFA in Acting from NYU/Tisch.
Rebecca S’manga Frank
Rebecca S’manga Frank is a Black American Jew descendant from the Kingdom of Eswatini and Eastern Europe. She is a writer, actor, director, educator and filmmaker. Most recently Rebecca performed as Manke in Paula Vogel’s yiddish song-play “Indecent” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. TV credits include FOX’s Prodigal Son, NBC’s Elementary, and Lisey’s Story on Apple TV. Rebecca has performed at the Sundance Theatre Lab in Morocco, the Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Red Bull Theatre, and many other regional and off-broadway theaters. Rebecca’s writing has been featured in Lilith Magazine, at the Jewish Theological Seminary, JCC Manhattan, Society Theatre, with Reboot for DAWN, and many other artistic and religious institutions. In 2020 Rebecca penned a “Psalm for Racial Justice” for Hillel International, and this year wrote a “Psalm for Juneteenth” through Be’chol Lashon. Rebecca is a 2021 LABA New York fellow at the 14th st Y, a New Jewish Culture fellow, and a fellow of The Workshop at JTS. She is an alum of NYU Grad Acting program at Tisch, and the creative writing program at Mills College in Oakland, Ca.
Ari Warmflash
Ariel Warmflash is a theatre artist and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. With the In[HEIR]itance Project Ari finds herself at the intersection of her most avid passions; storytelling, community-building, and justice work. Ari has lived and worked as an artist and educator in New York City and Washington, DC as well as travelled internationally to work with artists in Israel/Palestine, South Africa, Croatia & India. She has been a Teaching Artist with educational theater organizations nationally including The Creative Arts Team, Opening Act, and Arena Stage as well working as a Freelance Artist with organizations including ECPAT-USA, The US Department of State, National Ramah, Beloved Brooklyn, Yachad, COJECO, USY and more. Ariel was an NYC Avodah Justice Fellow as well as a founding member of the Closer Look Arts Collective. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Theatre from The City University of New York School of Professional Studies. www.arielwarmflash.com
Lab/Jr. Guest Educators
Miryam Coppersmith
Miryam Coppersmith is a performance-maker, writer, dancer, and educator. Drawing from a DIY punk ethos, a desire to blend the lines between disciplines, and a love of teaching and learning, Miryam’s performances intend to be the start of a real conversation between performer(s) and audience. After graduating from Oberlin College in 2015 with a degree in Dance and Creative Writing, Miryam trained as a Lab/Shul Storahtelling Maven. She has since taught with Lab/Shul, Temple Israel of the City of New York, Makom Community, Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Temple Sholom in Broomall, Congregation Beth Elohim and others. She served as the Dance Arts Mentor for the first two summers of the URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Academy. Miryam has also led artistic workshops at several Jewish congregations and at the 2019 URJ Biennial in Chicago. This year, Miryam will be joining Lab/Shul’s Raising the Bar program as a B Mitzvah trainer.
Martine Handelman Duffy
Martine Handelman Duffy is a playwright, musician, and Jewish spiritual leader. Martine is currently a Master’s student at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and a recent grad of the Tisch School’s Department of Dramatic Writing. Martine’s work focuses on using Jewish history and tradition to inform dramatic storytelling today.
They are also a passionate educator, who is returning to Lab/Shul High Holidays for the second time. They have also worked as an intern at Lab/Shul, and as a FamilyLab educator.
Jordanna Gisser
My name is Jordanna (they/them). I am a queer, non-binary Jewish Anarchist who lives in Brooklyn. I am a grandchild of survivors, a Rabbi’s child, and am a very proud and outspoken ‘nudnik’. I am a medical anthropologist, working specifically with the semiotics, horizons, and technologies of the body, along with embodiment and affect theory. I am extremely passionate about community engagement, direct action, joyful militancy, and restorative justice. I am also a singer/performer/ visual artist, working with various textiles and mediums. I am an avid traveler and backpacker, having been to almost over 30 countries, and speak Hebrew and am learning Yiddish. I have worked closely with children for many years, mainly working with families personally as a nanny. I love being with and sharing space with all kids— I connect with them better than with my peers— and love singing, dancing, creating, questioning, and exploring with them! My favorite food is potatoes, in all it’s wonderful forms, and I have spent most my down days this summer at beach and roller skating!
Stephanie Guedalia
Stephanie Guedalia aka “Steve” is a graduate of Tisch School. She is a storyteller through a wide variety of platforms including performance, music and the written word. Steve spent her first two years of University studying Intellectual History. She was born in Jerusalem and was raised with a deep love of Jewish texts. She studied at Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Yeshivat Hadar, and Romemu Yeshiva.
Eve Kummer-Landau
Eve Kummer-Landau is a teaching artist, actor and private tutor born and bred in Brooklyn. She recently graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in Theater and Music History and is beginning her Master’s degree studies at CUNY in Applied Theater. Eve teaches Judaics, Hebrew, Bar/Bat Mitzvah studies and Theater at various locations in New York City, including Park Slope Jewish Center, City Congregation for Humanistic Jews and White Bird Theater Productions.
Maria Serach Alexandra Lemire
Originally from Long Beach, California, Maria Lemire (they/them) is a New York State-certified early childhood and special educator. After graduating from New York University in 2019, Maria now works as a Head Teacher at the 14th Street Y’s Preschool. Maria also leads school-wide and family programming at the Y, specializing in music and mindfulness. Maria will be graduating with their Master’s in Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) from City University of New York Hunter College. They strongly believe in strengths-based approaches, culturally responsive teaching, and the power of integrating the arts into all forms of education.
Shawn Shafner
Shawn Shafner is an artist, educator and facilitator. Creator of The People’s Own Organic Power Project (www.thePOOPproject.org), he has catalyzed conversation about sustainable sanitation from NYC’s largest wastewater treatment plant to the United Nations; look for his book Know Your S*** available soon from Cider Mill Press. Shawn teaches movement through the lineage of acclaimed choreographer Tamar Rogoff, sings with Marisa Michelson’s Constellation Chor Ensemble, and develops arts-integrated curriculum for learners of all ages. Since meeting Amichai in 2005, Shawn has created dozens (hundreds?) of original programs integrating ritual, theater, art, education, and community of all ages with Lab/Shul and at more JCCs, religious schools, day camps and overnight camps than you can shake a dreidel at. More at www.ShawnShafner.com.
Melissa Shaw
Melissa Shaw is a facilitator who offers a unique consultancy based in the arts, social justice, diversity and inclusion, and social emotional learning. She has facilitated in universities, schools, summer camps, detention centers, yeshivas, churches, corporate offices, and long-term temporary housing centers. She has led workshops for high school students, security guards, chaplains, non-profit managers, video game designers, Buddhist monks, school principals, older adults, NGO leaders, and the NYPD. She is a teaching artist and creative coach for various community-based organizations, including Community Word Project, Energize Your Voice, and the Lulu and Leo Fund. Melissa also facilitates a variety of anti-bias and anti-racist programs for the Anti-Defamation League and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. She was on faculty for Drew University’s 2018 Institute On Religion and Conflict Transformation where she helped to foster dialogue among religious and lay leaders from around the world. She is the Arts and Communication Advisor for the Muslim Jewish Solidarity Committee and was was part of the 2019 Nahum Goldmann Fellowship cohort. She is an associate artist with Falconworks Artist Group and a certified Ethno-Religious mediator. Melissa holds an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.