Few things have shaken the Rodeph Sholom family as much as the passing of Rabbi Aaron Panken, z”l. On a Wednesday, he presented Cantor Rebecca Garfein with the degree of Doctor of Music ad causam, but on the following Sunday, he was goneโand our newest rabbi, Juliana Karol, was ordained without him. Cantor Garfein has written a beautiful reflection on this loss, the surreal nature of it, and what a great force for good Rabbi Panken was.ย Originally published in the HUC alumni bulletin, we share her reflections below.
By Cantor Rebecca Garfeinย
Anyone who knew and loved Rabbi Aaron Panken will never forget where they were when they got โthe call.โ I was minutes from the curtain rising for my son, Maxโs Saturday night performance of Oliver! at Rodeph Sholom, where Aaron had been the very first beloved Assistant Rabbi of Rabbi Robert Levine, our wonderful Senior Rabbi.
When I got โthe call,โ I pleaded with Rabbi Greg Weitzman, our Assistant Rabbi, who shared the news. โPlease tell me youโre kidding. Please tell me this is not true.โ ย I kept saying this over and over until so distraught, I had to leave the Shafler Forum, where the musical was about to be performed.
You see, I am no stranger to grief. Not that this makes me an expert, but my mind could not, would not accept, that somehow, Aaron was gone.
The year was 1990. I had just returned from my first year of cantorial school in Jerusalem when I met Aaron at our fall kallah for Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at Eisner Camp. Aaron was a Senior. I was beginning my second year of cantorial school. He was simply the most fun person to be around. I remember all of us piling into a van to go bowling in town in the Berkshires. To be honest, it was the only thing I remember about kallah.
Fast forward to May 3, 2018. 18 years as the Senior Cantor of Congregation Rodeph Sholom and 25 years in the cantorate. It was time to receive my honorary doctorate in music. How was this even possible? Like Rip Van Winkle, I felt like one day I went to sleep and the next day, it was 25 years later!
On that day, Aaron met with those of us about to receive our degrees at 11:00 am at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York. I was a tad late, having hostedย The Cantors in Concert: Voices of a Generationย the night before at Rodeph Sholom with my classmates and New York City colleagues. I soon figured out from the conversation, that we were to share something about our lives over the last 25 years. I waited awhile, listening to what the others had to say, uncertain I could share what I felt in my heart. Back to my grief journey, but it is not what you think.
On November 7, 2014, I lost my best friend and classmate, Cantor Jenny Izenstark, to complications with auto-immune disease. This past September 11, 2017, I lost my beloved husband, Marvin โMikeโ Gellman after he battled acute myeloid leukemia for four years. On the day I was to receive my honorary doctorate, Mike and Jenny were definitely supposed to be there by my side. Under Aaronโs guidance, I spoke about how we all expected our lives to look a certain way 25 years later. I fully expected Jenny to receive her honorary doctorate with me and Mike to be by my side cheering us on. While these losses are a lot to bear, I explained that while Mike and Jenny were not physically with us, that they were sitting on my shoulders guiding me, as they each had done since leaving the physical world.
At the conclusion of the session with Aaron, we gathered together, and Aaron blessed us all. I cried openly, remembering the moment of ordination on that very bima at Emanu-El 25 years ago, with my beloved Jenny by my side and with my entire future full of ambition, excitement, and hope.
After the blessing, Aaron came over to me telling me how he had not seen me since Mikeโs passing in September and how truly sorry he was for my loss. He hugged me and later that afternoon, he did once again after handing me my honorary doctorate certificate.
After the doctorate ceremony concluded, I shared a very โAaron momentโ with my classmate, Cantor Ida Rae Cahana. Aaron proclaimed to the two of us, โMy two favorite Cantors!โ I looked at him and said, โI bet you say that to all the cantors!โ We all laughed loudly together. That was the last time I saw dear Aaron.
My heart is with Lisa and their beautiful children, Melinda and her family, and Aaronโs parents and extended family.ย He was an extraordinarily special and brilliant man and I can only imagine their grief.ย As Rabbi Levine has said many times since Aaronโs tragic passing, Aaron died doing something he absolutely adored and that gave him great joy.
I know Aaronโs beautiful soul is now soaring with the magnificent birds he admired when he would fly his planes and with all of the angels that left this world much, much too soon. Rest in Paradise, dear friend.
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, theย Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award.ย Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Known for his sweet and โsumptuousโ (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacherโs Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacherโs Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Naโs first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, Lโtakein, Bโtzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leedsโ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performerโs mic at a party and belted out the entire songโTomorrowโ from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMYยฎ Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elanaโs music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol BโSeder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,โ โModeh Ani,โ and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown Universityโs School of Foreign Service and received her Masterโs in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaismโs many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Sarah Adams 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Praised by the New York Times as โirresistible in both music and performance.โ flutist, 
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
