Selihot
Selihah (סליחה) — Hebrew for "forgiveness."
In the Sephardic tradition, the recitation of Selihot in preparation for the Yamim Noraim begins on the second day of the Hebrew month of Elul.
Join Hazzan Ramón Tasat and guest leaders during the month of Elul through Yom Kippur afternoon. From Sunday till Thursday at 8 p.m. for a 20-minute celebration of the Hebrew letters.
All sessions are at 8:00pm except the Yom Kippur Selihot Review on September 16th.
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Contributors
Hear from people from all walks of life. Contributors from many professions, including educators, musicians, and rabbis, offer their take on the meaning of the Hebrew alphabet and how it relates to the theme of forgiveness leading up to the High Holidays.
Intro
Monday
August 9
Hazzan Ramón Tasat – Maryland
Ramón Tasat is the Cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the musical Director of Kolot HaLev, a Jewish Community choir in the Greater Washington area and the past president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ramón has toured Europe with world-renowned Dr. Robert Shaw, and he has participated in international festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to television and radio appearances, Ramón has been the recipient of numerous awards including a National Endowment of the Arts Grant.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ramón has toured Europe with world-renowned Dr. Robert Shaw, and he has participated in international festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to television and radio appearances, Ramón has been the recipient of numerous awards including a National Endowment of the Arts Grant.
Aleph
Tuesday
August 10
Cantor Janet Roth – New Jersey
Since her graduation from JTS in 1991, Cantor Janet Ilene Roth has served only one shul – Congregation Ohr Shalom – the Summit Jewish Community Center in Summit, NJ. She devotes her entire being to her congregation, however she has a few beloved projects outside the shul.
A devoted teacher of the poetry and music of the Jewish people, Janet has served on the teaching staff for the North American Jewish Choral Festival since 2002, where she conducts workshops on Israeli music, Jewish folk music, and liturgical music. Janet’s choral arrangements are sung by Jewish Community Choirs.
She leads educational programs for the Life Long Learning project of the Jewish Chaplaincy Committee of MetroWest Federation. Janet is also a certified Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach facilitator, and you can often find her, guitar in hand--on her rainbow blanket, surrounded by small children.
Cantor Roth received her undergraduate degree in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Music from North Texas State University, and a degree in Sacred Music with the Diploma of Hazzan from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
She is a past president of the New Jersey Region of the Cantors Assembly.
Bet
Wednesday
August 11
Daniel Cababié – Miami FL
Daniel A. Cababie was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He received a CPA and MBA degrees from the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Most of his adult life he worked in finance, and dedicated time as a volunteer in the Jewish Community. He was an informal educator in his Congregation, Bet-El, where he worked first as a madrich (counselor) in the youth groups and sleep away camp, and later became a “Rosh Madrich” (head counselor).
He also held several administrative and board positions in his congregation, such as secretary, treasurer, and president.
He also studied at the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, in Buenos Aires, where he took courses on Torah, Mishna, Midrash, Jewish mysticism, Medieval Jewish Philosophy, and contemporary Jewish thought, among others.
He moved with his wife to Aventura Florida 10 years ago, where he works part time as a financial consultant.
Gimel
Thursday
August 12
David Balto – Washington DC
David Balto is a proud member of Shirat HaNefesh He is a hospital and prison chaplain and is a volunteer for his chevra kadisha and Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington.
Dalet
Sunday
August 15
Rabbi Gerry Serotta – Maryland
is Executive Director Emeritus of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington following upon his recent retirement. He served at various colleges as a Jewish Campus Chaplain for 28 years and as congregational Rabbi including Shirat HaNefesh in Chevy Chase, MD. for 14 years.
He was the co-founder of Clergy Beyond Borders and of a number of Jewish social justice organizations including New Jewish Agenda, and Rabbis for Human Rights, North America.
He
Monday
August 16
Cantor Ayelet Porzecanski – New York
Cantor Ayelet Porzecanski joined Brooklyn Heights Synagogue as the congregation’s first full-time Cantor in July 2019.
Cantor Porzecanski completed a master’s degree in Sacred Music and Ordination in 2008 at the Cantorial School in the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Prior to JTS, she earned her Bachelor of Music in voice performance from the University of Toronto and received a Master’s in Voice Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
At Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, Cantor Porzecanski collaborates closely with Rabbi Serge Lippe to bring her extensive music training, her deep experience as a Cantor, and her focus on engagement to help shape the future of our growing BHS community.
Prior to joining BHS Cantor Porzecanski served for eleven years as the Cantor at West End Synagogue in Manhattan. There, Cantor Porzecanski grew the choir to become a professional level ensemble, enriched the musical life of the congregation through concerts and scholarly guests, and managed all aspects of the synagogue’s child and family programming as the Director of Family Engagement.
She also served as visiting faculty at the Reconstructionist summer camp “Havaya” for five years. Cantor Porzecanski, her husband, Aric, and their four children are thrilled to be part of the BHS community.
George Franklin – Maryland
George Franklin, a native of the Washington, DC area, is a retired accountant and has been a member of Shirat HaNefesh since 2011.
George enjoys text study and participating in leading Shabbat and holiday services. He and his wife Sandi, also a DC native, make their home in Rockville, MD.
Zayin
Wednesday
August 18
Yanina Grinberg – Buenor Aires, ArgentinaYanina Grinberg became a Hebrew teacher at Melamed. She finished her hazzanut studies at the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Yanina studied voice at the Conservatorio Manuel de Falla and received a BA on Education science at the Technical University of Loja, Ecuador.
At the school Bialik of Devoto in Buenos Aires Yanina taught Hebrew and served as Hazzanit. In addition, she taught Jewish Culture at the Albert Einstein school of Quito, Ecuador where her two sons, David Eliahu and Natán were born.
At the moment, she teaches Hebrew at the ORT school and the Estado de Israel de Paraguay school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition she teaches Biblical Hebrew.
Het
Thursday
August 19
Hazzan Michael Kasper – New YorkHazzan Michael Kasper holds a Private practice in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Michael taught in Hunter College's Post Master's Program in Clinical Social Work for ten years. Michael is also a past winner of a National Society of Arts and Letters Choreographer's Competition. He has been the Director and choreographer of the Michael Kasper Dance Company for more than ten years.
Author of the paper, "The Language of Love" which is published in the book, Controversies On Countertransference. At the Academy for Jewish Religion, Hazzan Kasper is the Dean of Cantorial Studies and Director of Student Life and Placement as well as a Full-Time Senior Lecturer.
Tet
Sunday
August 22
Rabbi David Greenstein – New JerseyRabbi David Greenstein serves as rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Montclair, NJ. He has taught in the US and Israel in rabbinical schools and other places of Torah study.
He is the author of Roads to Utopia: The Walking Stories of the Zohar (Stanford, 2014). His art work can be viewed at www.greensteindavid.com
Yud
Monday
August 23
Moriah Ferrús – Barcelona, SpainMoriah Ferrús holds a Bachelor Degree in Hebrew Philology and PhD Candidate in History of Art and Musicology with the research project "The Liturgical and Musical Legacy of the Scuola Catalana of Rome 1532-1908".
She is the Founder and President of the Nova Escola Catalana, Association for the Preservation of Catalan Jewish Legacy and Former Director of Education and Liturgy of Atid Jewish Community of Catalonia.
Kaf
Tuesday
August 24
Liora Moriel – Maryland
After receiving her doctorate in Comparative Literature at the University of Maryland, Liora now lives with her wife and twin teens in the USA.
With her wife and friends, she produced the First International Festival of Women in Music, in Beersheba, Israel.
She has traveled the world with her guitar and has recorded an EP and an LP.
Lammed
Wednesday
August 25
Evelyne Tzoukermann – Washington DCEvelyne Tzoukermann had a traditional French Jewish upbringing with one facet that differed from many: she chose to attend every possible class she could to learn more Hebrew and more Talmud. More recently, she studied how to read Torah with Hazzan Dr. Ramón Tasat, including studying the tropes so that she can now read Torah. In her words: “This allowed me to enter an area of spirituality that was not permitted for women when I grew up.” In addition, she holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Computer Science from the Sorbonne so Evelyne brings to us her deep understanding not only of Jewish history and thought, but also of the Hebrew language.
Mem
Thursday
August 26
Roanne Pitluk – MarylandRoanne Pitluk is an active member of Shirat HaNefesh and participates with her choir Kolot HaLev, the Jewish Community Choir of the Greater Washington area.
She is married to Dr. Ramón Tasat, has two grown children and three grandchildren. Roanne has an accounting practice in Silver Spring Maryland.
Selihot Ashkenaz
Saturday
August 28
Hazzan Ramón Tasat – MarylandRamón Tasat is the Cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the musical Director of Kolot HaLev, a Jewish Community choir in the Greater Washington area and the past president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.
Nun
Sunday
August 29
Larry Garber Larry Garber is an international development and elections expert, who has worked for USAID and various nongovernmental organizations.
He is a long-time member of the Fabrangen Havurah.
He is a long-time member of the Fabrangen Havurah.
Samekh
Monday
August 30
Norman Shore – Washington DCCommunity educator Norman Shore is a graduate of Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts, and has studied at the Hayim Greenberg Institute and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A founder of the Jewish Study Center in Washington, DC, since 1978 he has taught in many adult education programs throughout the Washington Jewish community.
His teaching has included courses in Basic Judaism, the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, Rabbinics, Tanakh, prayer, and Jewish history as well as private teaching from Bar Mitzvah students to candidates for Rabbinical smicha.
The first recipient of the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies (formerly Foundation for Jewish Studies) Master Teacher award, he is active in Fabrangen Havurah, and area synagogues, Jewish community centers, senior programs, and renewal groups.
Shore received his BA from Harvard College and JD from the University of Minnesota.
Ayin
Tuesday
August 31
Hazzan Jeremy Stein – WisconsinHazzan Jeremy Stein serves Congregation Israel Ner Tamid in Milwaukee, WI.
Hazzan Stein will tell about his experience visiting the Abayudaya, the Jews of Uganda, and in honor of the letter Ayin, teach a melody for ‘Oseh Shalom he learned on his visit.
Pei
Wednesday
September 1
Sam Eisen Dr. Sam Eisen is Director of The Language Flagship and Director of Programs at the National Security Education Program (NSEP) in the Defense Language and National Security Education Office at the Department of Defense.
Before coming to NSEP, Dr. Eisen served as the Director of the Advanced Training and Research Group in International and Foreign Language Education at the U.S. Department of Education, where he provided oversight for Title VI and Fulbright Hays programs designed to develop and maintain national capacity in foreign language and international and area studies.
Previously Dr. Eisen served at the U.S. Department of State in the Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia. At the State Department Dr. Eisen coordinated FREEDOM Support Act which funded academic and professional exchange programs with the former Soviet Union for over 5000 participants per year and managed specialized institutional development projects.
Dr. Eisen also served in the Coordinator’s Office as the Democracy Programs Officer for U.S. Government assistance to Eastern Europe and Eurasia to promote civil society, independent media and rule of law in the region. At the U.S. Information Agency he managed university partnership programs for Russia and Central Asia, Dr. Eisen taught Russian language, literature, and culture as Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at American University in Washington DC before entering federal service.
Dr. Eisen holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Stanford University, and a B.A in Russian from Amherst College.
Tzadi
Sunday
September 5
Hazzan Ramón Tasat – MarylandRamón Tasat is the Cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the musical Director of Kolot HaLev, a Jewish Community choir in the Greater Washington area and the past president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.
Kuf
Thursday
September 9
Rabbi Rachel Gartner has served as the Director for Jewish Life at Georgetown University and faculty lecturer since 2011. In 2019, she joined the leadership team of In Your Shoes, a project in Theatrical Performance and Dialogue, of Georgetown’s The Lab for Global Performance and Politics.Rabbi Gartner is co-author of Moving Tradition’s nationally acclaimed, Rosh Hodesh: It’s A Girl Thing Sourcebook, and has authored numerous opinion pieces appearing in The Huffington Post, The Hill, and The Washington Post, and in national Jewish media. Television and radio appearances include CNN and NPR’s 1A.
Rabbi Gartner is a fellow of the distinguished cross-denominational Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellowship of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, NYC (you can hear her on their CD here), the Cooperberg Rittmaster Rabbinic Fellowship of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, and the Pardes Rabbi as Rodef Shalom (Pursuer of Peace) Community of Practice. Rabbi Gartner is a past co-chair of the national board of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
Ordained with awards in Spiritual Motivated Social Action, and Practical Rabbinics from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2002, Rabbi Gartner also has certificates in mediation and dialogue facilitation from the Conflict Resolution Center, Richmond, IN, the Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Washington, DC, and Resetting the Table, NYC.
Rabbi Gartner lives in Washington DC with her (fiction author) spouse David and their (perfect) (-: son Reuben.
Rabbi Gartner loves chocolate, sushi, coffee and pizza (from NYC only, sorry) – not necessarily in that order. In addition to moving through the vicissitudes of life with her nearest and dearest, Rabbi Gartner’s favorite times are when she is blessed to bear witness to individuals coming to new personal insights, or groups of people experiencing interpersonal transformation. Her apartment boarders Rock Creek Park and she loves to wake up to trees and sunshine. She actually adores the chorus of the cicadas, and opens her windows to let the sound in all day long.
Resh
Sunday
September 12
Nan Wellins – Maryland
Nan Wellins is a writer, editor, Hebrew translator, and former mezzo with the Israel National Choir and the Israel Opera. She directs foundation relations and communications for the Israel Scholarship Education Foundation (ISEF) and loves helping Israelis from marginalized communities be the first in their families to earn degrees.
She joined Shirat HaNefesh in 2008 and served six years on its board, including stints as chair and vice-chair. Mom to new college grad Ari, she lives in Silver Spring with husband Michael, dog Tara, and Rico the cat, who often attends Shirat HaNefesh Zooms.
Shin
Monday
September 13
Rabbi Devorah Lynn – Washington DC
Rabbi Devorah Lynn is a born and raised Washingtonian. A graduate of U of MD, the Art Institute of Boston and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion New York. She was the Para-Rabbi and Rhodes Scholar Director of Bermuda for a decade, the rabbi of Fredericksburg VA, a Chaplain for JSSA and the Co-chair of Jewish Earth Alliance, amplifying the Jewish voice on the Climate Crisis. She will bring her diverse background in anthropology, art, and meditation to the beautiful crowned letter SHIN, the symbol of Shirat HaNefesh.
Taf or Tav
Tuesday
September 14
Darius Sivin – Virginia
Dr. Darius Sivin is an occupational health and safety professional for the United Auto Workers and a member of Shirat Hanefesh and other DC Jewish Communities.
He has taught at Shirat, Fabrangen Havurah, Fabrangen Cheder, the Jewish Study Center and the National Havurah Committee Summer Institute and Chesapeake retreat.
Yom Kippur
Selihot Review
Monday
September 16
4:15 pm
Hazzan Ramón Tasat – Maryland
Ramón Tasat is the Cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the musical Director of Kolot HaLev, a Jewish Community choir in the Greater Washington area and the past president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.Update this content.
Tue, May 27 2025 29 Iyyar 5785
____________________________________
Location
In North Chevy Chase near I-495. Please email info@shirathanefesh.org for location information.
Mailing Address
PO Box 8681 Silver Spring, MD 20907-8681
Phone
(202) 681-1319
Donations
Shirat HaNefesh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; our EIN is 51-0673575. Donations are tax-deductible .
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