Leadership at Hevrat Shalom Congregation

Clergy
Soloists

Principal Rabbi: Arnold Saltzman
Rabbi Arnold Saltzman, serving the greater Washington, DC, community for many years as Rabbi, Cantor, composer, and recording artist. He has been profiled by America's leading newspapers, magazines and television stations (NY Times, Washington, Post, The New Republic, Opera News, ABC, NBC, PBS, TV2 - Denmark). He is known for his spiritual services, teaching, and creative work with choirs, and as composer of symphonies and opera. He began his career as a child singer with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, RCA Victor (The Sound of Children, Mm, Mm, Good! commercial). He sang with world famous cantors, Moshe Ganchoff, David and Moshe Kusevitzky, and Sholom Katz.

With a MA in Music from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BA from Brooklyn College, Rabbi Saltzman continued his training at the Jewish Theological Seminary H.L. Miller School of the Cantorial Arts, graduating with highest honors. From 1977 to 1981 he served congregation Beth El  in Plainfield, New Jersey as their Cantor.

Upon graduating JTS, Rabbi Saltzman was elected as Cantor of Adas Israel in Washington, DC, one of the largest conservative Congregations in the United States. During his tenure at Adas Israel he established a series of creative and innovative musical services and programs. In 2005 he became Cantor Emeritus and assumed a new post, Chair in Jewish Music, a unique chair in Jewish Music for composers. During his twenty-five year association with Adas Israel his work has been recognized by the United Synagogue of America with ten Solomon Schechter Awards in Music, Drama, and Special Programing.

We welcome Arnold Saltzman, now as our Principal Rabbi and Educational Director.


Associate Rabbi: Rabbi David Kuperman
His celebration of life is innovative and traditional, joyful and warm, egalitarian and participatory. He supports communities in working toward the redemption of the world through the pursuit of justice and the practice of compassion. Rabbi Kuperman received his ordination from Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, a doctorate from Indiana University, and a master’s in rabbinics from Baltimore Hebrew University.

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Senior Cantorial Soloist: Caron Dale
Caron has been singing Jewish music since she was a young girl having started and managed ensembles in high school and college.  They were a prelude to Lox & Vodka, the Klezmer, Jewish and American music band, which she started because of her love of the music, the rich traditions, the wonderful holiday celebrations, and the deep spirituality Judaism offers.

Lox & Vodka has been the Kennedy Center’s artist in residence and the Washington Post’s Best Pick.  They’ve performed for Presidential events and have been featured in Festivals around the country.  They have recorded “Heavy Shtetl” and “Celebrate Shabbat”, and Caron wrote and recorded a Chanukah song which received national acclaim.  It is part of a complication CD entitled, “A Chanukah Feast”, a fund raiser for the wonderful organization Hungry for Music.  www.LoxVodka.com

In combining her love of music and her background in early childhood music, www.DaleEntertainment.com, Caron created a fun project working with pre B'nai Mitzvah students to write lyrics to selected themes e.g., Shabbat, peace, Israel.  These songs were included at Shabbat Services and other synagogue events in an effort to engage children in creatively expressing their Jewish identity and participating actively in the synagogue.  This program was funded at a number of synagogues over many years.

Caron is delighted to be joining the Hevrat Shalom Congregation as Cantorial Soloist and is looking forward to a wonderful exchange of spiritual, meaningful, creative and fun experiences with the congregation.
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Cantorial Soloist: Beth Rubens
Beth M. Rubens has been teaching with Musikids since 2002, and has been an Early Childhood Music teacher since 1999. She taught at the Levine School of Music in Washington DC, as well as in public and private school settings in the San Francisco Bay Area, working with babies through second-graders. Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from Vassar College, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She also completed Levels I and II of Orff Schulwerk teacher training in Early Childhood Music, as well as multiple teacher training workshops. Beth has performed professionally in opera, musical theater, recital, choral music and cabaret both in her native California as well as in the Washington D.C. area, New York, and Italy.
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