Machon Tefilla (prayer service): Baruch HaBa (Welcome) to Hazzan Jeremy Stein

Machon Tefilla welcomed Hazzan Jeremy Stein (bio, below*; top photo on left) to this week.  Hazzan Stein is here as a visiting Shira (song) specialist.  He led them in a spirited tefilla filled with ruach (spirit) and singing.  Baruch HaBa!

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Hazzan Jeremy Stein joined Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid in July of 2009.

A native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Hazzan Stein studied flute and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating, he toured with his jazz/rock band Flutopia. In addition to performing with his band, Hazzan Stein played on film scores, composed radio jingles, and performed at countless Jewish weddings.

In 2009, Hazzan Stein graduated from the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music at the Jewish Theological Seminary. While in Cantorial School, Hazzan Stein combined his passion for jazz, folk and pop with his love of Jewish music, composing melodies rooted in Jewish musical tradition with a modern flair. For his efforts, Hazzan Stein was awarded the Max and Sol Feld Prize in composition two consecutive years. In his final year at JTS, Hazzan Stein traveled to London and Israel to conduct field research for his thesis comparing the musical traditions of the Jews of Yemen and Aden.

Hazzan Stein ́s performances have taken him to such stages as Carnegie Hall and the Original House of Blues in Boston. He has performed many times with The Zamir Choral Foundation, sharing the stage with perennial Jewish performers Theodore Bikel and Debbie Friedman. Hazzan Stein is a passionate, dedicated teacher and enjoys working with congregants of all ages. In 2015, Hazzan Stein completed a Master of Jewish Education through the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His thesis was entitled “Sacred Destination, Many Paths: Differentiated B’nei Mitzvah Teaching” in which he explored approaches to teaching B’nei Mitzvah students with different learning styles.

Hazzan Stein is a regular volunteer at the Milwaukee Jewish Home and Care Center, visiting and serenading Milwaukee’s seniors with classics from Israel, Yiddish theater, and the Great American Songbook. Hazzan Stein lives with his wife Amanda who he met on his first full day in Milwaukee. They are proud parents of daughters Mirit and Hadas. A lifelong New England sports fan, Hazzan Stein has quickly become an avid fan of the Milwaukee Bucks.