Shechunah Shel Ramah Meet Jeremy Stein Visiting Shirah (song) and Tefilah (prayer) specialist

Meet Jeremy Stein our visiting Shirah (song) and Tefilah (prayer) specialist. Jeremy began at CRNE when he was a very young child in the camp gan. His parents were Machaneh Ramah staff and Jeremy was a camper here through Nivonim. Returning as a Madrich (advisor) on staff, he also taught Shirah and spent several years as a Rosh Shirah (head of song). Every summer Jeremy returns to Machaneh Ramah for a week or two and says that his favorite part about being in camp is Shirah in the Chadar Ochel (dining hall). Jeremy said, “I love Hebrew and Israeli music and it’s a joy to sing with Chanichim (campers).” Something interesting about Jeremy is that in January of 2019 he visited Uganda and Kenya to visit the Jewish communities there. He said that it was a pleasure to learn music from them and amazing to be able to bring it back to camp.

When Jeremy is not at camp, he is the Hazzan at Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid and has been there since July of 2009. A native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Hazzan Stein studied flute and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

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 lives with his wife Amanda who he met on his first full day in Milwaukee. They are proud parents of daughters Mirit and Hadas.