Our Staff

I am so excited to accept the position of Spiritual Music Innovator! I was inspired to collaborate in crafting this part time position after listening to many fellow congregants about their passions and hopes for our Shul community. I too have been feeling more and more centered and connected through my budding role with Minyan Shelanu!

I grew up in Monsey, NY in a maximally engaged orthodox community. Studying talmud at a young age, benefiting from day schools, religious-zionist summer camp experiences, NCSY and more - I always felt the push to give back to religious life. After high school I kicked off 9 years in Israel, studying in Hesder Yeshivot, serving in the IDF, attending the Rimon School of Modern Music and finally getting my degree in Philosophy & Musicology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I also met my wife Navit in Jerusalem and together we’ve built a home in Atlanta with now 3 kids!

The path that has brought me here has been a complex one, and I feel that here at Shearith I encounter colleagues & friends that raise the level of my own spiritual practice. They also challenge me to think of new ways to engage in rooted ritual and Jewish education so that it deepens our communal and personal lives.

As Spiritual Music Innovator I will be working with you, the congregation, in building innovative musical, energetic practices that will enrich our sanctuary Tefila as well as spiritual practices outside of the sanctuary. WE are the ones who can make this happen! Sounds vague - need examples?

1. Cultivating a cohort of Shlichei Tzibbur - prayer leaders who craft new standards for singing and joy in the sanctuary.
2. Leading services at times in the sanctuary, at times in the chapel, growing Minyan Shelanu, holding special Shabbatot with special invitations to a broader crowd.
3. Collaborating with Rabbi Kaiman on our newly forged singing circle.
4. Creating new educational on ramps for tweens and teens, before and after Mizvah time.

I’m pumped and I can’t wait to discuss it in greater detail with all of you!

Rav Todot - Many Thanks,
Ori

Erin Chernow

B'nai Mitzvah Coordinator bnaimitzvahcoordinator@shearithisrael.com 

Erin's passion for Jewish education began at the age of Bat Mitzvah when she began tutoring students. Since 2009, she has developed and led a variety of intergenerational Jewish education programs. Erin has extensive experience preparing students of all ages for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. She created the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) program and recently launched Chai Five, a peer leadership model for Jewish education. As an active member of Congregation Shearith Israel, Erin regularly chants Torah and Haftarah and leads Shabbat morning services.

Erin holds a Ph.D. in Education Counseling and Human Development from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Maryland. She has also held administrative, research, and teaching positions at Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Emory University, and the University of Florida.

Erin is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana.  Erin and her husband, Lance, have been Atlanta residents since 1997. Their two adult sons both celebrated their Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Shearith Israel.

Adam Klein

Member Services Coordinator adam.klein@shearithisrael.com 

Adam Klein joined the community and staff of Shearith Israel in spring 2017. Adam’s previous experience in Jewish communal service includes roles as Program Director for Hillel at The University of Georgia in his hometown of Athens as well as Group Leader for countless American Jewish World Service service-learning programs in Latin America, Africa, and India. He and his wife, Judith, have two daughters.

Jane Arnold

Education Program Coordinator jane.arnold@shearithisrael.com

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, I have always found ways to explore the world we all inhabit both domestically and internationally. Living in various places around the world I have learned to immerse myself with leadership and curiosity. I went to the University of Denver to obtain my B.A. in International Studies and Spanish, as well as an M.A. in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. After graduation I moved to Bat Yam, Israel. There I was teaching English in an elementary school, mentoring post-IDF young adults, and soaking up every bit of the sunshine in this very special place. I then went on to teach global citizenship in Costa Rica and Guatemala to US gap year students. 

With this wealth of experience and strong executive function skills, I am so excited to be a part of the educational team at CSI and support Machaneh Shai among other congregational programs. I hold a strong pedagogy for experiential education and hope to make it a pillar of learning for all members. I look forward to getting to know all the congregants of Shearith Israel and am excited to learn alongside this community. In my free time I enjoy long walks with a good friend or podcast, exploring different farmers markets, and getting to know the young adult Jewish community here in Atlanta!