Clergy

Rabbi Bernstein, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Ohr, came to the rabbinate with a sense of purpose that was instilled from a young age. Her family’s deep commitment to Jewish education and Yiddishkeit led her to pursue a serious course of Judaic studies in the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University, earning two bachelor’s degrees in Talmud/Rabbinics and Anthropology.  Rabbi Bernstein completed Rabbinic ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she also pursued a Masters degree in Jewish education.   During Rabbinical school, Rabbi Bernstein earned the Schusterman Fellowship and participated in interdenominational dialogue with her Reform colleagues on pressing topics in the Jewish community, such as social media in the synagogue, intermarriage, and creating meaningful and spiritually engaging prayer services.

Cantor Myerson is delighted to join Rabbi Bernstein as a spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Ohr. She was called to the cantorate to guide people seeking to create meaning in their lives through Jewish ritual and culture. Prayer and study, mindfulness and awareness, music and dance, art and crafts; these are all ways we can connect more deeply within ourselves, with each other and with the Divine. 

Previously, Cantor Myerson served Congregation MishkanTefila in Chestnut Hill (Boston), Massachusetts, working with Rabbi Leonard Gordon during a time of transition for CMT'scommunity. At her student cantorial internship at Oceanside Jewish Center in Oceanside, NY, Cantor Myerson facilitated daily morning and evening minyan, led services on Shabbat and holiday services, chanted Torah and Haftarah, gave DivreiTorah, coordinated the B’nei Mitzvah program, and led other programming including a Rosh Hodesh women's group. While living in Israel, she served as the cantorialintern for a year at Kehillat Netzach Israel in Ashkelon. During this year, she studied at the Schechter Institute,Ulpan Milah, and the Conservative Yeshiva. She also sang professionally with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance Chamber Choir. 

 Cantor Myerson received Cantorial Investiture and the Master of Sacred Music degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where her studies included formal training in nusach, hazzanut, gabba'ut/leyening, halakha, liturgy, education/pedagogy, music, and a 400 hour unit of pastoral care hospice chaplaincy.   Concurrently with her JTS studies, she studied Yiddish through summer programs at YIVO in New York, and Tel Aviv University in Israel. She developed a freelance profile as a musician, speaker, educator and Yiddish dancer/dance leader. Her involvement in the Yiddish/klezmer scene has taken her to festivals all over the world, including the National Folk Festival (Australia), Klezkanada (Canada), Yiddish Summer Weimar (Germany), Klezkamp (New York), Yiddishtog (New York), and Krakow Jewish Music Festival (Poland).  Cantor Myerson graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, with a Bachelor of Music (Composition) Honors First Class. She continues to write and perform new music compositions, especially in Yiddish and Hebrew; both of which languages she speaks competently.  She is also an avid rock climber.  Cantor Myerson can be reached by email at Cantor.Myerson@CBOHR,org or telephone 516-781-3072

www.cantorsarahmyerson.com

Cantor Yavneh comes from a long and distinguished line of professional chazzanim.  His father, Cantor Ephraim Yavneh, Z’l served his Queens congregation for sixty years, the longest any chazzan has served one congregation in the history of the American Cantorate.  His uncle Zalmon Zt’l, was known as the ‘neshomah chazzan’ and served his congregation for over 50 years.  The Cantor’s mother, Gloria, A’H, served as the President of the Women’s Division of Jewish Ministers and Cantors Association of America and Canada for over a decade.  At the age of three, Cantor Yavneh stood at his father’s side on the Bimah joining in t’filot and shira.  At the age of four, he made his professional debut on a concert stage.  Cantor Yavneh first officiated as a professional chazzan at the age of 17.  He graduated from Baruch College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and received a post-graduate degree as a Cantor from the Herzliah Teachers Seminary where he studied with the world famous Cantor David Kusevitsky Zt’l.  Studying under the late Cantor Zvee Aroni, Cantor Yavneh began many years of professional voice instruction in the Bel Canto tradition.  Through his years of training, Cantor Yavneh has become an expert and a master of correct traditional nusach hatfilah.  Cantor Yavneh was one of the first to introduce Carlebach-style davening, beautiful “user friendly” Niggunim, and today’s popular Israeli/Chassidic music to lead the Congregation in prayer.  Cantor Yavneh’s greatest accomplishment is his work and close relationships with the children of the BJC.  He has trained over 350 b’nai and b’not mitzvah during his tenure.  He strives to teach and bond with all of our children as if they were his own!  During the High Holidays, temple members, both kids and adults join Cantor Yavneh on the Bimah to sing duets, solos and complicated musical pieces.  Cantor Yavneh resides in Bellmore with his lovely wife, Andrea.  They have two children, Joshua and Samara, who is married to Eric Feiler.  The Yavnehs are blessed with three grandchildren.