Faculty and Coaches

Faculty Administration
	Brian J. Mayer Associate Professor of Jewish Music and Dean Cantorial Ordination, Jewish Theological Seminary D.S.M., Jewish Theological Seminary Brian J. Mayer, a recognized scholar of "hazzanut" (cantorial music), has served as acting dean of the school since 2011. Prior to his appointment at Hebrew College, Mayer taught for 14 years at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York as an assistant professor of hazzanut. Since 1989, he has also served as cantor of Temple Emanu-El in Providence, R.I. Mayer was featured in the ABC-TV documentary "To God's Ear," which was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2002. In 2008, he was the artistic director of "Shining Through Broken Glass: Kristallnacht Concert," a highly acclaimed multimedia production featuring Leonard Nimoy. In 2003, he produced the CD "Kolot Emanu-El."
	Cantor Louise Treitman Associate Dean  Cantorial Ordination, Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion M.M., New England Conservatory of Music Louise Treitman, who helped to create the Jewish Music Institute — now the School of Jewish Music — in the 1980s, returned to Hebrew College in 2008 to work in the cantor-educator program. She instructs not only cantorial students, but also those enrolled in the college's rabbinic, education and music-certificate programs. Treitman, who served for 20 years on the pulpit at Temple Beth David in Westwood, Mass., is now cantor emerita there. She also served as assistant conductor of the Zamir Chorale of Boston and continues to sing with the group. Treitman is co-director of Il Concerto di Salamone Rossi Hebreo and serves on the board of Mayyim Hayyim, a community mikveh and family-education center in Newton, Mass.
	Rav-Hazzan Scott Sokol Associate Dean for Academic Support Professor of Psychology, Jewish Education and Jewish Music  Rabbinic Ordination, Rabbinic Seminary International  Cantorial Ordination, Jewish Theological Seminary  Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University In addition to his duties at Hebrew College, Scott Sokol works part time as a cantor and pediatric neuropsychologist. He is former dean of the Jewish Music Institute, now the School of Jewish Music, and was the founding director of both the Cantor-Educator Program and Special Education Program at Hebrew College. Sokol is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology and a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He is a past recipient of a Young Psychologist Award from the American Psychological Association, a Fulbright scholar and a Wexner fellow. He has served on the executive council of the Cantors Assembly of America and is the past editor of the Journal of Synagogue Music. Sokol is the cofounder of Koleinu, Hebrew College's community choir, and Sheminiyah, and concertizes widely.
	Joshua Jacobson  Visiting Professor and Senior Consultant D.M.A., University of Cincinnati Joshua Jacobson, one of the country's foremost authorities on Jewish choral music, is a professor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University in Boston. He is also founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, Hebrew College's choir-in-residence. Jacobson's many musical arrangements, editions and compositions are frequently performed by choirs around the world. He served as the conductor and host of the PBS film "Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland." His book "Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation" was published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002.
	Cantor Lynn Torgove, MAJS'11, Can'12 Head of Vocal Arts Adjunct Instructor of Jewish Music Lynn Torgove is a mezzo-soprano and stage director and has had an international career as a soloist in many genres of classical music. She has served on the opera faculty at the New England Conservatory and the Boston University Opera Institute and currently teaches at the Boston Conservatory Vocal and Choral Institute. Torgove is co-founder of the communications training firm Gabriel Communications.
Faculty
	Rabbi Debra Reed Blank Adjunct Associate Professor of Jewish Liturgy Rabbinical Ordination, Jewish Theological Seminary Ph.D., Jewish Theological Seminary Debra Reed Blank teaches the history, structure and theology of Jewish liturgy. In addition, she is a visiting scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center, where she is writing a book about innovative Jewish rituals for newborn girls. From 1998 to 2009, Blank taught liturgy and Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. She has also taught at the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York and the Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow.
	Cantor Jeff Klepper  Adjunct Instructor of Jewish Music  Cantorial Ordination, Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion Jeff Klepper is a practicing cantor and one of the world's leading composers of contemporary synagogue music. Several of his compositions, including "Modeh Ani" and "Lo Alecha" (both written with Klepper's former music partner, Rabbi Dan Freelander), have become synagogue standards. Their setting of "Shalom Rav," composed in 1974, is the defining Jewish melody of a new style of worship, bridging varied traditions and connecting multiple generations. Klepper, who has served since 2003 as cantor of Temple Sinai in Sharon, Mass., holds an honorary Doctor of Music from his alma mater, Hebrew Union College.
	Amy Lieberman Adjunct Instuctor of Jewish Music M.M., Yale University Amy Lieberman is a conductor equally at home in orchestral and choral music. For five years, she was director of choral activities at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she conducted the NEC concert choir, chamber singers and women's chorus. Lieberman has also been a visiting assistant professor at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where she was director of choral activities and music director for the opera and theater division.
	Cantor Neil Schwartz  Adjunct Instructor of Jewish Music  Cantorial Ordination, Jewish Theological Seminary Neil Schwartz has served Conservative congregations for more than 30 years in Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and the prairies of Western Canada. Since 2009, he has taught courses in biblical cantillation and liturgical chant for the online program at Hebrew College. Schwartz founded the Music Network within the Center for Advancement of Jewish Education, and, since 2007, has notated musical settings for more than 1,200 Hebrew prayers for the Tefillah Trainer teaching software of Kinnor.com. He is completing his thesis for a master's degree in religion and culture from the University of Saskatchewan.
Vocal and Cantorial Coaches
	Frank Kelley M.M., College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati Frank Kelley is an American tenor who has performed in concert and in opera throughout North America and Europe. He has appeared with the San Francisco Opera, Brussels Opera, Boston Opera Theater, Boston Lyric Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Opéra de Lyon, Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona),and the New Israeli Opera. He has worked with the director Peter Sellars on projects including "Così fan tutte," "Le nozze di Figaro" and "Die sieben Todsünden." Kelley has sung under conducts Craig Smith, Christopher Hogwood, Seiji Ozawa, Kent Nagano, and Sir Roger Norrington. His discography includes recordings of Stravinsky's "Renard," Bach's "St John Passion," the title role of Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo" and Aldridge's "Elmer Gantry."
	Cantor Michael McCloskey, MJEd'07, Can'07 Michael McCloskey has served since 2007 as cantor-educator at Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where he facilitates daily minyan, serves as chazzan for Shabbat and holiday services and conducts adult-learning programs. Before that, he served as a cantorial solist-educator and taught at Prozdor of Hebrew College. A graduate of the Aspen Musical Festival Vocal Concert Studies program, McCloskey has sung with the Bostonians, a Boston opera company run by baritone and empresario Richard Conrad, and Kol Arev, the choral ensemble of Hebrew College.
	Cantor Ken Richmond Cantorial Investiture, Jewish Theological Seminary Ken Richmond has served since 2006 as cantor and family educator of Temple Israel of Natick, Mass. He began his Jewish studies locally as a student at Solomon Schechter and Prozdor and as an apprentice to Cantor Charles Osborne. Richmond served as cantorial soloist for five years in Swampscott before graduating in 2004 from the H.L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He plays several instruments, including violin, and his compositions include a Friday night Klezmer service.