Leadership Skills for Building Spiritual Community
Meet us!
Shawn Zevit
A leader in spiritual and congregational life, organizational and congregational consulting and training, educational arts, writing, musical and liturgical recording (6 CDs), teaching, and performing. A graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and with smicha from Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, he has served congregations and havurot from all streams of Judaism with a regard for tradition and creative innovation.
He is a Mashpiah/spiritual director and Director of the ALEPH Hashpa’ah Program, author of Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Community, and co-editor of Brother Keepers: New Essays in Jewish Masculinity. Since July 2013, Reb Shawn has been the lead rabbi at Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia, PA.
Marcia Prager
A vibrant teacher, storyteller, ritual artist and therapist, Reb Marcia is Director and Dean Emerita of Ordination Programs for ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, and rabbi Emerita for the P'nai Or Jewish Renewal community of Philadelphia, PA.
She is a graduate of RRC and also received the personal smicha of Reb Zalman.
Her book, The Path of Blessing (Bell Tower 1998/Jewish Lights 2003) is an exploration of the profound spiritual wisdom that lies in the Jewish practice of blessing.
She is the creator of the unique P'nai Or Siddurim for Shabbat and High Holidays, and other innovative approaches to prayer and liturgy. She and her husband Hazzan Jack Kessler z”l spent decades teaching in an array of Jewish and interfaith settings.
Daniel Sheff
A graduate of DLTI 2, Daniel has become a core member of the DLTI staff as a teacher, shamess and soul-catcher, bringing many gifts to our collaborative work. Daniel has been a lay leader of Shabbat and holiday services, and founded Hineini Havurah, a worship community in the greater Boston area. He is a retired physician who practiced internal medicine and rheumatology, and is a graduate of A Society of Souls’ program in Kabbalistic Healing, a training in healing and spiritual awakening. He lives in Conway, MA, and shares his life with his wife Hanna Sherman and their three adult daughters.
Abbe Lyons
A hazzan, musician, writer and liturgist, dedicated to making Jewish music, learning and practice accessible, inclusive and inspiring.
Hazzan Abbe is an alum of DLTI-2, who studied with and received smicha from Hazzan Jack Kessler (founding Director of the ALEPH Cantorial Program) in 2010. Since 2002, she has served in Reform, Conservative, Renewal and unaffiliated congregations.
Hazzan Abbe joined the ALEPH Ordination Program faculty in 2014 and is now Chair of the Liturgy Department and Interim Director of the Cantorial Program. She also serves as Jewish chaplain for Hillel at Ithaca College.
Her published work includes poetry, alternative social justice haftarot and Jewish Liturgy: A Guide for Everyone. Her recording credits include Listen! with her multifaith band Resonate, Behold! and Roots and Wings with Vocolot and a solo album, Household Chores.
In Memorial: Hazzan Jack Kessler z"l
Founding faculty member 2000-2024, of blessed memory
Ordained as a Cantor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and went on to have a twenty-year career serving Conservative congregations. During that time he received a Master's degree in voice from Boston Conservatory and pursued studies in composition in the graduate department of Brandeis University. In addition to his career as a hazzan (cantor) and vocal coach, he supervised the cantorial training of students in the ALEPH Cantorial Program, and founded two touring ensembles: ATZILUT– CONCERTS FOR PEACE, a duet format of Arab and Jewish musicians performing together, and KLINGON KLEZMER, which does Jewish music from other planets.