Cantor Paula Pepperstone
Creating a kehillah kedosha, a holy community, with music and Torah
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CANTORIAL SKILLS
Lead all services: weekday, Shabbat, High Holiday, Festival, shiva minyanim
Chant Torah, Haftarah, Megillot
Blend old and new melodies with nusach to enrich the tefillah experience
Nurture b’nai mitzvah with individualized instruction and expectations
Lead and co-lead lifecycle events
Create and conduct volunteer adult and youth choirs
Teach music, tefillah, Judaics, and Hebrew to Pre-K - 7th grade
Teach, lead singing, and perform for Jewish and interfaith community events
Host Shabbat meals for current and potential congregants
Co-lead community and women’s seders
Work collaboratively with clergy, staff, lay leaders, and congregants
Lead services, teach, and perform in person and online
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Ahavath Achim - Hebrew Congregation, Wichita, KS 2021-present
Teach adults 1:1 to better lead or participate in services
Lead and teach innovative weekday tefillot and music in the religious school
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Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Jamesville, NY 2011-2020
Co-pioneered groundbreaking weekday tefillot for 2nd - 7th grades
Developed classes and taught in the Religious School
Boosted adult readers of Torah and Shir Hashirim by 25%
• Founded Shabbat Afternoon Mishnah Study
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Keneseth Israel Congregation, Louisville, KY 2002-2008
Increased post-b’nai mitzvah lehning and/or service-leading by 50%
Boosted readers of Torah and Megillat Esther by 100%
Designed interactive Selichot services, increasing participation by 300%
Launched new Book of Jonah reading, increasing participation by 1200%
Introduced Pre-K - 7th grade Jewish music classes
Established, budgeted, produced, and performed in 4 concerts
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TEACHING AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Online Educator - Hebrew, Music, Tefillah, Jewish Values
Temple Beth El, Rochester, NY 2021-2022
Congregation Beth Shalom, Clearwater, FL 2020-2021
B’nai Shalom of Olney, Olney, MD 2020-2021
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Director
Epstein School of Jewish Studies, Syracuse, NY 2013-2020
Directed transition to Zoom (classes, social time, activities, and meetings)
Increased enrollment by 63% over 7 years
Developed incentive program increasing participation as madrichim by 1200%
Increased 11th- and 12th-grade registration by 500%
Introduced 4 new electives annually
Convened 15 representative community members to assess and redesign courses
Wrote and implemented 6 grants for special projects
Managed School budget
Organized and chaperoned three 10-day trips to Israel for 9th- and 10th-graders
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Educator Highlights
Syracuse Community Hebrew School, Syracuse, NY 2014-2020
Utilized learning centers and differentiated learning to teach grades 5 and 7
Camp Ramah New England, Palmer, MA Summers 2013-2019
Tutored upcoming b’nai mitzvah and creatively taught Judaics
Congregation Shaarey Tikvah, Beachwood, OH 2008-2011
• Incorporated active learning techniques to teach tefillot
• Engaged K - 7th learners in Mini Minyan/Jr Congregation with different modalities
Camp Ramah California, Ojai, CA Summers 1997, 1998
• Taught Judiacs and drama, directed play and camper chorus
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EDUCATION
Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY
Master of Sacred Music and Diploma of Hazzan 2002
Schechter Institute, Jerusalem 1999-2000
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Indiana University; Bloomington, IN
Certificate in Jewish Studies 1995
Bachelor of Music (Voice Performance) and Minor in Theatre and Drama 1994
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS
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Cantors Assembly and JTeen Professionals conventions
Chanting Circle Facilitation, Cantors Assembly-Rising Song Institute 2020-2021
Project Zug Elul Cycle, Hadar, New York, NY 2020-2023
Executive Seminar, Hadar, New York, NY 2020
Rising Song Intensive, Hadar, New York, NY 2016
Conservative Yeshiva Summer Program, Jerusalem 2015
Songleader Boot Camp National Conference, St. Louis, MO 2012
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Co-launched Jewish chant circle, Syracuse, NY 2019-2020
Syracuse-Area Jewish Educators (Chair 2014-2016) 2013-2017
Cantors Assembly (Executive Committee 2007-2010) 2002-present
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SPECIALIZED SKILLS
Singing in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, French, German, Italian
Performer of hazzanut, classical music, Broadway, and American Songbook