Dear IHC Family,

With great joy, it is my honor and delight to welcome Cantor Aviva Marer who is joining our community this summer as cantor of the congregation!

Cantor Aviva Marer has served as Cantor and Director of Youth Engagement at Temple Emanu-El of Edison, New Jersey since 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from York University in Toronto, Ontario. Cantor Marer received her ordination in 2013 from the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

Cantor Marer grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. Born in Canada into a family of Bene Israel Jews from India, she possesses a strong cultural sense of Indian Judaism. Cantor Marer’s grandfather built the first synagogue in New Delhi, which still stands today. She enjoys teaching about her heritage and was featured in an exhibit called Beyond Bollywood at the Smithsonian in February 2014.

We cannot wait to welcome Cantor Marer, her spouse Jim and their 4-year-old son Benjamin into our IHC family this summer! Over the upcoming year, we will plan multiple opportunities for you to meet Cantor Marer. (Please let me know if you would like to help with this effort or host or attend a welcoming event. My email address is ready2nosh@gmail.com.)

Thank you to Search Task Force Chair Marc Katz who never gave up hope of finding our musical bashert … the one who was meant to be. Marc joins me in extending our deepest gratitude to the members of the Task Force for giving two years of their time and energies to this sacred task. Thank you to Mike Berg-Raunick, Diane Evans, Sarah Freeman, Roger Hurwitz, Jenna Kerschner, Marta Lederer, Jason Mintz, and Jason Organ. In addition, we thank Michael Blickman, as always, for his expert legal counsel. And, of course, a huge thank you to Rabbi Krichiver for serving as our spiritual GPS and walking with us every step of the journey.

May we go forward together from strength to strength.

Warmly,

Patti Freeman Dorson