Clergy
Rabbi Toba August is the founding Rabbi of Lev Eisha. This vibrant congregation is a joyful community where, for the past 23 years, women of all ages have joined together in prayer, song, meditation, dance and meaningful learning. Rabbi August, together with cantorial soloist Cindy Paley, has led Lev Eisha services in other cities and enjoys waking up the hearts, minds and souls to the beauty and power of Jewish prayers and Torah teachings.
Rabbi August is also beginning her 12th year as the Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom of the South Bay in Hermosa Beach, where she and her staff lead a young family community. She helps run the B’nai Mitzvah program, engages congregants in social action and adult learning, and helps with the religious school. She was also a rabbi at two other temples in Los Angeles. Rabbi August was an instructor for 16 years at the Academy of Jewish Religion as part of the core faculty teaching Bible studies and Rabbinic texts.
Rabbi August received her ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC, and was in the first class ordaining women as rabbis. Additionally, she has a Master’s degree in Education and Reading and for many years worked as a teacher in schools in both New York and California. Rabbi August lives in South Redondo Beach with her husband Alan Klein
Cindy Paley Aboody is the “musical soul” of Lev Eisha. As the cantorial soloist she brings her “ruach” – spirit, her warm personality, and her distinctive passionate voice to our Saturday morning service. Her appreciation of traditional melodies combined with her enthusiasm to share beautiful new music inspires and encourages active participation from all attending our lively Shabbat service. A local Valley girl, Cindy is well known for bringing the joys of Jewish music to children and families across America through her performances and CDs. Cindy’s ear for music and foreign languages led her to a career as a French teacher, receiving her B.A. and teaching credential from UCLA. Her family’s involvement at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center and the Valley Kindershule in Sherman Oaks opened a door to her true calling. It was there that she learned guitar and had her first introduction to the Yiddish ‘mame-loshen’ and the richness of her Eastern European heritage. She was chosen as the Camp JCA song leader both at summer camp and for their Teen Israel Trip. These positions were instrumental in Cindy’s eventual choice to become a Jewish music educator, cantorial soloist and performer.
Additionally, Cindy performs Yiddish music throughout California and Poland and teaches annual workshops at the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival. This past year Cindy taught four Yiddish music courses at the Skirball Cultural Center and also presented numerous Yiddish and Hebrew song workshops and concerts via zoom. Although she is best known for Jewish music, Cindy also performs American folk songs of the 1960s with a trio called The Folk Experience.
Cindy will also be serving as the cantorial soloist for Kabbalat Shabbat services and High Holy Days for Kehillah chen v’chesed in Encino (kcvc.org)
See her at her website: http://www.cindypaley.com
Musicians
Robin Winston, cantorial assistant, graduated from UCLA with B.A. in Linguistics & Psychology, then earned her teaching credentials from CSUN. She is recently retired from LAUSD. Robin was on the original organizing committee that arranged the first Lev Eisha service and she has served on the Lev Eisha Board of Directors in various capacities since its inception. She has been the cantorial soloist for High Holidays services at the Laugh Factory for several years. Robin is an avid fan of swing dance and Israeli folk dance.
Joy Krauthammer, MBA, “Serves G*d In Joy” as a passionate performing spiritual percussionist since 1990, and loves supporting Lev Eisha’s praise and prayer since 2001 and treasures Lev friendships. A classically trained musician (violin, piano, clarinet), Joy ecstatically plays global music with ethnic hand drums including djembe, dumbek, frame drums, and more. Conscious connection of uplift, Oneness, and wholeness in the Four Worlds of Spirit, Mind, Heart and Body, is Joy’s musical Kavannah / intention. Joy says, “I’ve been Mamash / truly blessed to accompany the most beloved musicians and clergy.” Playing crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, Joy is a vessel for sharing a serene Sound Bath symphony of vibrational healing sounds that reverberate through one’s body for meditation, relaxation, and transcenDance. “Sounds of Joy” opens energy channels for flowing abunDance of joy, gratitude, love, unity, harmony, peace, and blesSings.
Teaching Torah and Kabbalah for life-cycles and for seasons, adds to Joy’s published writing, and creative arts. Since the 1980’s, Joy has served the greater community as a nature guide, and photographer, and her images adorn organizations’ websites. During the pandemic, to help heal community, Joy created virtual galleries. As a former New York medical social worker, Joy continues her investigative helpful caring for community since 2009 as she volunteers with LAPD as an active Neighborhood Watch ‘Captain’, and with LAFD CERT/ Community Emergency Response Team. And her work as the family genealogist is L’Dor v’Dor / from generation to generation. Joy’s ARTS sites include:
http://joys-music.blogspot.com and http://joys-art.blogspot.com
http://sephirathaomer.blogspot.com
http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2012/05/clouds-of-glory-3-rainbow-sunrise.html
Chaplin Ruth Belonsky, violinist, received her certificate in Jewish Chaplaincy and her Masters in Jewish Studies from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2006. She is employed as a Jewish and Interfaith Chaplain by Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, CA, primarily working with patients and families in the Intensive Care Unit. She also brings Jewish Holiday services to the hospital for the doctors, staff and patients.
Sharon Alexander has spent more than 30 years at the forefront of the Jewish Renewal movement as a choir leader, community organizer, teacher, vocalist, and visionary. Since 2003, she has been researching the ecstatic structure of the Jewish service and the ecstasy-evoking techniques behind African-American gospel choir, and then teaching these secrets to Jewish groups around the world. For this work, she received s’micha from Reb Zalman as Ba’alat Shirei Hama’alot B’chesed Elyon (Mistress of Songs of Ascension to the Celestial Realm of Divine Love). She first began leading Shir Ecstasy Jospel Choirs at the Aleph Kallah back in 2005, where they have now become a beloved tradition. You can see video examples of her Shir Ecstasy choirs performing on her website: www.ShirEcstasy.com or on her Facebook page: Shir Ecstasy Jospel / Jewbilation. Sharon recently received her PhD in Complementary and Alternative Medicine with a concentration in Energy Dynamics from Akamai University. The title of her research is “OH MY GOD!,” exploring ecstatic experience through the evocative technology of gospel choir.
Contributing Poet
Sarah Barash joined Lev Eisha more than ten years ago, doing readings in English during the service. It took Lev Eisha to help Sarah deepen her sense of Jewish identity as it helped her rediscover her passion for writing. After receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees in her early fifties from Sarah Lawrence College, she had little time to pursue writing. She then began to write and read her own prayers and was declared “our Poet in Residence” a few years ago. She is extremely honored. Sarah wrote a novel rooted in her love of Judaism, NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, which is expected to be published in the near future. Sarah is the proud mother and grandmother of four children and five grandchildren. “My connection to Rabbi August and the women of Lev Eisha who have encouraged my work even as it deepens my faith has altered the trajectory of my life. I am deeply indebted.” Formerly, Sarah Barash was a professional artist. She has a panoply of interests, her family being foremost.