Rabbi Jeffrey J. Sirkman

Rabbi Jeffrey J. Sirkman is the Senior Rabbi of Larchmont Temple, and has been privileged to serve the congregation for the past 25 years. At the core of his leadership, Covenant has remained the mission that gives meaning to Temple membership, as it does to Jewish life.

Connecting to congregants by celebrating the gifts each person brings, Rabbi Sirkman has aspired to foster a face-to-face faith-- building sacred relationships one person at a time. Indeed, his partnership with Reverend Bill Crawford of Larchmont Avenue Church and Bishop Wayne Powell of Strait Gate Church, have built bridges of understanding, and fostered a dialogue that have connected our temple community to other faith communities celebrating the journey of faith we all share. Reverend Crawford and Rabbi Sirkman, having co-hosted a local cable TV breakfast table dialogue for 5 years, were awarded a National Cable Emmy for their program “Faith & Eggs.” Bishop Powell and Rabbi Sirkman have honored the memory and work of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in an annual interfaith exchange that began 18 years ago, and has continued in Seder-seat outreach and teen trips to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.

Reaching out to all—affirming that every person who seeks can find a place within the Jewish family, Rabbi Sirkman has helped nurture an active Outreach program at LT. Through a spectrum of learning opportunities, featuring the “Rabbi’s Fireside Chats” series, the congregation received the URJ Outreach Belin Award for addressing the questions and concerns of interfaith families.

Extending Torah’s teaching to the heart of our lives today, Rabbi Sirkman cherishes the gift of Torah learning with dozens every Shabbat morning at our temple’s Chevrah Torah table. Engaging adult learners through a spectrum of scholars and sacred teachers, he has helped to put Torah at the core of our lives.

Affirming the bond we share with Israel, and the importance of developing a relationship with the Jewish State, he has led hundreds of congregants and their extended families in hands-on, chock-full, inspirational visits to Israel.

Rabbi Sirkman has served as President of the Westchester Board of Rabbis and as the Chair of the Program Advisory Committee for URJ Eisner Camp Institute for over a decade. He has been a board member of the Westchester Jewish Conference, a member of the Admissions Committee of HUC-JIR, and is currently the Rabbi Stephen Wise Visiting Scholar at the Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion teaching 5th year rabbinic and cantorial students, a year-long course in professional development.

Jeffrey Sirkman was ordained by HUC-JIR in 1987, received his B.A. in Religion and his M.A. in Theology with a Certificate in Modern Jewish Thought from Boston University. In honor of his 25th year, Rabbi received his Doctor of Divinity Degree from HUC-JIR.

Rabbi Sirkman, who recently lost his wife Susan z’l to cancer, lives in Larchmont and is the proud father of their four wonderful children, Aaron, Alexander, Gabriel and Sophie.

Rabbi Sirkman may be reached at the temple office or through his email at jsirkman@larchmonttemple.org.

Rabbi Bethie Miller

Associate Rabbi

Rabbi Bethie Miller, a native of Newton, MA, earned a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Williams College in 2003. Before deciding to attend rabbinical school, Rabbi Miller gained valuable community-building experience both inside and outside of the Jewish world: She worked as a community organizer promoting environmental stewardship in neighborhoods throughout Washington, D.C., studied urban planning at M.I.T, and served as Coordinator of Outreach and Engagement Programs at Temple Israel in Boston. Working with a vibrant and diverse congregation convinced her of the power of building community around Torah and Jewish living. As a result of that experience and with the support of wonderful rabbinic mentors, she decided to pursue a career in the rabbinate.

During her studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Miller had the opportunity to serve as a student rabbi at North Fork Reform Synagogue in Cutchogue, NY, and as a rabbinic intern at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, at East End Temple in Manhattan, and then back to Temple Israel in Boston. In recognition of her academic success and leadership potential, she was selected to participate in the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch Rabbinical Fellowship. She also received several academic awards for her achievements in areas including Bible, Midrash, and Jewish Religious Thought. Ordained in May 2014, Rabbi Miller is thrilled to be joining the clergy team and community at Larchmont Temple.

Rabbi Miller is married to Matthew Spigelman, and they have a daughter, Addy.

To read her Sacred Service Dedication sermon, please click here.

Rabbi Miller may be reached at the Temple Office or via email at bmiller@larchmonttemple.org.

Cantor Tracey Scher

Cantor Tracey Scher began serving as Cantor of Larchmont Temple in July of 2013. She has been a member of the Executive Board of the American Conference of Cantors since 2006.
Prior to her appointment at Larchmont Temple, Cantor Scher served as cantor at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA from 2008-2013 and at Temple Beth Or in Washington Township, New Jersey from 2003-2007.

A mezzo-soprano, Cantor Scher is from Nova Scotia, Canada. She received a Master of Sacred Music Degree from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, a Graduate Degree in Opera Performance from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Acadia University in Nova Scotia and studied extensively with the world-renowned tenor Carlo Bergonzi at the Accademia Verdiana in Busetto, Italy. Currently, Cantor Scher studies with acclaimed vocal teacher and coach, Lenora Eve in New York.

Cantor Scher has performed lead and supporting opera roles at the Banff Center for the Arts in Canada, the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD, various venues in New York City, and the Britten-Pears Institute in England. She has also performed major oratorio works with orchestras in the northeastern United States. In 2010, Cantor Scher, along with twenty other Cantors from the American Conference of Cantors, performed at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome, Italy.

Cantor Scher is married to Christopher Lewis and they have two children, Isaac and Maya.

Cantor Scher may be reached at the temple office or through her email at tscher@larchmonttemple.org.

Cantor Fredda Mendelson

Cantor Emerita

Fredda Rakusun Mendelson comes from a lineage, which includes a grandfather born in Riga who spent his life as a cantor in many cities in America, after emigrating in the early 1900's. Her love of music was also passed on through her mother who played the piano, her father who sang and played the violin, uncles who sang and one uncle who was a well known Dixieland clarinet and saxophone player. By 4th grade Cantor Mendelson was studying violin and became proficient in keyboard, piano and vocal studies during high school. She continued her musical education receiving a BS in Music Education from Ohio State University and a Masters of Degree Music from the College-Conservatory of Music, University Of Cincinnati. She pursued an operatic career as a Verdi mezzo-soprano throughout America and many cities around the world. Her European opera debut was as Azucena in Frankfurt, Germany.

She met her future husband, Cantor Jack Mendelson while at the American Opera Center, part of the Julliard School, in 1978. With his encouragement she began studying at the Hebrew Union College in 1992 and was invested as a Cantor in 1996. Cantor Mendelson is a member of the ACC (American Conference of Cantors), the Cantors Assembly, and the Westchester Vaad of Hazzanim. She serves on the Executive Board of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music Cantorial Alumni Association. She has often been featured leading sessions and as soloist at conventions, most recently in Berlin and Munich, June, 2012. She has recorded for Transcontinental Music as well as the CD "Souls on Fire" narratated by Leonard Nimoy and "Jewish Music and More", recorded in Chicago with her husband Cantor Jack Mendelson. Before coming to Larchmont Temple in 1999 she served as cantor at Temple Bethel in Spring Valley, NY. Cantor Fredda and Cantor Jack Mendelson’s son Daniel is also a talented vocalist and is pursuing a career in film/video editing and cantorial music.

Cantor Mendelson may be reached at the temple office or through her email at fmendelson@larchmonttemple.org.

Erin Binder - Rabbinic Intern

Hi, my name is Erin and I am excited to join the Larchmont Temple community as the rabbinical intern this year! I am a rabbinical student at HUC-JIR as well as a recent graduate of HUC-JIR's NY School of Education. Originally, I hail from Austin, TX, but have done a lot of moving over the years. I have a BA from the George Washington University in International Affairs and a Masters’ in International Development from New York University. With an interest in humanitarian issues and human rights, I’ve had opportunities to travel to Africa, including serving as a volunteer with American Jewish World Service in Uganda. I’ve worked with various Jewish and international non-profits in New York, Washington DC and Texas in fundraising, development and programming capacities.

Jewish experience and education have always been an important part of my life. I was an active participant in Jewish youth group, Hillel and as a member of my home synagogue in Austin. For the past two years, I served as the education intern at Temple Shaaray Tefila in NYC and taught religious school and tutored b'nai mitzvah students at Congregation Rodeph Sholom and Central Synagogue. My fiancée Alex, who is a cantorial student, and I are thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community. Please come up and introduce yourself - I look forward to meeting you!