Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman
Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Jeffrey J. Sirkman is the Senior Rabbi of Larchmont Temple, serving the congregation for over 30 years.
Connecting to congregants by celebrating the gifts each person brings, Rabbi Sirkman fosters a face-to-face faith—building sacred relationships one person at a time. Reaching out to all—affirming that every person who seeks can find a place within the Jewish family. At the core of his leadership, Covenant remains the mission that gives meaning to Temple membership and Jewish life.Cantor Katie Oringel
Cantor
Cantor Katie Oringel is excited to join the Larchmont Temple family. She is passionate about building community through Jewish music and experiences. Her love of learning is matched only by her love of teaching. She works to help people feel a stronger connection to and comfort with Jewish tradition. She has a creative and innovative spirit. This pairs well with a deep respect for the 3000 year history of our people. She can’t wait to partner with the amazing LT clergy.
She joins Larchmont Temple after serving Temple B’nai Israel in Clearwater, FL (cantor) and Temple Sinai in Toronto, ON (cantor/youth director). While in Toronto, she developed an innovative B’nai Mitzvah program. Recent B’nai Mitzvah served as mentors to upcoming B’nai Mitzvah for a peer-to-peer learning model. The program focused on youth building community. She is extremely proud of Lech L’cha, Temple Sinai’s teen travel experiences. Students explored their Jewish identity while in Canada, the United States and Israel. Her passion for meaningful prayer led to Sh’ma Koleinu: Hear Our Voices. This High Holiday prayer experience utilized the voices of the community through song, words, art, instrument and drama.
Rabbi Leora J. Frankel
Rabbi
Rabbi Leora J. Frankel strives to create joyful Jewish experiences, re-imagining how ancient traditions can add meaning to modern life and connect us more deeply to the Divine, each other, and our own best selves. Rabbi Frankel is especially passionate about family education and engagement, seeking to empower families to blaze their own spiritual trails while remaining rooted in Judaism’s 4,000 year old tradition.
She joins the Larchmont Temple team after serving Community Synagogue of Rye for the past nine years where she created many innovative programs, including a High Holiday Family Worship experience, an Ethical Parenting series and their popular Shabbat on the Beach services. Rabbi Frankel received the prestigious Young Pioneer Award from the Jewish Education Project and was selected to be a Rabbis Without Borders Rabbinic Fellow. Read moreCantor Fredda Mendelson
Cantor Emerita
Cantor Fredda Mendelson believes that tikun olam (repairing the world) can happen one person at a time and it’s something that everyone can and should participate in. She began serving Larchmont Temple in 1999 and served as full time cantor until 2013 when she became Cantor Emerita. She cherishes her time in Larchmont and is proud to remain part of the Larchmont Temple community. Since retiring she has become co-chair of the Debbie Friedman School of Music Alumni Association, member of the Alumni Leadership Council and treasurer of Kol Hazzanim, the cantors of Westchester county and beyond. Cantor Mendelson was ordained from HUC-JIR in 1996 where she received a Master of Sacred Music. She received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education at Ohio State University and a Master of Music from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, She studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and the American Opera Center of Juilliard during her twenty-five year international opera career.
Cantor Mendelson lives in White Plains with her husband and teacher Cantor Jack Mendelson. They are the proud parents of Cantor Daniel Mendelson (Cantor Amanda Kleinman) and the grandparents of Jed, Rex and Ernie Mendelson. Cantor Mendelson can be reached at fmendelson@larchmonttemple.org or her cell: 914 837 0240.Ashira Boxman
Rabbinic Intern
Ashira Boxman is a fourth-year rabbinical student on the New York campus of Hebrew Union College. Prior to beginning her studies at HUC-JIR, Ashira attended Florida State University where she studied Family and Child Sciences and Social Work. Following graduation, she spent three years working for Hillel on two different college campuses. At the Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach, Ashira filled the role of Engagement Associate, engaging Jewish students on campus. After her time there, she filled a new role at the University of Texas Hillel as the Birthright Israel IACT Coordinator. She led Jewish students in immersive Israel travel experience and continued engagement with them back on campus. These experiences then led her to fulfill her ultimate dream of pursuing the Rabbinate.
During her time in Rabbinical school, Ashira taught Religious School at Central Synagogue, worked as the Rabbinic Intern at Temple Shaaray Tefila at Bedford Corners, spent a summer at URJ Camp Harlam (as the Staff Engagement Supervisor) and completed a pastoral-care internship at Bellevue Hospital. She is both a JDC-Weitzman fellow and a UJA Graduate fellow.
Ashira is so excited to serve as the Rabbinic Intern at Larchmont Temple and begin meeting everyone in the community!
Rabbinic Intern, Ashira Boxman can be reached at ashira.boxman@huc.edu
