Student Cantor Gabe Snyder Will Be Joining Us for the High Holy Days! Gabe is a proud product of Temple Israel in Boston, Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, URJ Eisner Camp, NFTY Northeast, NFTY in Israel, Genesis at Brandeis University, and, most importantly, a loving and vibrant Jewish family. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies in 2018 from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, where he mainly focused on comparative theology and religious theory. Outside of the Religion department, Gabe studied vocal performance, served in senior leadership roles at Skidmore Hillel, worked as assistant to the director of the Skidmore Community Choir, and participated in Skidmore’s Opera Workshop, singing roles including Figaro in La Nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflote, and Elviro in Serse. In 2016, Gabe was selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Smashing Idols Fellowship at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR).
Now in his final year of the Cantorial Ordination program at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR, Gabe has served as student cantor at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington, MA (2019-2021), Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ (2021-2022), and, currently, Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, MD. Gabe completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at New York Presbyterian Hospital in 2023. Additionally, he worked as an intern for the CCAR Press, taught fifth grade Jewish History at Congregation Emanu-EI in New York City, and tutored b’nai mitzvah students at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn. At HUC, Gabe has served on the Kallah Committee for three years (most recently in the self-appointed role of Rosh Morale), crafting a unique and enriching retreat experience for students and faculty at the beginning of each school year. In the fall of 2020, Gabe and now-Rabbi Amanda Katherine Weiss, with the support of the Be Wise Fellowship and Men of Reform Judaism, launched a weekly podcast, Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist, in which they explored the weekly Torah portion with guests from a wide range of professions and interests, turning Torah into tangible tactics. Gabe lives in Brooklyn, NY with his cat, Clawdia-Jean Cregg. In those rare moments not in school or at work, Gabe can often be found exploring Prospect Park, playing guitar, practicing calligraphy, baking bread, or enjoying potatoes. Some of his music, compositions and writings are available at: https://www.gabesnyder.me/ |
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