About JamJews:
Meet our Team!
Mission:
To engage through a shared love of music while using music education as an entry point to deepen Jewish identity.
Vision:
JamJews was created out of the idea that no Jew is the same. Identities are not identical. We seek to provide an accessible, pluralist approach to Judaism that is both familiar and novel to everyone in our community, focusing on what draws us together rather than what divides us.
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What We Do:
We teach and perform Jewish music with learners of all ages and abilities. We strive to inspire and guide our communal music-making experiences by studying music and Torah with equal depth and passion.
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We believe that everyone has innate connection to music that just needs to be nurtured the right way in order to thrive. We teach and celebrate music and musicians at all skill levels, and encourage participatory music as much as possible.
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Our Commitment:
We are upfront about our own backgrounds and practice, and strive to ensure that those from different parts of the wider Jewish community feel comfortable at all of our events.
Tzipporah Horowitz, MSW
Executive Director & Spiritual Leader
Tzipporah is the founder of JamJews and a Rabbinical Student at the Academy for Jewish Religion dedicated to bringing excellent educational and community development experiences to Jewish communities. With experience in different movements over 8 years as a professional Jewish educator, Tzipporah brings a unique view and a pluralistic approach to Judaism that is inclusive, holistic, and passionate. With time as a USY Regional Director and as a Ramah wilderness educator, a seasoned Hebrew school and B. Mitzvah tutoring teacher, and now through creating custom tailored educational and community development experiences in Jewish communities, Tzipporah has the background to speak about cutting edge best practices in Experiential Jewish Education.
Keith Harker
Voice Coach
Keith uses his education as the basis to provide instruction promoting natural and healthy methods for the proper use of the vocal instrument. With the combination of
understanding how the voice works and experience performing, he offers a unique approach to coaching in both vocal and performance skills in areas such as: musical, language, dramatic presentation and stage presence. His accolades include:
B.A. Degree in Communication Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
Workshop Presenter, Barbershop Harmony Society, Kenyon College.
Certified in Vocal Pedagogy with Somatic Voiceworks, Shenandoah University.
Pan American Vocology Association member
Certified Vocologist, Lamar University.
Ethan Michael
Guitar Coach
Ethan Michael is twenty-three years old and he has been playing guitar for most of his life. Upon turning eighteen he began touring with a number of groups mostly playing funk and rock music in venues across the country, while touring he was also a full time student at the University of Denver receiving a degree in jazz guitar performance in November of 2019. When he is not sharing his music from the stage he does his best to spend his time exchanging ideas and riffs with other musicians of all skill levels, sometimes as the teacher and other times as the student. He believes music is one of the most powerful tools of communication and hopes that by enrolling in the Jam Jews guitar course your life will be enriched by the wonders of the guitar.
Aaron Mendelsberg
Visual Arts Coach
Aaron Mendelsberg is a Denver based artist, musician, and educator who studied fine art at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and film production at Colorado Film School. He is currently attending Metro State University as a BA major with minor in psychology to become a licensed art therapist. He is the son of world renowned graphic designer/typographer Martin Mendelsberg and credits his father for teaching him Hebrew calligraphy at a young age as a major factor of his success as a commercially successful artist. Mendelsberg has sold numerous paintings to private collectors and live paints at countless events around the country. His style is loose and colorful, focussing on the beauty of Hebrew lettering, nature, and the power of manifestation through words that inspire action.
Nili Fish-Bieler
Digital Content Producer
Nili is a junior in high school at Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish school in Waltham, MA. She is passionate about sound editing and technology. She sings and is a vocal percussionist in her school’s a cappella group. She is an active member of the HaNer region of United Synagogue Youth, the conservative movement’s youth group. She is very excited to be a digital content producer for Jam Jews.
Ashley Armstrong
Marketing and Development Coordinator
A professional operatic mezzo-soprano praised for her “charismatic presence” (Chicago
Classical Review) and “velvety voice” (Chicago Tribune), Ashley Armstrong has been seen
performing with opera companies around the United States, such as Opera Santa Barbara,
Opera Idaho, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Bel Cantanti Opera, and Chicago Fringe Opera. She was also a 2020 Semi-Finalist for the American Prize in Art Song. As a freelance social media and marketing consultant, Ashley has helped multiple companies and brands across the country develop engaging content and optimize their web presences. Ashley is thrilled to be bringing her branding and marketing expertise to the JamJews team as the Marketing and Development Coordinator! Ashley holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance and Theatre from the University of Northern Iowa. She is a proud member of the Encompass Arts roster.