RABBI & CANTOR

Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels is the heart of Beth Shir Sholom. He brings his passionate expression of Judaism and his strong sense of social justice to the pulpit. He helps us create our Jewish community, facilitates our discovery of our spiritual selves and works with us towards Tikkun Olam - healing the world.

Rabbi Neil's accessibility makes him responsive to our congregants. He uses his singing and musical talents to communicate the riches of our Jewish tradition. Through his contemporary interpretation of ancient and modern texts he enables us to personalize and apply them to our daily lives.Beth Shir Sholom supports the Rabbi's personal commitment to organizations that deal with interracial and interfaith relations and homelessness issues. He has chaired the Martin Luther King, Jr. Westside Coalition and the Interfaith Holocaust Service and also serves on the boards of the Western Region of the Jewish Federation Council and the Westside Interfaith Council.A graduate of UCLA, Rabbi Comess-Daniels was ordained in 1979 at the Hebrew Union College and is often asked to mentor young rabbinic students. He was the founding rabbi of Temple Shir Shalom, one of the two temples that have come together to become Beth Shir Sholom. He is married and has two children.

rabbi@bethshirsholom.org



Cantor Ken Cohen  

Beth Shir Sholom is very pleased to welcome Cantor Ken Cohen to our temple family.  He is very excited about his future at our spiritual home and is eager to inspire, educate and empower us through sacred music.  In partnership with the rabbi, he wants to build an extended spiritual family that nurtures its members in a safe and loving environment.

Cantor Ken comes to Beth Shir Sholom with a breadth of experience as senior clergy.  He was Cantor at Temple Sholom in Greenwich, Connecticut for over 20 years.  Additionally, Cantor Ken was the founding director of the Cantorial School at the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York where he served for nearly two decades, training spiritual leaders that 'are not only there for you, but also with you, on your spiritual journey.

Cantor Ken has recorded several educational tapes, including, "Shabbat Haggadah" (by "Jewish Catalogue" author, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld) and "Gates of Freedom Haggadah" (by "Gates of Prayer" editor, Rabbi Chayim Stern).  He has published monographs in the periodical, Journal of Synagogue Music.  He has also recorded songs on the Spirit of the Hanukkah & High Holidays CD series, published by the Conservative movement (United Synagogue of America), reaching over 100,000 homes across America.

cantor@bethshirsholom.org