Cantor Elise Barber

Elise Barber is very excited to be joining the Temple Beth Sholom
community this year as our Rabbinic Intern. Currently, she is the
Director of Spiritual Life/ Multifaith Chaplain at Jewish Geriatric
Services in Longmeadow. Recently, she was the PJ Library and Jewish
Engagement Coordinator for the Springfield JCC for two years.

Elise received her cantorial ordination and M.A. in Jewish Studies from
Hebrew College in Newton Centre, MA and received her B.A. in Theatre
from American University in Washington, D.C. Part of her Hebrew
College program involved studying at The Pardes Institute in
Jerusalem. She is currently studying to be a rabbi at the Academy for
Jewish Religion in New York. Elise also attended a summer intensive
program at the Manhattan School of Music.

She enjoyed a professional acting and singing career as a child and well into her twenties performing in the first national Broadway tour of the musical Titanic as well as West Side Story Suite with the New York City Ballet. Favorite roles include Louisa in The Fantasticks, Bella in Rags, Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music, and Anne Frank. Elise played the role of Lucy Wertheimer in Frauenstimmen: Women’s Voices from Ravensbruck at the Fenway Center in Boston and also at Temple Israel in Boston. One of Elise’s favorite experiences was performing a solo concert of Jewish music in Cuenca, Spain. Elise has been a featured soloist with the Springfield Symphony in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. She organized and performed in a Sondheim concert at the Springfield JCC in 2022.