Cantor Ellen Dreskin

Cantor Ellen Dreskin singing and playing guitar

Cantor Ellen Dreskin teaches and consults in a variety of areas, including contemporary Jewish music, synagogue transformation, experiential education, enlivened liturgy, and Jewish mysticism. She serves as Coordinator of the Cantorial Certification Program at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York, and as a former board member and conference chair of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC).  Ellen travels extensively to congregations around the country as a scholar-in-residence, and has taught for many years on the faculty of URJ Summer Kallot, Hava Nashira, and the URJ Kutz Camp Leadership Academy. She is married to Rabbi Billy Dreskin, and is proudest of all of their three joint projects: Katie, Jonah (z”l), and Aiden. Visit her website at ellendreskin.com.

Torrah and Kippah

Teaching Children According to Their Own Way

Rabbi Dan Moskovitz
My wife and I have three children, two boys and a girl. ... Each one argues that a certain rule may apply to the other two siblings, but it does not apply to him/her because he/she is our favorite. ... In this week’s Torah portion, Tol’dot , Isaac and Rebekah, the parents of twin boys Jacob and Esau show favoritism to one child over the other. From the outset we are told that these two children are very different beings.

Stories We Tell: What Did You Leave on The Tables?

Cantor Ellen Dreskin
If somebody left something important at your house, would you give it to anyone else? That’s the question Mrs. Gold asks her daughter to encourage her to learn a life-long lesson. Find out what was left, and why this question contains such a crucial message, in this story retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin.

Stories We Tell: Honesty's Reward

Cantor Ellen Dreskin
Cantor Ellen Dreskin tells the story of a poor man who returned a rich man's money, trusting that because of honesty and honor he would receive a reward. Things didn't go as planned when the miserly rich man tried to dodge his responsibility - for either of them! Has there been a time when being honest paid off in an unsual way? You can find a version of this story in 101 Jewish Stories.

Stories We Tell: Something From Nothing

Cantor Ellen Dreskin
Joseph, a tailor, had a beautiful coat of many colors just like the Joseph in the Torah. When his coat rips, he’s unsure of what to do next. Should he try to preserve it, or start fresh? In this beloved story retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Joseph learns an important lesson about moving forward.

Stories We Tell: Brother and the Car

Cantor Ellen Dreskin
A man was very proud of his new car—it was sleek, new, and everything about it screamed luxury and comfort. One day, the man sees a young boy looking at the car, so he starts a conversation and tells the boy that it was a gift from his brother. The boy was shocked, but what the boy says next is a bigger surprise to the man. Listen to Cantor Ellen Dreskin retell the story, and for a written version, see A Brother Like That in Chicken Soup for the Soul: 20th Anniversary Edition.

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