Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky

Hayley Kobilinsky is Cantor of Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk, NY, where she has served for the past eight years.  Hayley is also an adjunct professor at the Hebrew Union College’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, and is President of Kol Hazzanim – Westchester Community of Cantors.

The Song of the Sea and Shabbat Shirah

Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky

Shabbat Shirah is on January 30th this year, and is another name for the week we read the Torah portion called B'shalach. In this portion, the Israelites have just been freed from Egypt and we read about the splitting of the Red Sea. Following this miraculous

Eileh Ezkerah: These I Will Remember

Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky

The Eileh Ezkerah with which most Reform Jews are currently familiar does not bring to mind familiar melodies.  While thematically, Eileh Ezkerah fits well with Yom Kippur, it does not hark to the sounds of the High Holy Day melodies we typically quote. What

Torah Cantillation for the High Holy Days

Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky

There are many elements which make the High Holy Days a unique experience.  Often, congregations swell to double or triple their usual size, the musical settings of even common liturgy are different, and some might alter their dress by wearing either traditionally all-white garments or more formal wear than they would sport on Shabbat. Some congregations even have unique garments to dress their Torah scrolls in white. 

The Music of Avinu Malkeinu

Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky
In the game “Truth-or-Dare,” I choose “truth” nearly every time. I’m not much of a dare-taker. Thus, if you and I were playing “Special Edition Truth-or-Dare: High Holy Days,” I would confess that the prayer Avinu Malkeinu provides me with both my second-favorite liturgical moment and my second-greatest pet peeve of the year’s liturgy.

Give to the URJ

The Union for Reform Judaism leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America.

Donate Today!