We are honored to rise to our roles as co-creators of a healthy, healing ecosystem of sacred, sustainable and systemic love and justice with an ensemble of renowned guest artists, activists and faith leaders from around the world.
Ritual Leaders & Artists
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Rabbi Amichai (he/him) has been hailed as “an iconoclastic mystic” by Time Out New York, a “rock star” by the New York Times, a “Judaic Pied Piper” by the Denver Westword, a “maverick spiritual leader” by The Times of Israel and “one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world” by the Jewish Week. In June 2017 Rabbi Amichai published the JOY Proposal, offering a new response to the reality of Intermarriage and taking on a personal position on this issue, including his resignation from the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement.
In 2022 Rabbi Amichai began publishing Below the Bible Belt, a daily digital project extended over 42 months, critically queering and re-reading all 929 chapters of the Hebrew Bible.
Amichai is Abba to Alice, Ezra and Charlotte.
Shira Kline
Shira Kline (she/her) is a queer performance and ritual artist, recognized as a revolutionary educator and named one of the new re-engineers of Jewish life today. Co-founder of Storahtelling and Lab/Shul, she serves as Spiritual Leader weaving liturgy, text, story and song. Known in the sanctuary as a spiritual adventurist and on the kiddie rock stage as ShirLaLa, Shira practices in the field of sacred play. She tours extensively locally and globally with a vibrant invitation to connect, for a new and realized conscious world. She has been featured on NPR, hosted a queer Jewish podcast, led Shabbat on the Burning Man playa, recorded four award-winning albums, and is a frequent guest teacher or faculty of numerous international leadership conferences including Hava NaShira, SLBC, PJ Library, HUC-JIR Seminary and Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Shira is a member of the Mitsui Collective Kollel, building resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and somatic antiracism. Expansive and imaginative, Shira is here to nourish and ignite expression of the spirit. At home in Brooklyn, unceded Lenape lands, she lives to cook, dance, and play with her beloved and their daughter.
Naomi Less
Naomi Less (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based, internationally celebrated singer, composer, musician, ritual leader and educator. Her diverse original music is sung in worship communities worldwide, including Lab/Shul. In 2000, Naomi met Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and became a founding company member of Storahtelling, serving as Director of Education and Training, Director of Storahtelling and ultimately as a founding Lab/Shul ritual leader and Associate Director. Her signature music initiatives include: Jewish Chicks Rock band programs, creator/host of Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio, and co-creator/music director/performer for TRYmester, a touring performance piece that brings to light the oft hidden stories of fertility challenges through narrative, song and dance. Naomi is an activist and consultant for causes such as Bring Back Our Girls New York, a multi-faith volunteer group, and Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journeys (vice president). Naomi received training in spiritual leadership, music, facilitation and education from: Northwestern University, Jewish Theological Seminary Davidson School, Institute for Informal Jewish Education at Brandeis University, Institute for Jewish Spirituality, ChangeCraft (formerly Center for Leadership Initiatives). Listen to Naomi’s music on Spotify, YouTube, and Soundcloud.
Ben Freeman
Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen
Rev. Dr. McQueen (he/him) is also the pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem, the oldest African American Presbyterian Church in New York City. He serves as the first, ordained, out African American pastor of a historic Black Church in the Presbyterian denomination. St. James is an affirming congregation. Rev. McQueen and St. James is also in partnership with LAB/SHUL, a “Storahtelling” Jewish Congregation, led by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie. He serves as a Christian partner as a Ritual Leader for High Holy Day Seasons. They have completed a second anti-racism set of sessions, “From Separation to Reparation.” The most recent iteration is working through the lens of Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited. Derrick also serves as Vice Chair for the board of Auburn Seminary, which equips bold and resilient leaders with the tools and resources needed for social justice movement in a multifaith world. Dr. McQueen is the Associate Director for Community Partnerships at Columbia University Center on African American Religion Sexual Politics and Social Justice—better known as CARSS. The project brings together scholars, activists, clergy, and communities for the healing in historic Black Church life culture. Rev. McQueen earned his Ph. D. in Homiletics and New Testament at Union Theological Seminary (NYC). He also received an M. Div. in Worship and the Arts from Union; and a B.A. in theater Arts from Drew University. www.derrickmcqueen.com
Rebekka Goldsmith
Rebekka (she/her) believes in the power of the collective voice and regularly bears witness to the transformation and healing that happen when people sing together. Trained as a singer, group facilitator, professional coach and ritual leader, Rebekka has spent over 15 years guiding individuals and groups in explorations of voice, creativity, and racial and social justice. She has worked in public, nonprofit, education and religious sectors designing and facilitating experiential workshops that support people to learn about themselves, deepen their relationships with others, and take action on the issues they care about. Rebekka holds a theater degree from Rutgers University, and a certification through All the Way In, a master level vocal improvisation program led by Rhiannon. She is a Level III certified instructor of Somatic Voicework, and is a certified life coach through the International Coaching Federation. Rebekka works with individuals through her virtual voice studio and leads sound-based programs and events throughout the country. She released her first album, Seeding the Tree, last year. For more information about Rebekka: www.rebekkagoldsmith.com
Marques Hollie
Marques Hollie (they/he) is an operatically-trained theatre artist, sacred storyteller, ritual leader, and nascent aerialist based in Philadelphia. They have been singing professionally since 2008, and after a particularly meaningful Passover seder, began exploring the places where his Black, Queer, and Jewish identities intersect. This exploration has inspired original music and niggunim, a monodrama, and new liturgical expressions. Marques received maggidic ordination from Maggidah Devorah and Rabbi David Zaslow after completing a two year course of study, and is a rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. For more information about Marques and what they’re up to, check out: www.marqueshollie.com.
Eléonore Weill
French-American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Éléonore Weill (she/they) creates and performs soulful interpretations of Klezmer, Yiddish, French, Occitane music as well as original compositions. In addition to her acclaimed socially-conscious Yiddish music ensemble Tsibele, she performs and records internationally in a variety of ensembles, from klezmer to Romanian and Occitane folk musics with the Baroque Music Center of Versailles (C.M.B.V.), Frank London, Orchestre National de Toulouse, Joey Weisenberg, Midwood, Les Saqueboutiers, and many others. She has performed at leading international festivals including Yiddish New York, the Ashkenaz Festival (Toronto), Kleztival (São Paulo), and KlezKanada (Quebec) on recorder, wooden flutes, piano, accordion hurdy-gurdy, and as a lead singer. With performance degrees from France’s National Conservatories in Paris and Toulouse, Weill holds a Master’s Degree in ethnomusicology from the Sorbonne and Columbia University. Weill’s music is informed by her conviction that traditional songs have great power to create social change.
Zafer Tawil
Jeremy Brown
Jeremy Brown (he/him) is a Brooklyn, New York based performer, recording artist and educator. Jeremy’s original sound merges the technical mastery of a lifetime of classical study with deep knowledge of traditional violin styles including bluegrass, klezmer, arabic and blues. Jeremy is also a fierce improviser in New York’s downtown style. Jeremy performs around the world with a wide range of artists including klezmer-rock legends Golem; the Jewish noise-rock quartet Pitom, with whom Jeremy released 2 records on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records; the Moroccan Jewish ensemble Asefa; and international Jewish music star Eitan Katz.
LAB/Jr. EDUCATORS
Ben Freeman
Ben Freeman (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and spiritual care provider. He is excited to be back in New York City and deeply honored to join the ritual team at Lab/Shul. His prior work includes designing and facilitating an intergenerational storytelling program with LGBTQ+ elders and “youngers,” facilitating sections for a course on critical media literacy at Lucasfilm, and working in the spiritual care departments of Hebrew SeniorLife and Boston Children’s Hospital. He’s currently developing a chaplaincy practice for theater, film, and TV, the vision of which is to meet growing demands for mental health support and safe, caring, and culturally responsive working conditions through design and facilitation of creative process with deep attention to the spiritual needs and wellbeing of artists, audiences, and technicians. Ben is a graduate of Brown University, Harvard Divinity School, and the Spiritual Direction Practicum at Still Harbor, as well as a founding member of the Glitter Goddess Collective. You can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud.
Meghan Grover
Meghan Grover (she/her/they/them) is a teaching artist, performer, and director with a passion for devised theater, process dramas, and community-based work. They are a lower school advisor and drama educator with the Brooklyn Free School. They also create interactive dramas for organizations and schools in NYC and northeast Ohio (where she grew up). They graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program and MA in Applied Theatre Program at CUNY. Meghan is currently in the Pass/Age cohort with Lab/Shul and super grateful to be here— Storahtelling and learning and growing in this beautiful, expansive space.
Stephanie Guedalia
Stephanie Guedalia aka “Steve” is a graduate of Tisch School. She is a storyteller through a wide variety of platforms including performance, music and the written word. Steve spent her first two years of University studying Intellectual History. She was born in Jerusalem and was raised with a deep love of Jewish texts. She studied at Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Yeshivat Hadar, and Romemu Yeshiva.
Jonathan Hamlit
Jonathan Hamilt was named Executive Director of Drag Queen Story Hour in late 2019 after co-founding the New York City Chapter in 2016.
Hamilt is the first Executive Director of the organization, taking it from a loose string of a few state’s events to a national 501 c 3 with an international chapter network.
Being a strong communicator, he has connected the chapter’s organizers and storytellers with each other on a global scale. Under his leadership, the organization will change its official name to Drag Story Hour to better reflect the diverse and vast drag talent across the network this October. The Royal Guard, the glittery boots to the ground event safety marshals, was implemented in 2022 to better de-escalate the ongoing homophobia and transphobia attack on the organization.
Since being named Executive Director, Drag Story Hour has presented at Harvard, Yale, SXSW EDU, ABA, and the Medical Library Association.
Jonathan Hamilt is originally from Suwanee, Georgia and is a survivior of gay conversion therapy. His drag persona Ona Louise, outside of story hour, hosts drag bingos and reads tarot to raise money for local charities in NYC where he lives currently.
His partner and he are expecting a child in 2023.
Stephanie Kane
Stephanie Kane (she/her) is a professional theatre artist and educator, and is so excited to be joining the Lab/Shul team full time as the Raising the Bar Coordinator. As a Jewish educator and eternal camp counselor, she has worked with kids of all ages and abilities at Camp Ramah in California, JCC Pittsburgh, and most recently as a trainer here at Lab/Shul. Her theatrical homes past and present include Center Theatre Group, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, The Public Theater, and The Workshop Theater. Stephanie holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University and currently lives in Brooklyn on sovereign Lenape land, although she was born and raised in Los Angeles, a fact that shocks people because she’s pale, walks fast, and hates the beach.
Maria Serach Alexandra Lemire
Originally from Long Beach, California, Maria (they/them) is a New York State-certified early childhood and special educator based in Lower Manhattan. After graduating from NYU in 2019, Maria worked as a Reggio Emilia-inspired classroom teacher at the 14th Street Y Preschool and received their M.S.Ed in Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) from CUNY Hunter College. During these years, they also worked in Jewish education, leading family and children’s programs in synagogues, community centers, and at public events around the city. Maria has been a Lab/Shul team member since last year, starting by designing PlayLab’s High Holy Days as well as springtime FamilyLab programs. In addition to designing and implementing experiential Jewish education, Maria strongly believes in strength-based approaches, culturally responsive teaching, and the power of arts integration.
Melissa Shaw
Melissa Shaw is a facilitator who offers a unique consultancy based in the arts, social justice, diversity and inclusion, and social emotional learning. She has facilitated in universities, schools, summer camps, detention centers, yeshivas, churches, corporate offices, and long-term temporary housing centers. She has led workshops for high school students, security guards, chaplains, non-profit managers, video game designers, Buddhist monks, school principals, older adults, NGO leaders, and the NYPD. She is a teaching artist and creative coach for various community-based organizations, including Community Word Project, Energize Your Voice, and the Lulu and Leo Fund. Melissa also facilitates a variety of anti-bias and anti-racist programs for the Anti-Defamation League and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. She was on faculty for Drew University’s 2018 Institute On Religion and Conflict Transformation where she helped to foster dialogue among religious and lay leaders from around the world. She is the Arts and Communication Advisor for the Muslim Jewish Solidarity Committee and was was part of the 2019 Nahum Goldmann Fellowship cohort. She is an associate artist with Falconworks Artist Group and a certified Ethno-Religious mediator. Melissa holds an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.
JessAnn Smith
JessAnn Smith (she/her) is an NYC-based performer, producer, teaching artist and – most recently – a Wing Walker! She has worked and played all over the USA & beyond with choirs, comedy troupes, one-person shows and educational engagements. Her passions include being an auntie, trying new things, art therapy, open water swimming, and creating content that serves (and celebrates!) her Jewish and LGBTQIA+ identities.
Levitical Sacred Space Specialists
Sarah Sokolic – Lab/Shul Co-Founder & Executive Director
Ezra Baderman – Shiviti Image Design
Luis Burgos – Lab/Shul Operations Manager
Sean Clarke & SC Event Staffing – Production Assistants
Jill Van Denberg – Event Producer
Randy Esulto – Video and Digital Consultant
Sam Hipschman – Lab/Shul Director of Community Organizing and Engagement, Volunteer Coordinator
JewFolk Media – Marketing and Social Media
Jackie Lebwohl – Web Design
Ari L. Monts – Lab/Shul Program Manager and Ritual Team Member
Marijke Silberman – Stage Manager
Jacqueline Nicholls – Watercolor Prayer
Julian Fleisher – PSA sound engineer
