STAFF
RABBI
Niles Elliot Goldstein is the founding rabbi of The New Shul in Greenwich Village, New York, where he has served as its spiritual leader since 1999. He is an associate faculty member of CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, where he was the Steinhardt Senior Fellow. Goldstein is a member of PEN, the Renaissance Institute, the Liturgy Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the New York Board of Rabbis, and a former congregational rabbi in New Rochelle, New York. The New York Observer included him in its special Millennium Edition as one of the "Top 40 People to Watch" in the 21st century.
Goldstein is the award-winning author or editor of eight books: Craving the Divine: A Spiritual Guide for Today's Perplexed (2007), Gonzo Judaism: A Bold Path for Renewing an Ancient Faith (St. Martin's Press, 2006), Lost Souls: Finding Hope in the Heart of Darkness (Crown, 2002), God at the Edge: Searching for the Divine in Uncomfortable and Unexpected Places (Crown, 2000), Spiritual Manifestos: Visions for Renewed Religious Life in America from Young Spiritual Leaders of Many Faiths, Forests of the Night: The Fear of God in Early Hasidic Thought, Judaism and Spiritual Ethics, and Duties of the Soul: The Role of Commandments in Liberal Judaism. He was the founding editor of Contact, a quarterly journal of Jewish thought and opinion, and his essays and poetry have appeared in various publications around the country, including Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Forward, Moment, Sh'ma and Confrontation. He has been featured in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Jerusalem Report, The New York Observer, New York Magazine, Glamour, The Jewish Week, Yahoo! Internet Life, and Beliefnet.com, as well as on domestic and international television and radio such as Dateline, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, the Voice of America, and the BBC. Goldstein was a regular contributor to the show New Morning on the Hallmark Channel.
Goldstein served as the voice behind "Ask the Rabbi" on the Microsoft Network. He is the National Jewish Chaplain for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Goldstein holds an honors degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and received an M.A. and his ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He has traveled and taught throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom, and in places as remote and isolated as Central Asia and the Caucasus, and he is currently on the faculty of New York University. Goldstein's lectures focus on issues in mysticism and spirituality as well as on new models for religious life in this uncertain and unsettling century.
ASSOCIATE RABBI
Dan Ain began as The New Shul's first Assistant Rabbi after his ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary in May of 2008. An attorney and a writer, Dan received a BA in Philosophy from Brandeis University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. After serving as Rabbinic Intern at the Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y for two years, Dan joined The New Shul as Rabbinic Intern during his final year of studies.
As a freelance writer, Dan has covered the interplay between religion and politics reporting from national political conventions as well as on-location from Jerusalem. His writing has appeared in The New York Jewish Week, Sh'ma, The New York Blueprint and the BC Law Magazine.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
Ellen Gould is best known for her double Emmy award-winning musical "Bubbe Meises, Bubbe Stories." Her many other performance credits include leading roles in productions from Lincoln Center to The Public Theatre, as well as featured roles on HBO, PBS-TV, and NPR. Her writing credits include "Confessions Of A Reformed Romantic," "Seeing Stars," "The Glass House," and "Blessed is the Match" – all of which received New York productions.
Following the Off-Broadway run and national tour of "Bubbe Meises" Ellen continued to perform the show for Jewish organizations and synagogues throughout the U.S. This experience not only renewed her interest in Jewish communal life, it also raised the question –- "why can’t modern ritual be as transformative as theatre"? In 1999, Ellen co-founded The New Shul (with long-time friend and musical collaborator Holly Gewandter) where she continues to work on the answer.
A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Ellen is a graduate of Brandeis University, has an MFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and was the recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes fellowship in ethnomusicology.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Amy Eichenwald Golding became the Executive Director of The New Shul in June 2003 and has served as its Education Director since 1999, in charge of the religious school and the family life and community education programs.
Amy is a dynamic and innovative educator who brings a passion for Jewish life and rare sense of commitment to all her endeavors. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1998 and studied at Teachers College at Columbia University and at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Amy recently completed a year-long course at The Institute for Not-For-Profit Management through UJA and Columbia University. Her experience includes working with the special education district in New York City as part of her Americorps*VISTA fellowship and teaching at various schools both in Maryland and New York City.
Amy has played a leading role in program development and event planning for The New Shul since her arrival. In bringing her passion for Jewish life and commitment to our community to her position as Executive Director, she plays a dynamic role in helping The New Shul achieve its goal of creating a vibrant Downtown Jewish congregation.
ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR
Melanie Sylvan is a performer, producer and teacher originally from Columbus, Ohio. She has worked with The New Shul since 1999. She is a cantorial soloist, leading the congregation in song and prayer on Shabbat mornings. She also coordinates the B'nai Mitzvah Madrichim program and produces many of the participatory holiday events for the shul. Melanie is the co-Executive Producer of Electric Pear Productions, a non-profit theatrical production company.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE
Leah Bergman started with The New Shul after graduating from Fordham College at Lincoln Center as a Pre-Medical student. Leah is a published author in the scientific journal, Genetics and is currently becoming a certified EMT. While she continues on her path towards medicine, she has embraced her Judaism as The New Shul's Administrative Assistant. Leah is currently teaching at our Rishonim and B'nai Mitzvah Academy, using her knowledge from Solomon Schechter High School and Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.