Kumah 2025
Leadership
Actor, educator, playwright, activist, Rabbi Misha’s roaming soul has found a comfortable abode at The New Shul and a happy home in Brooklyn with his wife, Erika and their three boys. Born and raised in Jerusalem, and now a New Yorker for over a quarter of a century, Rabbi Misha is the founding director of the School for Creative Judaism, where he leads a team of a dozen talented artist-teachers instilling a Judaism driven by kindness and questioning into the hearts and minds of Jewish children and teens. Perpetually exploring the borders and overlap between faith, art and activism, he was ordained at Theater for the New City by a committee of five rabbis and five artist-activists. His great love for, and curiosity about prayer and meditation have led to his intimate exploration of the Book of Psalms, of which he’s translated several chapters into English. In recent years his studies have focused on medieval and early modern masters of Musar, or ethical living. Rabbi Misha has been working for co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians for close to three decades, and is a member of Torat Tzedek; The Torah of Justice, and Israelis for Peace. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from Brooklyn College and an extensive theatrical resume, and religiously follows the Talmudic maxim: “whoever doesn’t nap on Saturday afternoons will be tired all week.” His rabbinical advice is to try it out.
Rabbi Misha Shulman
Spiritual Leader
The word prolific doesn’t even begin to describe Frank London. Of course, there is the Klezmatics, which he co-founded in 1986. Frank plays trumpet and keyboard and sings with the group and he’s written many of the Klezmatics’ most popular songs. But his mile-long resumé has also seen London adding virtuosity to hundreds of concerts and recordings by everyone from John Zorn to They Might Be Giants, Mel Torme to Iggy Pop, Pink Floyd, Youssou N’dour, LaMonte Young, Allen Ginsberg and LL Cool J!
Called the “mystical high priest of Avant-Klez jazz,” Frank has made 30 solo recordings and is featured on over 400 albums. He’s a regular face on New York’s cutting-edge downtown club scene and music festivals everywhere, and has written dozens of scores for theater, film and dance. He was music director for David Byrne and Robert Wilson’s The Knee Plays, collaborated with Palestinian violinist Simon Shaheen, taught Jewish music in Canada, Crimea and the Catskills, and produced CDs for Gypsy legend Esma Redzepova, and Algerian pianist Maurice el Medioni. He was even featured on the soundtrack to Sex and the City!
Frank London
RISE UP Co-Artistic Director
Daphna Mor
Daphna Mor is an acclaimed wind player and vocalist praised as a ‘Recorder virtuoso’ and for her “astonishing virtuosity’ by The NY times and Chicago Tribune. She is celebrated for her dynamic performances across classical, global, and contemporary music. A vital voice in the Jewish music and ritual community, Mor bridges cultures and generations through her artistry.
Daphna has performed throughout Europe and the North America both as a soloist and ensemble player. Recent solo appearances include Tanglewood festival, the Met Museum, and St Martin’s in the Fields in London with Apollo’s Fire Orchestra. As member of the orchestra, Mor performed with The New York Philharmonic, American Classical Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s to name few. . Her recent album release "ija Mia’ (Avie Records) with her Ensemble East of the River, co led by Nina Stern, explores the music of the Sephardic Diaspora (www.daphnamor.com)
RISE UP Co-Artistic Director
Susan Meyers
The New Shul Executive Director/RISE UP Producer
Susan joined the New Shul as Executive Director in 2019 with over three decades of professional experience as a leader in the arts community and a lifetime of involvement as a lay leader in the Jewish world. Prior to joining TNS, Susan was Executive Director of New York Theater Ballet, Co-Executive Director of the STREB Lab for Action Mechanics (SLAM), founder and principal of MEA Mgmt, a consulting firm providing strategic planning, fundraising and programmatic direction to nonprofits in the performing arts, social service and philanthropic communities, Program Director at the Pew Charitable Trusts, Executive Director of the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Director of Development at The Kitchen, and Story Editor for Walt Disney Productions. Susan has served on the boards of Dance/USA and Movement Research and has been a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, NewMusic USA and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund. Susan holds an MFA in Arts Management from Brooklyn College and a BA in English Literature and Dramatic Arts from UC Berkeley. Susan is a member of Congregation Etz Hayim in Northeast Queens and has served on the synagogue's Board of Trustees and as Chair of its Education Committee. Having held leadership roles in both United Synagogue Youth and B'nai Brith Youth Organization as a young adult, Susan is the proud mother of four sons who have all been involved in USY - l'dor v'dor.
Brian Binsack
Creative/Technical Director
Brian Binsack is a musician and creative producer who has orchestrated works for Academy-Award Winning and Nominated projects as well as the world's most inventive brands, agencies, and directors—including Adidas, Nike, Wes Anderson, BBDO, Weiden + Kennedy, and many more. Many of his works are centered on activism and social justice, so he is proud to be a part of this unique celebration empowering diverse communities through creative means.