Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He has been a congregational Rabbi for over 30 years, and previously served pulpits in Montreal, Quebec and Mount Vernon, New York. He has always been deeply engaged in community affairs, and currently serves on the board of directors of the UJA-Federation of New York and the American Jewish Committee-NY. When he lived in Montreal, Rabbi Steinmetz served as a Vice President of the Montreal Federation, and held executive positions in the Montreal Hillel and the  Canadian Jewish Congress. He has written for many publications including The Washington Post, The Daily News, The Globe and Mail, La Presse, The Jewish Journal, Haaretz, and The Jerusalem Post.

Rabbi Steinmetz received his ordination from Yeshiva University, where he was a fellow of the Gruss Kollel Elyon and has an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and an M.A. in Education from Adelphi University. He is married to Lisa Schwartz, and they have four children.

Rabbi Yitz Novak

Rabbi Yitz Novak has been involved with AIPAC for more than ten years first as a lay activist and currently as AIPAC Northeast Regional Synagogue Initiative Director. In this role, Yitz works with leading pulpit rabbis and synagogue lay leaders across the Northeast region to increase the number of pro-Israel activists in the American Jewish community. He resides in Bergenfield, New Jersey with his family.

MODI

Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, MODI is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, MODI has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post.

Born in Israel, MODI moved to the United States at the age of seven. After attending college at Boston University, MODI worked as an investment banker and had no plans to become a stand-up comedian until one open mic night changed everything.

MODI has appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. According to Variety, MODI delivers a “naturally funny performance with a tremendous amount of energy on screen.”

A regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, MODI also headlines around the country and across the globe. He has toured in the United Kingdom, Holland, and Israel and performs in comedy festivals and special venues, including Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Avraham Fried

Avraham Fried is a legend in the world of Jewish music. He’s been entertaining Jewish audiences for thirty years, in numerous concerts and venues. His music integrates a wide range of musical styles, combining them with Jewish lyrics and themes, to create unforgettable melodies that become all-time favorites. Fried is incredibly prolific, and has produced thirty CDs, the latest of which are “Yankel, Yankel” and “Live in Israel,” which is offered as both a DVD and a double CD. Fried lives with his wife and their six children in Brooklyn, New York.