Meet the Cantor!

Cantor Carol Chesler, mezzo soprano, was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her first guitar at the ripe old age of 9, and developed a strong desire to become a folk singer and classical guitarist. Cantor Chesler studied music at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and then went on to pursue a career in Jewish music education and Jewish communal services in the Chicago area. She worked for Hillel, serving Jewish college students, as well as a number of synagogues as music teacher, songleader and children’s service leader. To learn her way around the city, she performed singing telegrams.

When the Jewish Theological Seminary decided to allow women to become invested as cantors, Cantor Chesler auditioned, was accepted, packed her bags, and left for a year of study in Jerusalem.  Following her graduation from JTS she moved to Long Island, NY and served the Malverne Jewish Center for six years, the Huntington Jewish Center for 12 years, and Temple Beth Torah in Westbury for five years.  Her duties included leading all religious services, teaching B’nai Mitzvah, being the weekly Torah reader, facilitating life cycle events, pastoral care, adult education and creating a vast variety of programs for all ages and stages of life.  In 2021, Cantor Chesler served as Kolbo for six months, covering all rabbinical duties during that time as well as her own usual cantorial obligations.  She delivered multiple Divrei Torah from the Bima and online, and conducted all religious services throughout these months of the pandemic, as sole clergy of the congregation.

Cantor Chesler was also the Music Director at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires during the  summers from 2002-2019. In addition, she served as cantor of Temple Isaiah, a Reform congregation in Stony Brook, in 2016-17. Cantor Chesler taught music to preschoolers at the Growing Tree Nursery School in Roslyn and at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hills, and led Jewish family programming there as well. She also led a weekly Shabbat service for the residents at the Bristal Assisted Living in New Hyde Park, and has taught Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons to hundreds of students in congregations all over Long Island.

In 2022 Cantor Chesler began serving as Kolbo/Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth El in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  She is mom to four children – Rafi, Aliza, Avi, and Galit – and a dog, Shachar.