Leadership Team

Carla Friend (she/they) - Founder & Executive Director

Carla Friend holds a Masters Degree in Music Education from NYU and a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Ithaca College. She discovered her Jewish identity through music and started Tkiya to help others do the same. Carla is a 2018 recipient of the Young Pioneers Award from the Jewish Education Project , a 2019 recipient of 36 Under 36 from the Jewish Week, was in UpStart Venture Accelerator’s Cohort 11, is on the board of JPro New York, and was just accepted to the newest cohort of the Institute for Executive Jewish Leadership. She is also a JKids Radio artist and the host of a new show on JKids Radio called Tkiya Town. Check out Carla’s new album of family-friendly Jewish music, Challalalalah!

Hannah Gundersheim (she/her) - Program Director

Hannah is a songleader and Jewish educator based in Manhattan. Hannah grew up immersed in musical theatre and Jewish community, and began songleading as a way to combine the two worlds into one! She went on to receive a BFA in Music Theatre from The Hartt School while also songleading in multiple Jewish communities across greater Hartford. Hannah is thrilled to be a part of Tkiya’s full-time team, her role allowing her to bring Jewish music into the lives of so many young people while also empowering teachers to do the same! Outside of Tkiya, you can find Hannah writing and performing original music, and spending time with her friends.

Morgan Zweibel (she/her) - Education Coordinator

Morgan is an educator and performer based in Manhattan. Growing up on Long Island, she was surrounded by Jewish culture and specifically enjoyed the sense of community Jewish tradition and holidays cultivated. After graduating with a BFA from The Hartt School, she moved to NYC and started a Moishe House with her roommate, Hannah, another wonderful Tkiya educator! Morgan has loved working with kids for as long as she can remember. Combining her passion for working with children and her passion for the arts has always been a dream of hers, and she has loved getting to fulfill that through Tkiya. She is thrilled to continue to make music with children across the city! 

Teaching Team

Dovy Ehrenreich (he/him) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Dovy is a Brooklyn-based educator and musician who has had a passion not just for music, but for Jewish culture his entire life. Dovy is proud to be teaching at Tkiya and spreading the love for both music and Judaism with our next generation! Having grown up teaching music to disabled children and directing music for local summer camp productions, Dovy now has over 10 years of experience working with children. Aside from teaching at Tkiya, Dovy is a private music teacher for piano and voice. Dovy is grateful to have studied and lived in Israel before attending Berklee College of Music, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in contemporary writing and production, as well as a minor in music technology. In his spare time, Dovy enjoys producing music, collecting vinyl, and watching films!

Elana Ron (she/they) - Tkiya Teacher (Bay Area, CA)

Elana Ron is an educator and performer who grew up in the Bay Area. Her passion for singing and performing led her to grow up helping lead songs and parts of services at her local congregation and spending most of her time involved in local theatre companies. She has her BFA in Musical Theatre from Notre Dame de Namur University. Elana also works at the San Mateo County Pride Center as the Lead Events and Outreach Coordinator planning engaging programming to bring community together. Over the years she has taught theatre and dance classes, coached gymnastics, managed box offices for award winning theatre companies, and worked at a travel company. When not working, Elana can often be found performing at local community theatres, walking along the coast, or spending time with her spouse and rescue dogs. Between getting to sing, play, dance, read stories, and share about Jewish values, she loves that her time with Tkiya feels like she is finally doing what she has been meant to do.

Leah Savin (they/she) - Tkiya Teacher (Philadelphia, PA)

Leah is a singer, actor, songwriter, and educator based in Philadelphia. Originally from Denver, Colorado, they graduated with a BFA in musical theater from University of the Arts. Leah fell in love with songleading while working as the music instructor at a Jewish summer camp, and believes that music has a profound power to help people connect with their Jewish identity. She is passionate about kids, cats, and all things music and theater. They are a serious believer in the importance of fun in every aspect of life. Leah is thrilled to be working with Tkiya to teach the next generation about Jewish joy!

Neil Steinglass (he/him) - Tkiya Teacher (Philadelphia, PA)

Neil Steinglass is a musician, performer, and educator from Washington, DC. He holds a degree in Theater and Jewish Studies from Swarthmore College, where he was a regular attendee and song leader at on-campus shabbat services. Neil loves making art with children and finding different ways to engage with Jewish tradition. Outside of his work with Tkiya, Neil is an assistant teacher at Makom Community and can be found on his way to or from Center City.

Olivia Berkson (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Olivia is a NYC based educator, performer and composer with a degree in Musical Theatre from the University of the Arts. She is an award winning composer for her children’s show Hundred Acre Park which ran in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in the fall of 2024. Originally from Westchester NY, she grew up surrounded by Jewish culture and was heavily involved in the community, including her synagogue’s choir and helping out with elementary Hebrew school classes and services. She loves working with kids in musical settings and finds so much joy and fulfillment in cultivating a love of music in them. Olivia is excited to be joining a community of Jewish educators who love what they do, as well as getting to sing and play with children all over NYC!

Rachel Haymer (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Rachel is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii and has been a musician for most of her life. After graduating college and returning to her home synagogue, she volunteered at Temple Emanuel Honolulu to play in Shabbat services. She eventually became music director for the school of Jewish studies before moving to Manhattan in 2013. Rachel continued to work in the Jewish community, at the Hebrew Home of Riverdale as a musician and Shabbat service specialist. Her decision to turn again to leading children’s T’filah is what lead her to Tkiya! She is excited to be a part of the Tkiya team. Rachel also has an extensive secular music background including being part of the Musicians Under New York (MTA Musicians).

Verónica Freidkes (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (Bay Area, CA)

Verónica discovered her passion for singing at age six when she joined a children´s community choir in her hometown Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was the beginning of a musical journey exploring a breadth of styles, from tango and bossa nova to jazz, rock, and pop, also singing as Cantor in Jewish communities in Buenos Aires for over ten years. After many years of studying voice and piano privately, she managed to mix her studies in Psychology with the experience of teaching voice. That background and training as a psychotherapist provided her with tools to make the experience of learning music a truly rewarding adventure. Verónica loves to accompany students in the experience and discovery of music as a unique source of enjoyment and expression, where every style and genre is welcomed. When she is not teaching, practicing or studying, Verónica can be found riding her bicycle, enjoying nature, and discovering new places with Rodrigo, her husband, around the Bay Area, CA., their new home.

Bri Jaffe (she/they) - Tkiya Teacher (Bay Area, CA)

Bri is a musician, vocalist, and sound artist originally from Philadelphia, PA. Recently graduated from Oberlin College & Conservatory with a degree in Musical Studies, she is pursuing her music career in the Bay Area of California, currently basing herself in Sonoma. They have been singing and performing for as long as they can remember and are very excited to share their love of music with the youth of the Bay Area through Tikya!

Amylia Dulsky Little (she/they) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Amylia  is a music educator based in New York. Amy’s parents were accomplished amateur musicians who instilled in their children both a love of and sense of identity in music.  After graduating Julliard (B.M., M.M.) Amy played viola with the Essex Quartet, serving as Artists-in-Residence at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. 

Upon starting her own family, Amy switched her focus to education; first teaching violin, viola and chamber music at Mannes College Prep and Moravian College, and later teaching music and musical theater at the Amistad Dual Language School, where she also served as Arts Liaison and teacher mentor. Since retiring from Amistad, Amy has maintained a private instrumental teaching studio and served as teaching artist at Tkiya.

Lyra Hudson (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (Atlanta, GA)

Lyra lives at the intersection of Judaism, music, and education. She is a lifelong learner, having earned her B.A. in Music from Yale University in 2019; she is also a passionate educator, aiming to bring openness and connection to every space she shares with students young and old. Lyra delights in nurturing spirit and heart—both her own and those of the people she gets to share vulnerable space with. In addition to songwriting and composing new settings of liturgical texts for choir, she also has a passion for very old material: Lyra habitually engages with medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music along with mystical Jewish texts and teachings. She has an âme-sœur in the form of a lovebug-cat named Cow, and she loves to read, watch cartoons, and witness the rain.

Brian Gershowitz (he/him) - Tkiya Teacher (Long Island, NY)

Brian is a musician and performer based in Huntington, NY. He worked at Camp Kinder Ring for several years, a Jewish sleep away camp where he would lead music services and work with children ages 2-13. Brian is a recent graduate of SUNY Onteona, where he received a BS in Theatre as well as a BA in English. He has studied as well as performed in Prague with the Prague Shakespeare Company, and has music on streaming services with over 500,000 streams. Brian is super excited to be working with Tkiya to blend his loves of education, theater, and music Outside of Tkiya, Brian is a working actor and in the acoustic duo group Juice Box Acoustic with his partner!

Callie Friedman (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (Atlanta, GA)

Callie Friedman is a musician, educator, and student originally from Savannah, Georgia. She grew up deeply rooted in the local Jewish community, where music played a meaningful role in her life from a young age. Callie began playing guitar at eight years old and quickly discovered the joy of using music to connect, inspire, and bring people together. Now, based in Atlanta, she is pursuing a degree in biology and chemistry while teaching guitar lessons to students of all ages. Callie is passionate about working with children and finds great fulfillment in helping them discover their own voices through music. When she’s not playing or teaching, she enjoys gardening, ceramics, and exploring new ways to express creativity. She’s excited to be part of a community where she can combine her love of music, teaching, and Jewish values.

Maya Díaz-Portalín (they/she) - Tkiya Teacher (Long Island, NY)

Maya is a Long Island based musician and educator with a BA in Music from the University of Delaware. She has been in choirs that sang for the National and All-Eastern American Choral Director’s Association, and has worked closely with many of the choral directors in her journey towards a career in music education. Maya currently teaches voice and piano outside of Tkiya. They grew up in a large, culturally Jewish family who introduced them to musical theatre. Maya has spent life performing and seeing Broadway shows whenever possible. She remains enthusiastic about music, teaching, and theatre, as well as social justice and family violence prevention. Maya is thrilled to be a part of the loving community that Tkiya has built and is grateful to be a part of the team!

Yael Copeland (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Yael is a musician, vocalist, and guitarist based in New York City. With extensive experience performing and teaching, she brings a warm, thoughtful approach to music education. Through Grey Studios, a creative music studio she co-runs, Yael leads songwriting and performance workshops, group sessions, and community music events. She is excited to share her love of music and education with families and young audiences, inspiring creativity and connection through Tkiy'a lessons and events!

Elana Hershman (she/her) - Tkiya Teacher (NYC)

Elana is a theatre artist and educator based in New York City. She loves connecting communities through the arts and is dedicated to creating inclusive and joyful spaces for children and families to explore movement and music. Music has stood at her heart of her favorite Jewish memories - from singing the candle blessings with her grandparents to dancing her heart out every Shabbat at Summer camp. She is thrilled to share the joy of Jewish stories, traditions, and songs with the beautiful Tkiya community!

Board of Directors

Tkiya’s Board of Directors is proud to serve Tkiya’s mission, assess our success, and continually seek to improve our impact on the communities that we serve. If you’d like to learn more about board service, please email Carla.

2024 Board of Directors

  • Kate Forester - Board Chair (Ithaca, NY)

  • Jay Herman – Treasurer (New Jersey)

  • Jodi Sarowitz – Secretary (Brooklyn, NY)

  • Carla Friend – Executive Director (Brooklyn, NY)

  • Seth Wolfson (New York, NY)

  • Shariee Calderone (Long Island, NY)

  • Danielle Segal (Brooklyn, NY)

  • Rob France (Philadelphia, PA)

  • Chelsea Hylton (New Orleans, LA)

  • Adam Socloff (New York, NY)