Dear Shir Chadash Community,   On behalf of the Officers and Board, I am very pleased to announce that we have engaged Meryl Zimmerman as our I nterim Education Director. We are delighted that she has accepted this position. We look forward to Meryl, along with Rabbi Silver, continuing to grow our highly successful Shul school program. The year ahead will provide Meryl with ample opportunity to demonstrate her unique talent, ingenuity and creativity as we will likely launch the school year virtually.   Many thanks to Danny Mintz, who chaired our Education Director S earch C ommittee, for his dedication and hard work throughout the process. In addition, thank you to Peter Title for his expertise and time finalizing a contract with Meryl.   Please see below a letter from Meryl.   Be well and stay safe. Shabbat Shalom. Ken Klein President

Hello! Many of you already know me, but for those who don’t, I’m Meryl Zimmerman, your new Interim Education Director! I hail from Long Island, New York and have lived in New Orleans since 2012. Despite being a Yankee, I have local roots - my father, Mark Zimmerman, grew up in New Orleans and was B ar M itzvahed at Chevra Thilim. Many of you know my grandmother, Dena Grenell, who is a Shir Chadash member.   I received my Masters Degree in Jazz Performance (Voice) from Manhattan School of Music, and my Bachelors Degree from Washington University in Saint Louis (Anthropology). From 2010-2012, I served in various roles at Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn, NY, including Assistant Director of Education and Family Programming, Hebrew School teacher, children’s Shabbat and High Holiday services leader, and creator and teacher of a Jewish music class for babies and toddlers. From 2012-2014, I served as Shir Chadash’s Religious School Director. I’ve also led Tot/Family Shabbat services and High Holiday services for our youngest members for the past 8 years.   Most recently , in my pre-Covid life, I spent most of my time working as a professional singer and voice teacher. I am thrilled that my debut album, “Crystalline”, is at long last nearing completion and will likely be released sometime this summer!   I have been happily married to my amazing chef-husband Trey since 2017 , and we have two (canine) children, Snacks and Clementine. We currently live in Mid-City, but will be moving to beautiful Algiers Point in August! I look forward to working with Rabbi Silver, the B oard, the Shul School families, and the rest of the staff and congregants of Shir Chadash to make this upcoming year one chock-full of learning and fun for our children. I recognize the unique challenges that we are facing during this peculiar time, and I am committed to working hard, thinking creatively, and utilizing all the resources at my disposal to meet these challenges and provide an exceptional year of Jewish education and holiday experiences for our kids. Shabbat Shalom, Meryl Zimmerman

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