Who We Are

Lisa Ann Wharton started leading services with her guitar at her Bat Mitzvah at Community Reform Temple in Westbury, Long Island in the 70's and hasn't stopped since. Music has always been a primary way she connects to soulful prayer, and she finds great joy in helping others to make the same connection. She has served as Cantor of Temple Beth Emeth of Mt. Sinai, New York since 2010, where she blends traditional chants with Chassidic and contemporary composed music, encouraging congregational singing and participation at every service.

Rabbi Lisa taught religious school music throughout high school and college at the State University of New York at Binghamton, where she earned a BA in History and Middle Eastern Studies. During her college years, she also studied at Cornell and Tel Aviv Universities, sang with the Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY, and served as youth advisor and music leader at Temple Concord in Binghamton. She has studied at Hebrew Seminary in Skokie and received Smicha (rabbinical ordination) through the Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary.

Lisa Ann recently retired from a 35 year career in publishing technology management at The New York Times. She raised two wonderful sons, Alexander, an a cappella music producer who lives in Brooklyn, and Zacqary Xeper, a software developer and queercore punk musician who lives in New Orleans.