Kesher Zion is excited to have Cantor Ted Prosnitz as its Spiritual Leader.  He is dedicated to building a relationship with each member of our congregation.  Meeting them where they are theologically and ritually, his goal is to support each person’s connection to our faith and encourage taking a step up the ladder of holiness.

 

Hazzan Prosnitz was invested by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.  In addition, JTS bestowed upon him a Master of Arts in Sacred Music.  He was also awarded the Hazzan Israel Weiser Prize for Excellence in Nusach and the Sara and Samuel Katz Memorial Prize in Liturgy and Nusach.  Hazzan Prosnitz has also earned Professional Development Certificates from Harvard University (Teaching the Ancient Near East) and the State of New Jersey (Holocaust Education).  His undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts, is from the University of Rochester.

 

Born and raised in Hackensack, New Jersey, he attended public school and Hackensack Hebrew Institute; college (University of Rochester); and graduate school (University of Michigan).  A life changing experience one High Holiday season led him to leave the family retail business (PROZYS ARMY NAVY) and pursue the cantorate-first at the Academy of Jewish Religion and then at The Jewish Theological Seminary.  He expects to receive rabbinic ordination/smicha from Mesifta Adath Wolkowisk in June, 2023.

 

Cantor Prosnitz has served as Ba’al K’riah, Ba’al T’fillah, Cantor, and Kol Bo at congregations from New York to Ohio, Michigan to Missouri.  He has worked as a chaplain, which he finds is a profound experience for all concerned, in hospitals and homes; and has loved teaching and tutoring in schools, shuls, and seminary.  He has sung in performance at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.  As Spiritual Leader, he is looking forward to bringing all his skills and energy to our part of Pennsylvania.

 

Our Spiritual Leader is passionate about making study of your prayer, and prayer of your study.  When not occupying himself with text or t’fillah, Ted enjoys reading, watching movies, playing chess, and white-water rafting.  Together with his wife Karen, a skating director and figure skating and hockey coach, they enjoy ballroom dancing.  They have three adult (all still single!) children: Jared, Reyna, and Rachel.

 

Cantor Prosnitz is enthusiastic about being part of the Berks County community and enjoys getting to know everyone at Kesher Zion.