Cantor Laura Berman is deeply honored to serve as Cantor & Spiritual Leader of Parkway Jewish Center. She returned to Pittsburgh, her hometown, in 2015 to serve as the first invested Cantor at Temple Sinai following eleven years as Cantor at The Conservative Synagogue in Westport, CT. She has been known for creating an inviting and accessible atmosphere during Shabbat and holiday services, brings her strong Jewish educational background to divrei Torah and community programming, and officiates at a full range of lifecycle events.
Given her love for teaching, Cantor Berman has developed and managed highly-regarded b’nei mitzvah programs and worked extensively with each participant. As such, she has helped to nurture confident and competent students to reach new heights in their Hebrew learning and synagogue skills. She privately tutors both youth and adults in Judaic studies, and in 2003 she served as Educator-in-Residence for Violins of Hope – Pittsburgh.
Prioritizing the importance of music, creativity, and community, Cantor Berman has led choirs of children, teens, and adults, worked with a synagogue band, played guitar and sung each week with students, created family worship and women’s discussion programs, and developed well-received community events such as Purim spiels, Latke-Hamentash Debates, sedarim, and concerts. She holds a Master of Jewish Education degree, a Master of Sacred Music degree, and a Diploma of Hazzan along with several awards from The Jewish Theological Seminary where she studied in Jerusalem and New York. This followed a successful career in banking and finance, having earned an MBA from The Wharton School. She is the kvelling mother of Sam.
Parkway Jewish Center 