JYC founding leadership

Cantor Shana Onigman

Cantor, educator, musician, and community builder. A founding voice of JYC, now serving as cantor at Temple Sholom in Bridgewater.

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Teaching and tradition

Helping Jewish life feel alive and accessible

Cantor Shana finds joy in teaching, learning, and singing. Her work includes guiding B’nai Mitzvah students, teaching in religious school, making music with young children, exploring Jewish texts with adults, and bringing warmth to Shabbat and holy day services. She encourages people to participate: to sing, to read Torah and Haftarah, and to build ritual skills they carry for life. She also loves putting on Purim shpiels and Hanukkah plays, and gives students every chance to explore Jewish texts and experiences creatively.

She studied for the cantorate at Hebrew College in Boston, where she also earned a master’s degree in Jewish education and a certificate in special education. She is currently pursuing rabbinic ordination at the Academy for Jewish Religion. After years as cantor and educator at Morristown Jewish Center Beit Yisrael, she now serves as cantor at Temple Sholom in Bridgewater.

A musical home

Connection through every note

Music and Jewish tradition run through Shana’s family life as well as her work. Her husband, Matthew, is a piano technician and tuner and an accomplished choral conductor who leads a choir alongside her on the High Holy Days, and the family sings, sails, bikes, and travels together.

Through JYC, she helps young adults encounter Jewish learning and practice with openness and curiosity.

Experience Jewish life in community.

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Stay connected

About Cantor Shana Onigman

Cantor Shana Onigman has supported Jewish music, prayer, learning, and community experiences connected with JYC. Programs involving clergy and educators are designed to be approachable for young adults with varied backgrounds and levels of familiarity. Participants can expect a welcoming environment where questions, singing, reflection, and conversation all have a place.

Check the current event calendar for upcoming services, learning opportunities, holiday gatherings, and community programs. Cantor Shana helps people take part through song, prayer, and study. Her style is warm and clear. She can give context before a prayer or song begins. This lets new guests join without fear of getting it wrong. People with more skill can also find depth in the same program. A service may have quiet parts, group song, short notes, and time to meet. A class may focus on one text or one theme. Each plan can change based on the day and the group. Check the live event page for the exact format. It will tell you when and where to meet. It may also list the host, cost, and sign-up steps. You are free to listen at first. You may sing when you feel ready. The aim is to help each guest feel part of the room. Come as you are. Sit near a friend if you wish. Take a slow breath. Hear the tune first. Join the song when it feels right. You can stop and start at any time. You can ask what a word means. You can read the text in your own way. No one will grade you. No one will rush you. A kind host can show you the page. A clear note can tell you what comes next. The point is to be with the group. It is also a time to rest, learn, and feel at home.