Professional Staff
Rabbi Debra Landsberg
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Rabbi Landsberg has served Temple Emanu-El since 2001. She is currently a participant (by invitation) in the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative of The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and has served as a founding member of the Canadian Association of Muslims and Jews and as the chairperson of the Coalition of Canadian Rabbis for Same Sex Marriage. She received her Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Harvard University in 1988 (serving as counsellor and co-director of the Harvard/Radcliffe Response Rape Crisis Center). After moving to New York, Rabbi Landsberg worked as the senior educator/counsellor at the CAPABLE Project in the Bronx Psychiatric Center, before being ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (1996). While in Rabbinic school, she served as Steinhardt Scholar/Rabbinic intern at Vanderbilt University and pastoral counsellor at the Momentum AIDS Project in New York. Rabbi Landsberg served 5 years at The Temple in Atlanta, Georgia before joining us here. She is married to Adam and the mother to triplets Efi, Noa, and Elie.
Cantor Anna Trubashnik
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Cantor Anna Trubashnik has been serving Temple Emanu-El in Toronto since 1990. A native of Moscow, Russia she immigrated with her parents to Israel and then to Belgium where she became one of the youngest members of the Brussels Opera House. In 1979, by invitation of the Canada Council, Anna Trubashnik together with her parents formed the Toronto Lyric Trio and represented Canada throughout North America, Europe and Japan. Cantor Trubashnik holds diplomas in Voice, Piano and Choral Conducting from the Brussels Conservatory and a Degree in Modern Languages from the University of Toronto. She received her Cantorial Certification from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Cantor Trubashnik is a member of the American Conference of Cantors, Toronto Council of Hazzanim, a faculty member of Kolel, The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning where she teaches Judaism to the Russian Jewish Community in Toronto. Cantor Trubashnik frequently offers master classes with Synagogue and Church choirs, as well as actively teaches voice development and therapy in her private studio.
Robin Leszner - Director, Centre for Jewish Living and Learning
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Robin is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto with degrees in Music Theory and Composition, specializing in Piano and Flute performance and pedagogy and Jewish Liturgical Music. Her post-graduate studies were focused on Jewish text, history, and musical tradition. She has extensive experience as a Jewish educator. She taught for many years at the Leo Baeck Day School and in private practice she supported the B’nai Mitzvah preparation of children with special learning needs. Robin has been deeply involved in the Reform Jewish Community at local, Canadian and North American levels. She has been a frequent presenter at the biennials of the Union for Reform Judaism, teaching on Torah cantillation, synagogue music, and accommodating children with Autism in our synagogues. As a passionate member of our Temple community, she designed and implemented our popular JAM! (Jews and Music) program of learning and Shabbat services. Robin brings us her warmth, strong organizational skills, love of Emanu-El and love of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld - Rabbi Emeritus
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Rabbi Bielfeld retired in June 2001 after serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El for 33 years. During his long history with the Congregation, Rabbi Bielfeld was an inspiration and the catalyst for innovative programming and Social Action endeavours. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Rabbi Bielfeld graduated Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College in 1964. Rabbi Bielfeld is the founding Chair and present Chairman of the Leo Baeck Day School, the first community-sponsored Reform Jewish Day School in North America, Past Chairman of the Board of the Energy Probe Research Foundation - Probe International, Founding Chair of MAZON Canada - a Jewish response to Hunger, a Founding Member of KOLEL - The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning, Founding Chair of The Campaign Against Child Poverty - a national coalition as well as a Past Board Member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Talbert House (Cincinnati, Ohio), North York Committee on Community, Race & Ethnic Relations, United Way of Greater Toronto and Casey House Hospice and Casey House Foundation.
