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MUSIC

KKBE’s Music Leadership

Bates O'Neal

Music & Artistic Director
Director, Koleinu & Koleinu Katan
Bio

Robin Shuler

Music Director Emeritus
Songleader
Tot Shabbat

Kyrston Clouse

Music & Movement Educator
Songleader
Tot Shabbat

Dr. Julia Harlow

Organist, Pianist
Koleinu

Our Choirs

Koleinu (Our Voice) is the congregational choir of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim. Led by Bates O’Neal and Dr. Julia Harlow, Koleinu sings for Shabbat worship services at least once per month, as well as High Holy Days services and special musical events throughout the year. 

Our choir includes members of all backgrounds and experience levels. While the choir maintains a fun, relaxed, and supportive atmosphere, more challenging musical projects are enhanced by the guidance of professional section leaders, who rehearse and perform alongside volunteers. This approach ensures a meaningful and joyful musical experience for all participants, while supporting high-quality performances that enrich our congregational life. 

Whether you’re a lifelong singer or just discovering your voice, there’s a place for you in Koleinu. Rehearsals are held in KKBE’s sanctuary on Thursday evenings, 5:30-7pm. 

If you are interested in joining our choir, email Bates O’Neal at bates@kkbe.org.

Koleinu Katan

Koleinu Katan is KKBE’s youth choir, open to all students in grades 3-7. Established in 2024 and led by Bates O’Neal, Koleinu Katan is a fun and dedicated group of students that learns and performs traditional and contemporary Jewish music. Students can expect to learn about a wide range of Jewish topics, including holidays, history, customs, and (of course) music. Koleinu Katan performs several times throughout the school year for Shabbat and holiday services. 

Rehearsals are held just after Religious School on Sunday afternoons from 12:40-1:10pm. If your student is interested in joining Koleinu Katan, email Bates O’Neal at bates@kkbe.org. 

Our Instruments

close up of organ keyboard

Organ
KKBE’s organ is a defining part of our history. In 1841, KKBE became the first synagogue in the United States to introduce an organ into its worship services, a decision that divided the community between reformers that embraced a new era of instrumental music for worship and traditionalists who opposed it and left the congregation. While our current organ is not the original 1841 instrument, we honor and embrace the legacy of those reformers by continuing to use our organ regularly as part of our worship experience. 

Piano
Supported by KKBE’s Sisterhood and Dr. Michael Kogan z”l in 2023, KKBE’s sanctuary now houses a beautiful Steinway piano that supports the enormous variety of music included in the Jewish musical canon. A versatile instrument to accompany the most classical and contemporary settings of the liturgy, this piano is a vital resource for the congregation’s worship and other performances in our beautiful sanctuary. 

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Bates O’Neal brings a rich background in classical music and a deep love for Jewish musical tradition to his role as KKBE’s Music & Artistic Director. He has performed widely as a soloist and ensemble singer throughout the United States, Mexico, Italy, and the United Kingdom, appearing in choirs, operas, recitals, and orchestral works. Since joining KKBE in 2022, Bates has focused his talents on creating meaningful, engaging worship experiences through both traditional and contemporary Jewish music. In 2024, Bates was honored by Jewish Rock Radio as a “Jewish Star,” recognizing his work as one of the rising young voices shaping the future of Jewish music. 

Bates is committed to building bridges between KKBE and the broader arts community, using music as a powerful tool for connection and shared expression. During the 2024–2025 season, KKBE’s music initiatives engaged more than 160 participants, including volunteer and student choir members, professional musicians, and guest artists, reflecting Bates’s inclusive and expansive vision for synagogue music. Whether shaping liturgical offerings or curating large-scale concert events, Bates strives to make KKBE’s music program a source of joy, inspiration, and community pride. 

A longtime member of Charleston’s Taylor Festival Choir, Bates also serves as President of the Board of Directors for Taylor Music Group. 

Bates earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music – Vocal Performance from the College of Charleston, where he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Music, and he holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Mannes School of Music, The New School, in New York City.