MUSIC
KKBE’s Music Leadership

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

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.