Meet the Rabbi and Hazzan

Rabbi Jack Shlachter

Ordained by Rabbi Gershon Winkler in 1995, Rabbi Jack is a passionate admirer of the rabbinic literature and has a personal Judaic library of 5,000 volumes. His humor blended with scholarly interpretations of Talmud and Torah offer the chance to laugh as one learns. In 2012, Rabbi Jack was invited to lead High Holiday services in Vienna, Austria, at the progressive congregation Or Chadasch. In 2014, Rabbi Jack and his wife Beverly spent three weeks as guests of the progressive Jewish community in Beijing, China, where Rabbi Jack led High Holiday services at Kehillat Beijing. He led High Holiday services in Beijing for the fifth time in 2018. physicsrabbi@gmail.com

Hazzan Cindy Freedman

Hazzan Cindy Freedman has been serving HaMakom as Cantor since 2004. She received her cantorial ordination from ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. Cindy has been a member of the Women Cantors’ Network since 2005. She is a professional singer and guitarist who thoroughly engages people in the power of prayer through music. Under Hazzan Cindy's leadership, music amplifies the essence of our rich Jewish liturgy, opening every heart at our services. Cantor Cindy is also a musical performance artist; she is available to officiate at all lifecycle events as well as performance and healing musical events.

Rabbi Emerita Malka Drucker

Rabbi Malka Drucker, founding rabbi and now Rabbi Emerita of HaMakom, was ordained at the Academy for Jewish Religion in 1998 and served Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform Congregations before founding HaMakom. She now lives California, where she is continuing and expanding her wonderful work on spiritual eldering, focusing on the journey from “Age-ing to Sage-ing”.