Cantor Julie Staple has served as associate cantor at Am Shalom since 2018. She holds a Master of Sacred Music and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York in the spring of 2018. Cantor Staple also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies with minors in both Music and Folklore/Ethnomusicology from Indiana University in 2013.
During her years at the HUC-JIR, Cantor Staple served as student cantor at Congregation Rodeph Sholom (CRS) in New York City and Temple Beth-El of the Northern Valley in Closter, NJ.
In Cantor Staple’s last two years of cantorial school, she discovered her passion for working with individuals with dementia. She assisted Rabbi Michael Goldman of Seivah: Life Beyond Memory in creating the first Memory Minyan, a Shabbat experience for individuals with dementia and their caretakers.
At Am Shalom, Cantor Staple shares her love and passion of music and community through T’filah, lifecycle events, Tot Shabbat, Am Shalom Young Adults (ASYA), and working with Koleinu adult choir, Shir Chadash teen band, Hava Nashira tween band, and Ruach children’s choir.
Education is a fundamental pillar of Cantor Staple’s work at Am Shalom. She partners with clergy from 4 surrounding synagogues to teach an Introduction to Judaism class, tutors Bet Mitzvah students, and has taught 8th grade in Am Shalom’s religious school.
Her passion outside of the synagogue is travel. Cantor Staple believes that travel and stepping outside of the comfort of our normal day to day routine promotes personal growth as well as connections to people from all over the world. One of the most thrilling travel experiences Cantor Staple has had was skydiving over Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.
Cantor Staple is a proud member of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) and Reform Cantors of Chicago (past president). She lives in Northbrook, IL with her husband, Harrison Staple, their son, Micah, and their two cats, River and Beatrice.
Email Cantor Staple or call her at 847.835.4800 ext. 202
Am Shalom is proud to be a member of the Union for Reform Judaism.