Cantor Julie Staple

Cantor Julie Staple is excited to be the first associate cantor of Am Shalom. Ordained in the spring of 2018 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York, Cantor Staple holds a Master of Sacred Music from HUC-JIR, a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies with minors in Music and Folklore/Ethnomusicology from Indiana University. 

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. Some of her favorite performance moments include leading the CRS Children’s Choir in concerts with Itzhak Perlman and Mandy Patinkin. While in college, Cantor Staple sang and toured with Hooshir, Indiana University’s premier Jewish a cappella group, and led worship at the Helene G. Simon Hillel center. She has also performed and recorded with IndyKlez, Indiana’s premier Klezmer band. 

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. These unique experiences gave Cantor Staple a vast array of knowledge in teaching, leading prayer and life cycle ceremonies, synagogue life and pastoral care.

Cantor Staple is a proud member of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) and Reform Cantors of Chicago (RCC). She lives in Deerfield, IL with her husband, Harrison Staple, and their two cats, River and Beatrice. 

Email Cantor Staple or call her at 847.835.4800 ext. 202