Hamakom will celebrate the installation of cantor Jenni Asher with a special Friday evening Shabbat service, “An Exploration of Composers of Jewish Music,” on Nov. 6. The service will bring together guest clergy, composers and instrumentalists to showcase the range of Jewish musical expression.
Asher was raised a violinist in Pasadena, Calif. and moved to London to earn multiple music degrees before being ordained in May 2025 by the Academy for Jewish Religion California. In addition to her work in the Jewish community, she travels as a performing multi-instrumentalist and has released three albums.
“Jewish music is one of the ways we discover the meaning within our liturgy—not only through the words we say, but through what we feel when we hear or sing them,” Asher said. “I love preserving the melodies that connect us to Jewish tradition while also finding new ways to experience them. With this concert service, I am inviting the Los Angeles Jewish community to engage with Jewish music with fresh eyes and ears.”
Hamakom senior rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg will lead the service, which will feature singer and composer Chava Mirel and Israeli-American singer, composer and pianist Dor Kaminka. Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh of Temple Israel of Hollywood will lead the installation ceremony.
Asher previously served as Hamakom’s cantorial soloist and music director before becoming its full-time cantor in July 2025. Together with Burg, who became senior rabbi in July 2026, she is helping lead Hamakom’s approximately 800-household community, building an expression of Conservative Judaism in the West Valley rooted in tradition, responsive to contemporary life and committed to engaging the next generation.
Event information
The Installation of Cantor Jenni Asher: Shabbat Service and Dinner
Friday, Nov. 6
Shabbat service: 6-8 p.m.
Dinner: Immediately following the service
For more information and to RSVP, visit: HamakomLA.org/CantorAsher.
