About

Passion for Jewish Life – Cantor Robins’ passion for Jewish life, culture and music began at an early age – starting in elementary school when she won a Hebrew contest in religious school. It continued through high school when she was very involved in BBYO (B’nai B’rith Youth Organization), including as a regional officer, and NEFTY (New England Federation of Temple Youth). She attended Jewish summer camp at Camp Tel Noar in New Hampshire (where she went on to spend a summer as part of the adult staff).

Cantor – Cantor Robins’ cantorial experiences include currently serving Beth El Temple Center in Belmont. Previously, she has been affiliated with Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Brookline; Congregation Beth Israel in Worcester as Cantor and Temple Beth Shalom of the North Shore (now Temple Tiferet Shalom) in Peabody, Massachusetts in the dual role of Cantor and Director of Education. Earlier, she held internships at Temple Israel in Natick, Temple Shalom of Newton, and Temple Anshe Amunim in the Berkshires. Cantor Robins has also worked with the Jewish Community at Brooksby Village, leading High Holiday and monthly Shabbat Services.

Educator – Cantor Robins has extensive experience in Jewish education. She is the Director of Education at Temple Chayai Shalom in Easton, MA and and teaches seventh grade at Temple Ohabei Shalom. She was formerly the Director of BJEP, the Boston-area Education Program Sunday School at Brandeis and has also taught grades two through seven in various communities, including Temple Beth Zion (Brookline), Temple Beth David (Westwood), Temple Reyim and Temple Shalom, both in Newton, and Temple Beth Shalom of Needham, where she also served as the Hebrew Coordinator, before becoming the Director of Education at Temple Beth Shalom of the North Shore in Peabody, MA.  She spent a summer as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning at Camp Tel Noar in New Hampshire, developing an entire curriculum for campers ranging in age from 8-15, teaching music, and leading prayers every day, including on Shabbat and Tisha B’Av.

Innovator – As the 2009-2010 recipient of the Gideon Klein Award from the Jewish Studies department at Northeastern University, Cantor Robins wrote, produced, and performed in a critically-acclaimed concert on the music of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, entitled “Sounds of Survival.” She was invited to perform this program as part of Holocaust Education Week in Toronto, Canada in October, 2015.

Volunteer – Cantor Robins was an active member of Temple Emanuel of Newton, Massachusetts, where she served on rabbi, executive director, and education director search committees, as well as the nominating, governance, and finance committees, in addition to both the congregation’s Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. Jeri was also a group president, vice president of programming and young leader delegate for Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Cantor Robins led the Music Team for LimmudBoston for several years and has organized and facilitated the Shabbat programming at NewCAJE, an international conference for clergy and educators from 2014 to 2019. In addition, she is a Mikveh Guide at Mayyim Hayyim and is the Chair of the New England Board of Cantors.

Previous Experience – Before pursuing a career on the pulpit and in Jewish education, having earned Cantorial ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013, Robins was an Executive Recruiter for fifteen years, as well as working in the private sector in packaged goods and technology marketing roles. She earned an undergraduate degree in Information systems and Business from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

Jeri lives in Newton, Massachusetts with her family.