Kerry Schmon grew up in Totowa, New Jersey. After a brief stint in banking, she attended the University of Southern California, where she earned her bachelor’s in theater and performing arts. Kerry has appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions and Lifetime and Hallmark films. Before joining Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, first as a temporary special projects manager and now as the executive assistant to Rabbi Hirsch, Kerry managed some of our favorite Upper West Side restaurants, including Crave and Serafina. In her free time, Kerry enjoys writing short plays and sketches and attending as many concerts as she can.

Rabbi Dalia Samansky came to Stephen Wise from Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge, California, where she ran the religious school and youth programming for four years, and Los Angeles’ Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, where she was a member of the faculty for 13 years. She was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2009.

Rabbi Tracy J. Kaplowitz, Ph.D., is our inaugural Marilyn G. and Joseph B. Schwartz Israel Fellow. She came to Stephen Wise from JWB Jewish Chaplains Council, which ensures the quality of Jewish life for Jews in the U.S. military and the Veterans Administration. An experienced spiritual leader and educator, Rabbi Kaplowitz served as a reserve chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and on the professional staff of both the Schechter School of Long Island and the Jewish Education Project. She was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and earned her doctorate in the sociology of education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Rabbi Kaplowitz is a member of both the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Rabbinical Assembly.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. With a fiery voice, a listening heart and a brilliant mind, Rabbi Hirsch articulates a clear vision for the survival and success of American Judaism while tending compassionately to the needs of his growing congregation.

Internationally recognized for his leadership in Jewish affairs, Rabbi Hirsch is frequently cited in the media. In 2024, The Jerusalem Post named him among “The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” City & State praised him as “the borough’s most influential voice” for Manhattan’s more than 300,000 Jews and The New York Observer named him among “New York’s Most Influential Religious Leaders.” His sermons are regularly broadcast on JBS-TV and he is the host of the bi-weekly podcast “In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch.”

The son of Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z’’l and Bella Hirsch z’’l, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch grew up in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before moving to Israel for his high school years. From 1977 to 1980, he served as a tank commander in the Israel Defense Forces.

Rabbi Hirsch earned his LL.B Honors law degree from the London School of Economics and is a member of the New York State Bar. He received his ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where he was granted numerous awards for academic excellence.

Prior to his arrival at Stephen Wise, he served for 12 years as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the Israel arm of the North American Reform movement.

Rabbi Hirsch has served on numerous boards of national and international bodies, including the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He is president of the New York Board of Rabbis and a member of the Partnership of Faith — an interfaith body of New York religious leaders — and New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Black-Jewish Clergy Roundtable.

An accomplished teacher and public speaker, Rabbi Hirsch is also the author of “The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi’s Reflections on Love, Courage, and History” and the co-author of the acclaimed “One People Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues that Divide Them.”

Rabbi Hirsch can be reached at (212) 877-4050, ext. 226, or by emailing his assistant at rabbiassistant@swfs.org.

Cantor Daniel A. Singer serves Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan, where he has built a reputation as one of America’s most renowned Reform cantors. In addition to performing with the world’s leading cantors and popular Jewish artists, he developed a revolutionary new vision of worship and programming that helped to revitalize the historic Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

Cantor Singer previously served the pulpits of Temple Shaaray Tefila in Manhattan, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, Temple Adas Israel of Sag Harbor, and Temple Beth El of Bloomfield Hills Michigan.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in music and mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, a master’s in vocal performance from the University of Michigan, a master’s in performing arts administration from NYU Steinhardt, and a master’s in sacred music and his cantorial ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.

Originally from Superior, Wisconsin, Cantor Singer grew up immersed in the folk music scene and is as comfortable singing grand opera as he is singing Broadway, Yiddish theater, pop, jazz, folk, and a variety of styles of children’s music. An accomplished recording artist, multi-faceted guitarist, pianist and composer of new music for the synagogue and stage, he is also a voice actor with national credits for radio, television, and animated feature films.

He performs internationally and produces parodies and viral videos with the award-winning Jewish pop acapella group, Six13. He publishes articles regularly to his blog on Times of Israel and has been featured in PBS documentaries including “Sabbath” by Martin Doblmeier and “The Jewish Americans” by David Grubin.

Cantor Singer lives in Manhattan with his beautiful wife Lauren and his two adorable little boys, Aiden and Ariel. When he is not working, he enjoys reading, writing, RV road trips, camping, and relaxing with his family.

Rabbi Samantha Natov grew up in Dundas, Ontario. She holds a bachelor’s from McGill University and a master’s in musicology and ethnomusicology from the University of Virginia. Following her time as a cantorial soloist in Toronto, Rabbi Natov came to New York to earn her degree in sacred music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. After working as a cantor at congregations in New Jersey and Brooklyn, she decided to become a rabbi. Rabbi Natov was ordained by HUC-JIR in 2015 and joined Stephen Wise Free Synagogue a few months later in July 2015.

As associate rabbi at Stephen Wise, she oversees the congregation’s adult education programming and social justice work.