Cantor Hinda Eisen Labovitz has been the cantor and religious school principal of Ohr Kodesh since she achieved cantorial ordination and an M.A. in Judaic studies at Hebrew College in June of 2014. Cantor Labovitz is a contralto, and has performed in many locations locally and internationally, singing diverse genres including chazzanut, Broadway, folk songs, popular, and Israeli music. She is proud to collaborate frequently with other cantors in the DMV and in other U.S. communities.

Academically, Cantor Labovitz was twice awarded the Al Goldberg Scholarship in Jewish Music, and upon graduation, she also received the Israel Pollack Award for Excellence in Judaic Studies from Hebrew College. She was also the 2013-2014 recipient of the Gideon Klein Scholarship from Northeastern University, for which she dedicated a year of independent study of the cabaret at the Westerbork concentration camp in the Netherlands.

Cantor Labovitz held several positions in New England before her arrival in the DC area, and was the assistant to the conductor for the Zamir Chorale of Boston, where she also served as Mary Wolfman Epstein Conducting Fellow, studying conducting under maestro Dr. Joshua Jacobson, and sang alto for eight years.

Cantor Labovitz and her husband Bob are parents to Devorah, Judah, Ronen (z"l), and Na'amah.

Hazzan Elisheva Rebecca Dienstfrey, originally from Albuquerque, NM, Hazzan Elisheva Dienstfrey did not really grow up with the Cantorial musical tradition ringing in her ears.  She did, however, participate in Jewish musical activities from the time she joined the synagogue children’s choir at age 7.  Since then, Hazzan Dienstfrey has toured Europe with the U.S. National Chorus, obtained a dual degree in Music and Religious Studies from Occidental College, studied at Hebrew University and the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, worked as Cantor of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York City, and graduated from the H. L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Hazzan Dienstfrey has served as Hazzan of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA since July of 2000.  In addition to her usual cantorial duties at Agudas Achim and her work as an officer of the Cantors Assembly, Hazzan Dienstfrey is an enthusiastic member of the Agudas Achim house band, Ein Lanu Z’man.

The only job she enjoys more than her work as a Hazzan is that of partner to her wonderful husband, Tobias, and mother to her beautiful children: Margalit, Akiva, Leo, and Lev.

Hazzan Henrique Ozur Bass has served as Hazzan at Congregation Har Shalom since 1996.

He was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At his Bar Mitzvah service, his Rabbi invited him to lead High Holy Days services the following year, which he continued to do through his graduation from college.

After completing a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Instituto Militar de Engenharia, Hazzan Ozur Bass worked for two years as an engineer for IBM and Petrobras. In 1989, he left his native Brazil to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a Hazzan, enrolling in the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. As part of his six years of training, he spent a year in Israel at the Masorti Rabbinical School in Jerusalem. Hazzan Ozur Bass also led services in congregations throughout Israel, Brazil and the United States. During the course of his studies, he received many awards for his musical and cantorial abilities, and graduated in 1995.

While studying at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hazzan Ozur Bass met and married Rabbi Janet Ozur Bass. They have three phenomenal children, Avichai, Kalman and Beyla.

Hazzan Ozur Bass is grateful to Har Shalom for encouraging him to participate in professional growth and community involvement throughout his tenure. He has served on the Cantors Assembly Executive Board, graduated from the Institute of Jewish Spirituality, participated in Keshet’s National Training Institute for Jewish Professionals on LGBTQ Inclusion, and is currently studying Clinical Pastoral Education.

George Peachey is much in demand in the greater Washington, DC area as a collaborative pianist. Critics have called him “an exemplary accompanist” who plays with “sensitive expertise.” He has performed at The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, The Phillips Collection, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Organization of American States, numerous embassies, and at many area synagogues. He is currently the accompanist for The Arlington Chorale, and in the past has worked with The Washington Opera, The Vocal Arts Society, The Maryland Opera Society, and for many years served as studio accompanist to renowned baritone Todd Duncan. As a chamber musician, he has been guest artist on the National Symphony Chamber Music Series, and has performed with the Sunrise String Quartet, the Stratford Chamber Players and the Washington Music Ensemble. Mr. Peachey’s other musical activities include coaching singers and teaching piano in his studio near Kensington, MD and recording song and aria accompaniments for singers, available at iTunes and amazon. He received his musical training at the Catholic University of America where he studied with Thomas Mastroianni and Fernando Laires, and at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria where he was a pupil of Michael Krist.