Clergy
Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon
Rabbi Ben-Gideon is our spiritual leader, educator, and guide for Jewish law and tradition. He has served as Habonim’s Rabbi since July 2025. The Rabbi looks forward to deepening his relationship with our shul and building Jewish community together. He loves hiking and biking, and is thrilled to return to the Upper West Side.
Rabbi Ben-Gideon graduated from SUNY Albany, was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2003, and is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly. For over 20 years, he has worked with mission-driven Jewish communities to navigate change, deepen connection, and create spaces that feel spiritually alive and welcoming.
Contact Rabbi Ben-Gideon at rjbg@habonim.net or tel:212-787-5313
Cantor Jessica Futran Scheinman
Cantor Jessica Futran Scheinman officially became the Cantor for Habonim May 2025. She has been a member of Habonim since 2013 and quickly fell in love with the warmth of the community. She has been leading the High Holidays and Preparing all our B’nai Mitzvah students (hyperlink for B’nai Mitzvah link) for over a decade. Cantor Jessica is the co-director of our Post B’nai Mitzvah Teen Lomdim Program (hyperlink to Lomdim landing page) leads many other synagogue programs and concerts.
Cantor Jessica is a graduate of the Cantorial Interns of the Cantors Assembly Program (CICA) through the Academy of Jewish Religion of California and received her Bachelor’s of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has had a professional career in musical theater and opera, including a member of the original cast of Fidler Afn Dakh, the critically acclaimed off-Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Yiddish.
She resides in the Upper West Side with her husband and daughter.
Contact Jessica at cantorjessica@habonim.net. Her office number is 212-787-5347 x107.
Cantor Emeritus Bruce Halev
After 38 years at Congregation Habonim, Cantor Halev began serving as Cantor Emeritus in July, 2021. We look forward to his continued involvement with the Habonim community!
A graduate of the School of Sacred Music of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), he also holds MA degrees in Near Eastern Studies and in Jewish Education from New York University, as well as an MSW from Yeshiva University. In 2011 he received a Doctorate of Music, Honoris Causa, from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for 25 years of service to his synagogue and to the Jewish community.
With an ongoing interest in themes of Jewish spirituality, Cantor Halev completed a two-year program in Spiritual Direction through Lev Shomeah, an organization of Jewish Spiritual Directors. He also has a strong personal interest in Jewish Mysticism and has taught numerous courses on this subject at Congregation Habonim, The Open Center, and at other venues.
Cantor Halev began his professional life in the opera and theater worlds in Europe and Israel before deciding to pursue a career in the cantorate. He is a graduate of the London Opera Center, and also studied in Italy with Tito Gobbi, the great Italian baritone. He sings in four languages and his two favorite operatic roles are Don Giovanni and Rigoletto.
Contact Cantor Halev here.
