Host
Ellen Dubin
Temple member and multi-award-nominated, Ellen Dubin has enjoyed a unique and diverse career as an actor/voice actor. Her Gemini-nominated role as Jeri in the award winning supernatural drama The Collector is one of the highlights of her career. She is also a worldwide sci-fi cult figure because of her powerful performance as Giggerota the Wicked in Lexx. Ellen is the Official Voice of the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland, California. Her favorite video game work includes Skyrim, Fallout 4 and currently loves playing the villain Captain Phasma in the Lego: Star Wars tv specials.
Our Partners
Darrin Baker
Darrin Baker has appeared on Broadway in leading roles in Tarzan, Wonderful Town with Brooke Shields, Laughing Room Only! opposite Jackie Mason, Footloose, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close.
He most recently filmed Kodachrome with Ed Harris and Jason Sudeikis as well The Glass Castle with Woody Harrelson, Brie Larson and Naomi Watts. Darrin is thrilled to have appeared in the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a motion picture. His proudest production is his daughter Ruby.
Louise Camilleri
Louise Camilleri’s career highlights include a performance in the world premier production of The Lord of the Rings, and dance captain for three years in the Toronto production of Mamma Mia!
Vocal highlights include performing as a pit singer for the National Ballet of Canada’s West Side Story Suite, singing with the Kingston Symphony in Broadway Beauties, performing and recording with Lorraine Segato and the Parachute Club. louisecamilleri.com
Gabi Epstein
Gabi Epstein has played everything from Fanny Brice in Funny Girl to one of the playthings in Disney’s Toy Story: The Musical. She was nominated as one of the top cabaret performers of 2012.
Kelly Holiff
Kelly Holiff is an established performer who has created, produced and starred in her own cabaret shows in Toronto. She has a voice that can blow the roof off any joint and has played to great acclaim in leading roles in Rent, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Nunsense, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and numerous other Canadian productions
Jeff Madden
International award-wining star, Jeff Madden has won a Dora Award for his role as Frankie Valli in the Jersey Boys. He is a veteran of the Shaw Festival, starring in Wonderful Town, Happy End and Floyd Collins.
David Eisner and Avery Saltzman
Temple member David Eisner and Avery Saltzman are the co-artistic directors of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company. They first met in high school and had parallel careers as actors for many years. Fifteen years ago, they had lunch and decided to start a theatre company that devoted itself to telling the Jewish story. Hence the birth of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company!
Our Musicians
Mark Camilleri
Mark Camilleri has music directed many concerts, including the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Galas and has shared the stage with Celine Dion, Oprah Winfrey, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and most of the major symphony orchestras across Canada. Mark can be found regularly at Temple Sinai strengthening Shabbat services as a musical accompanist.
Chris Foley
Christopher Foley is a pianist dedicated to the fields of pedagogy, opera, contemporary music, art song, and chamber music. At the Eastman School of Music, he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1994. He is on the faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he teaches piano and vocal literature. He also currently serves as Senior Examiner and Adjudicator Certification Program Specialist for the RCM’s Certificate Program.
Recent projects include Foley Music and Arts, a blog about productivity and creativity in the arts, as well as The Suleika Project, an art song initiative with Edmonton-based mezzo soprano Alia Amad.
Ross Inglis
Ross Inglis is the conductor of the professional choir for the High Holy Days and an accompanist at Shabbat services at Temple Sinai. He is also the director of music at Knox United Church in Agincourt.
He currently runs a private studio of forty students in addition to teaching over 190 violinists in Regent Park and the Jane and Finch corridor through The Hammer Band.
Igor Gefter
Internationally acclaimed cellist Igor Gefter joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2006. During the summers, he also serves as Principal Cellist of the Grand Teton Music Festival, and is a member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to his move to Toronto, Mr. Gefter held the position of Associate Principal Cello with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. While still a student at The Juilliard School in New York, Igor was invited to play with the cello section of the New York Philharmonic.
Highly regarded for his expertise as an orchestral player, Mr. Gefter has been invited to perform with the Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.
Joseph Peleg
A native of Hungary, Joseph Peleg came to Canada in 1968. He earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, and later his Masters of Music from Indiana University, while working with Joseph Gingold.
Mr. Peleg has also worked with the eminent virtuosi Joseph Szigeti and Nathan Milstein. He has performed solos and recorded, and played with chamber music groups throughout Canada, the USA, Israel and many European centres. He currently serves as concertmaster of the Oakville Symphony.
Susan Piltch
Susan has been the flutist and one of the pianists involved in Temple Sinai services since 2004. She is the rehearsal pianist for the Ensemble Choir and the flutist in Temple Sinai’s S’lichot orchestra. led by Mark Camilleri.
Her most recent recordings include Out of the Shadows, a self-accompanied solo cd of music for flute and piano including songs of Ben Steinberg and Stephen Richards, and Anticipation, a collaboration of original music with harpist Sharlene Wallace.
Moshe Hammer
Admired for his artistic style, unique interpretations and vibrant tone, violinist Moshe Hammer, Hungarian born, was raised in Israel. As a student of Jascha Heifetz he was a medal winner at the Concours Jacques Thibaud in Paris.
Hammer’s tours have taken him across North America, Europe Israel and the Far-East.
In 2007 Moshe launched The Hammer Band. With this project, school kids in ‘at risk’ areas are presented with free music lessons and violins.
TheHammerBand.com
Temple Sinai Ensemble Choir
Lorne Bernstein, Kate Blumberg, Herb Cooper, Sandra Fraleigh, Warren Fraleigh, Fern Gitter, Lance Gitter, Geoffrey Gooderham, Herb Hess, Phyllis Johnston, Benjy Karch, Tami Jacobs Kligman, Bruce Koffler, Tamara Koffler, Beverley Korman, Arlene Lerer , Shimmy Plener, Lana Rottenberg, Davrielle Salsberg, Marianne Samuel, Carol Sevitt, Joy Stewart, Moriah Tebow Shaw, Doris Smith, Mary Anne Talbot, Hirsch Vivat, Joanne Wolfson
Conductors: Cantor Charles Osborne, Cantor Sharon Brown-Levy and Ross Inglis