Meet our Professionals

 

Cantor Marcia Lane was born and raised in Waterbury, CT, where she attended Beth El Synagogue. Her early training was in theatre at Carnegie-Mellon University and at London's famed Cantral School of Speech and Drama. She performed in regional and off-Broadway theatres before "morphing" into storytelling. As a nationally recognized storyteller and author she performed across the United States, in Canada and in Sweden, telling stories and singing songs in schools, festivals, libraries, museums, JCC's, and train stations from coast to coast! Marcia created the Amtrak Storyteling Odyssey, criss-crossing the country. Twice! Her cd's of stories ("Tales on the Wind," "Stories From the Enchanted Loom," and "River of Stars," all produced by 'A Gentle Wind') have won awards and acclaim from kids and reviewers. She is featured on the video series "The American Storytelling Series" and is the author of several articles and a book on storytelling, "Picturing the Rose: Ways of Understanding Fairy Tales" (H.W. Wilson, 1993).

A long-time resident of New York, Marcia was the Assistant Director of Education at Carnegie Hall, and the Director of Youth Volunteer Programs for DOROT, a NYC-based organization that serves the needs of seniors. She began her cantorial studies after becoming deeply involved in Jewish learning and prayer at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (BJ), an upper-Westside institution. While there, Marcia went from weekday minyan leader and occasional Torah reader to Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor and leader of shiva minyanim. She enrolled in the Academy for Jewish Religion, the country's oldest non-denominational seminary. Lane received her cantorial ordination in 2004. She remains a rabbinic student at AJR. As a cantor/rabbi, she served congregations in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. She is delighted to be in Nashville, home to so much great music. Cantor Lane is a member of the Cantors Assembly, the world's largest organization of Conservative hazzanim.
 

Sharon Paz is a graduate of West End Synagogue Religious School and was very excited to return to Nashville and WES as the Director of Lifelong Learning.

Sharon spent a year following high school, living and studying in Israel on the Young Judaea Year Course program.  Upon her return to the States she pursued her interest in Judaism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in NY and at Spertus College of Judaica in Chicago where she received her B.S. in Jewish Studies, a Hebrew Teacher's Certificate and a Masters Degree in Jewish Education.  Returning to Nashville after college, Sharon taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies 6 hours a week in the WES Religious School. She also accepted a full time position as the Director of the Nashville Jewish Resource Center and Director of the CRC of the Nashville Jewish Federation.

New opportunities took her and her family to Savannah, GA where she became the principal of the Shalom School, a joint Conservative-Reform Religious School and trained Bnai Mitzvah students from both congregations.   Realizing an opportunity to put the funding of Jewish Education at the top of the community agenda, Sharon accepted the position as the Director of the Savannah Jewish Federation and served as a Federation professional for 12 years. Sharon and her husband, Moises, decided to pursue new career opportunities and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where Sharon returned to being a full time educator.  She was the lead Judaic Studies teacher for 4th-8th graders at the King David/Jess Schwartz Jewish Community Day School.  Following three years in Arizona, the Pazs moved to Brooklyn to be near two of their 5 children and 5 of their 7 grandchildren. Sharon was hired as the Associate Director of Hebrew and Instruction at Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE), a supplementary school of 200 students in Park Slope (Brooklyn). Living in New York and working in Park Slope afforded her a plethora of Jewish resources and the opportunity to be exposed to new paradigms in Jewish learning.   When Miriam Halachmi decided to retire as Educational Director of WES, her husband Ari, encouraged Sharon to consider applying for the position. "The rest", as they say, "is history!"
Marcia Stewart has attended West End Synagogue since childhood. Her grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great grandparents and parents were members also, giving her a long family history with our congregation. Marcia attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She comes to us with a variety of experience, such as owning a clothing store, dispatching soy bean shipments nationwide, managing a textile mill, directing projects for a think tank and working in the field of developmental disabilities. Many members will know her from her jobs as Business Manager of the Gordon Jewish Community Center for many years, and Executive Director here at West End in 2005-2006 . She served as Treasurer of the WES Board from 2008-2010. Marcia is married to Lee, who serves on our High Holiday sub-committee, and mother to Caleb, a Nathan Davis award winner currently serving in the US Forest service, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.