STAFF
MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
Ellen Gould is best known for her double Emmy award-winning musical "Bubbe Meises, Bubbe Stories." Her many other performance credits include leading roles in productions from Lincoln Center to The Public Theatre, as well as featured roles on HBO, PBS-TV, and NPR. Her writing credits include "Confessions Of A Reformed Romantic," "Seeing Stars," "The Glass House," and "Blessed is the Match" – all of which received New York productions.
Following the Off-Broadway run and national tour of "Bubbe Meises" Ellen continued to perform the show for Jewish organizations and synagogues throughout the U.S. This experience not only renewed her interest in Jewish communal life, it also raised the question –- "why can’t modern ritual be as transformative as theatre"? In 1999, Ellen co-founded The New Shul (with long-time friend and musical collaborator Holly Gewandter) where she continues to work on the answer.
A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Ellen is a graduate of Brandeis University, has an MFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and was the recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes fellowship in ethnomusicology.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Amy Eichenwald Golding became the Executive Director of The New Shul in June 2003 and has served as its Education Director since 1999, in charge of the religious school and the family life and community education programs.
Amy is a dynamic and innovative educator who brings a passion for Jewish life and rare sense of commitment to all her endeavors. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1998 and studied at Teachers College at Columbia University and at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Amy recently completed a year-long course at The Institute for Not-For-Profit Management through UJA and Columbia University. Her experience includes working with the special education district in New York City as part of her Americorps*VISTA fellowship and teaching at various schools both in Maryland and New York City.
Amy has played a leading role in program development and event planning for The New Shul since her arrival. In bringing her passion for Jewish life and commitment to our community to her position as Executive Director, she plays a dynamic role in helping The New Shul achieve its goal of creating a vibrant Downtown Jewish congregation.
Amy lives in Chelsea with her husband Blake who is a wealth manager and hedge fund strategist. They have one pre-teen rabbit who is currently studying for his bar mitzvah.
ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR
Melanie Sylvan is a performer, producer and teacher originally from Columbus, Ohio. She has worked with The New Shul since 1999. She is a cantorial soloist, leading the congregation in song and prayer on Shabbat mornings. She also coordinates the B'nai Mitzvah Madrichim program and produces many of the participatory holiday events for the shul. Melanie is the co-Executive Producer of Electric Pear Productions, a non-profit theatrical production company.
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RABBI EMERITUS
Niles Elliot Goldstein is Rabbi Emeritus of The New Shul, where he served as its spiritual leader from its founding in 1999 until 2009. Prior to The New Shul, Niles was a senior fellow at CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a program officer at The Steinhardt Foundation, and the assistant rabbi at Temple Israel in New Rochelle. He is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the New York Board of Rabbis.
Niles is the author or editor of nine books, including the award-winning Gonzo Judaism: A Bold Path for Renewing an Ancient Faith, and his writing has appeared in many publications, including Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Forward, and Moment. He has been featured and interviewed in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Jerusalem Report, The New York Observer, New York Magazine, The Jewish Week, and Beliefnet, as well as on domestic and international television and radio.
Niles served as the voice behind "Ask the Rabbi" on the Microsoft Network. He is the national Jewish chaplain for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Niles holds an honors B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and received an M.A. and his Ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Niles teaches across the country and abroad on issues in mysticism and spirituality, values and leadership, the environment, and on new models for religious life in the 21st century. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Michele.