ABOUT CANTOR LAURA STEIN, LCSW
Helping you discover meaning and create memories throughout all of life’s milestones
Maybe you’ve lost touch with your childhood rabbi or cantor. Or they’re not available the day of your wedding or your child's baby naming. Perhaps you grew up on the West Coast, but you're building your life in the Northeast and don't belong to a synagogue.
That doesn’t mean you have to go through life’s simchas, celebrations, or biggest moments alone.
I’ve worked with hundreds of people, couples, and families, helping them create rituals that reflect their heritage and culture, as well as their values and goals.
“Cantor Laura immediately put us at ease and was so easy to work with. She made our ceremony incredibly personal, memorable and meaningful. Our family and friends said that it was the nicest one they’ve ever attended!!” - Pam R.
A PROCESS FOR GETTING TO KNOW YOU — AND HELPING YOU GROW
In addition to serving as a lifecycle officiant and cantor, I’m also a licensed therapist and social worker. (Scroll down to learn more about how all that happened!).
From my dual perspective and using both my pastoral and clinical training, I've designed a process to get to know you, facilitate conversations about life’s big moments, and co-create a ceremony that’s rooted in Jewish tradition and totally you.
During this journey of growth, I’m privileged to form deep relationships with the people I serve. Many of the couples whose weddings I’ve officiated have invited me to lead their children's baby namings. Couples who refer me to their friends have joked that I'm now part of the friend group :)
They know I’m at their side now and in the future.
Creating ceremonies that reflect what Judaism means to you
People arrive at their Judaism through different paths.
I’m here to join you on your journey and help you discover who you are and how you identify — Jewishly or otherwise.
It’s okay if your partner isn’t Jewish.
It’s okay if the Torah doesn’t speak directly to your identity.
It’s okay if you don’t consider yourself religious but still want to incorporate your Jewish heritage into your ceremony.
Together, we'll explore your spiritual needs, help you articulate them, and weave them into modern practices that also honor the Jewish traditions of your ancestors—creating a next link in the chain of tradition of what came before you while looking to the future of the story you're writing.
The result: a ceremony that reflects your values and helps you feel more spiritually whole.
We’ll also make sure people from all backgrounds and cultures feel welcome at your event by making the ceremony accessible, explaining the rituals throughout, and inviting your guests to support and bless you on this next step in your journey.
PROUD TO SERVE INTERFAITH COUPLES AND THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY
However you identify and whatever your background, our time together will be focused on lifting you up and meeting your needs.
I’m deeply committed to crafting ceremonies that affirm the identities of all of my clients. I bring this philosophy to everything I do. I‘ve been privileged to work intimately with the LGBTQIA+ community.
I’m also proud to co-officiate with clergypeople of other faiths, together creating welcoming spaces that show the full picture of who you and your families are.
Learn more about my social justice commitments.
Cantor, officiant, therapist, (and proud dork)
After singing every day throughout my childhood and loving the preparation for my Bat Mitzvah (dorky, I know), I ended up never leaving Jewish life...and becoming a cantor.
As a teen growing up in New York, I learned to play guitar and songlead at Jewish leadership camp (I told you...dorky!).
While studying at WashU in St. Louis, I loved attending Friday night dinners at Hillel & Chabad, teaching Hebrew school at a local synagogue, and preparing for cantorial school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where I also earned my Master of Sacred Music.
(I also did some "normal" things in college that were mostly cool. I was obsessed with my a cappella group and took many road trips around the Midwest! Cool enough? Eh).
Throughout college, I studied abroad in Chile and spent a summer in Iceland. After school, I volunteered in Peru and Tanzania, and lived for many years in Israel. Those experiences gave me a well-rounded perspective on the different ways to live a meaningful life (and I also met the most incredible people and tasted unforgettable food!).
Then, to learn how to work more holistically with people and help them build meaningful relationships, goals, and futures, I earned my Master of Social Work from NYU and trained clinically in a hospital setting. During that time, I discovered more about the intersection of my spirituality and social justice commitments and gained the skills and experience to learn to really know and help people. As a cantor and a therapist, I will meet you at the intersection of your spiritual and personal goals—connecting you to you broader community while lifting up your voice and story within that community.
I feel most alive when I connect with others over their strengths, identify areas of education and growth, and learn about our shared and diverse life experiences. I pride myself on being relatable, making Jewish spirituality accessible, and as one bride put it, becoming a "friend for life" with the people I meet.
I also love watching Top Chef (and participating in a Top Chef Fantasy League!) and spending time with my niece and nephew, who are truly the center of my world.
Please explore my media gallery to hear the power of Jewish music and check out weddings and other lifecycles to see photos of my work with couples and families.
You might also get a kick out of my testimonials, including the one from the bride who shouted “I love you Cantor Stein!” at the end of her ceremony.
If you see yourself in these photos and testimonials and want to connect, please get in touch.
I can’t wait to meet you!