HeChaver Award Recipients -
Rabbi Pini Dunner & Chazzan Nati Baram
In honor of their inspirational community leadership during the Covid Pandemic
Chazzan Nati Baram
Chazan Netanel ‘Nati’ Baram is a native of Jerusalem. His father teaches music, and his mother is a professional artist. Both his parents imbued him with a love of music from a very young age.
The turning point in Nati’s life came when he first attended services at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue. As he listened to the inspiring prayers chanted by the world-renowned Chief Cantor of the Great Synagogue, Naftali Herstik, accompanied by the magnificent choir conducted by Elli Jaffe, Nati made the life-changing decision that he, too, wanted to be a Chazzan.
Following his High School graduation, Nati continued his Torah studies at Yeshivat Ateret Yisrael, and then at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav Kook. He also began to study chazzanut at the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, where he was personally guided by its Dean, Naftali Herstik, as well as the composer and musician, Raymond Goldstein, and other master teachers. His musical talents and skills were further developed by his father, and by Maestro Elli Jaffe.
Nati has been a featured soloist at many concerts of the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute all over the world. For some years he was also a member and soloist of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir, and has served as guest Chazzan at that synagogue on several occasions.
During the past few years, Nati has officiated as guest Chazzan at many world-renowned synagogues, from Capetown, South Africa to Zurich, Switzerland, to Melbourne, Australia, and all over the United States. He has appeared as a soloist with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Kibbutz Lavi Music Festival, and at the Berlin Jewish Festival.
Nati moved to the United States in 2009, together with his wife Carmit, to serve as the cantor at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills. In 2012 he was appointed cantor at Beverly Hills Synagogue, where he not only presides over the Shabbat and Yomtov prayers, but also organizes regular musical events and concerts for the wider Jewish community of Los Angeles. He lives with his wife and 4 gorgeous daughters in the heart of Beverly Hills.
The turning point in Nati’s life came when he first attended services at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue. As he listened to the inspiring prayers chanted by the world-renowned Chief Cantor of the Great Synagogue, Naftali Herstik, accompanied by the magnificent choir conducted by Elli Jaffe, Nati made the life-changing decision that he, too, wanted to be a Chazzan.
Following his High School graduation, Nati continued his Torah studies at Yeshivat Ateret Yisrael, and then at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav Kook. He also began to study chazzanut at the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, where he was personally guided by its Dean, Naftali Herstik, as well as the composer and musician, Raymond Goldstein, and other master teachers. His musical talents and skills were further developed by his father, and by Maestro Elli Jaffe.
Nati has been a featured soloist at many concerts of the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute all over the world. For some years he was also a member and soloist of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir, and has served as guest Chazzan at that synagogue on several occasions.
During the past few years, Nati has officiated as guest Chazzan at many world-renowned synagogues, from Capetown, South Africa to Zurich, Switzerland, to Melbourne, Australia, and all over the United States. He has appeared as a soloist with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Kibbutz Lavi Music Festival, and at the Berlin Jewish Festival.
Nati moved to the United States in 2009, together with his wife Carmit, to serve as the cantor at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills. In 2012 he was appointed cantor at Beverly Hills Synagogue, where he not only presides over the Shabbat and Yomtov prayers, but also organizes regular musical events and concerts for the wider Jewish community of Los Angeles. He lives with his wife and 4 gorgeous daughters in the heart of Beverly Hills.
Rabbi Pini Dunner
Rabbi Pini Dunner hails from a prominent European rabbinic family, that survived the Holocaust and ended up in London, England. Rabbi Dunner’s late grandfather, Rav Joseph Hirsch Dunner, was the Presiding Rabbi and Av Bet-Din of the Union of Hebrew Congregations in London for over 50 years, his late father, Rabbi Aba Dunner, was the executive director of the highly influential Conference of European Rabbis.
Following his yeshiva studies in England, the United States and Israel, Rabbi Dunner majored in Jewish History at University College London. During the early 1990s Rabbi Dunner served as the assistant rabbi at Moscow Choral Synagogue, at a time when Jews in Russia were only just starting to publicly practice their Judaism. He initiated groundbreaking projects for Jewish youth in Russia, and was involved in organizing some of the largest public Jewish events to take place in Moscow for more than 70 years.
In 1998, Rabbi Dunner set up the trailblazing Saatchi Synagogue for post-graduate professional singles in London’s West End. Weekly sell-out Friday night dinners were addressed by a range of high profile speakers, including Binyamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres, Natan Sharansky, Ehud Olmert, the Mayor of London, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and many others.
Rabbi Dunner is an acknowledged expert on antiquarian Hebrew books and manuscripts, and is frequently consulted by libraries, academics, dealers, and private collectors.
In the Summer of 2011 Rabbi Dunner moved to Los Angeles, together with his wife and 6 children, to take up the position as Mashgiach Ruchani at Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YULA). In 2013, Rabbi Dunner was appointed Senior Rabbi at YINBH- Beverly Hills Synagogue, and he now resides in Beverly Hills.
Following his yeshiva studies in England, the United States and Israel, Rabbi Dunner majored in Jewish History at University College London. During the early 1990s Rabbi Dunner served as the assistant rabbi at Moscow Choral Synagogue, at a time when Jews in Russia were only just starting to publicly practice their Judaism. He initiated groundbreaking projects for Jewish youth in Russia, and was involved in organizing some of the largest public Jewish events to take place in Moscow for more than 70 years.
In 1998, Rabbi Dunner set up the trailblazing Saatchi Synagogue for post-graduate professional singles in London’s West End. Weekly sell-out Friday night dinners were addressed by a range of high profile speakers, including Binyamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres, Natan Sharansky, Ehud Olmert, the Mayor of London, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and many others.
Rabbi Dunner is an acknowledged expert on antiquarian Hebrew books and manuscripts, and is frequently consulted by libraries, academics, dealers, and private collectors.
In the Summer of 2011 Rabbi Dunner moved to Los Angeles, together with his wife and 6 children, to take up the position as Mashgiach Ruchani at Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YULA). In 2013, Rabbi Dunner was appointed Senior Rabbi at YINBH- Beverly Hills Synagogue, and he now resides in Beverly Hills.