Clergy Corner

Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow joined us at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in August 2010. He was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There he was active in Boy Scout Troop 18 based in Congregation Beth El. As a Boy Scout, Rabbi Sendrow earned the Ner Tamid Award. That experience established his relationship with Rabbi Howard Kahn, alav hashalom, and ultimately led to Rabbi Sendrow’s decision to study for the rabbinate. 

Rabbi Sendrow served his first pulpit in Southwest Florida for eighteen years. Since coming to Indiana, he has served as Secretary and then as Chair of the Indiana Board of Rabbis. He has also been active in interfaith activities through the Carmel Interfaith Alliance.

At Shaarey Tefilla, he expanded our educational opportunities for adults and for older teens. Teaching Torah is one of his passions, and that led to the establishment of a group of people who have spent years with Rabbi Sendrow studying the Torah verse by verse. As of late 2022, the group, now known as the Dr. Jack Kamen Memorial Study Group, is deep into Deuteronomy and will shortly conclude the study of the entire Torah. Rabbi Sendrow also initiated the Yad Squad, a program to encourage teenagers to continue to read Torah in services after they have become B’nai Mitzvah. In addition to his regular speaking, writing, and teaching, Rabbi Sendrow has also started a YouTube channel called The Rabbi’s Study, which can be accessed here: YouTube Channel

Rabbi Sendrow is also passionate about his congregants. He works to establish close relationships with everyone in our synagogue and loves his role as a pastoral counselor, which is one of his strengths.

Rabbi Sendrow has published articles and sermons in several publications including The American Rabbi, and a story in Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul. Until the pandemic, he was an Adjunct Professor of Bible Study at Butler University. For Rosh HaShanah of 2017 (5778), Rabbi Sendrow became one of the twenty-five rabbis across the country asked to write for the Jewish Daily Forward’s Rabbinic Roundtable. In 2021, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Hazzan Giora Sharon, the son of two holocaust survivors was born in Hungary. He is a fourth-generation cantor in his family and studied the cantorial art from his father, and other cantors. At the age of 16, he immigrated to Israel where he continued his musical, vocal, and cantorial studies. Has been the cantor in Natanya, a soloist of the Israel National Opera, and sang in various opera companies in Europe. He moved to the USA in 1984, continuing his operatic, concert, and cantorial career.

Served as a Hazzan at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs, CA, the Park Synagogue in Cleveland, OH, and Congregation Beth El Zedeck in Indianapolis. After retirement, he joined Congregation Shaarey Tefilla where he is a member and leading services.
He is a professional Hazzan for the past 49 years. Resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Clara, a former opera singer, and early childhood educator, with his children, and four grandchildren.

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