About Our Cantor
Lisa Ann Wharton started leading services with her guitar at her Bat Mitzvah at Community Reform Temple on Long Island in the 70’s and hasn’t stopped since. Music has always been the way she connects to soulful prayer, and she finds great joy in helping others to make the same connection. She has served as Cantor of Temple Beth Emeth for 8 years.
Lisa Ann taught religious school music throughout high school and college at the State University of New York at Binghamton, where she earned a BA in History and Middle Eastern Studies. During her college years, she also studied at Cornell University and Tel Aviv University, sang with the Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY, and served as youth advisor and music leader at Temple Concord in Binghamton.
Alongside a career in publishing technology management, Lisa Ann continued to find opportunities to lead musical prayer services at Temple Chaverim in Plainview and at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset. She has studied with leading cantors and modern Jewish composers, and loves to bring her friends and their music to our congregation for services and concerts. Her lifelong dream of serving a congregation year-round has been fulfilled at Temple Beth Emeth, where she blends traditional chants with Chassidic and contemporary composed music, encouraging congregational singing and participation at every service.
She raised two wonderful sons, Alexander, an a cappella music producer in Brooklyn and Zacqary Xeper, a software developer who lives in New Orleans.
Lisa Ann is married to Akiva the Believer, the holy drummer, who sometimes accompanies her at our services.