Rabbi Ken Richmond (a/k/a *Rav Hazzan Ken Richmond) is the co-senior rabbi of Temple Israel of Natick and has served as Cantor here since 2006. He graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary’s H.L. Miller Cantorial School in 2004 and received Rabbinical Ordination from Hebrew College in 2021. During his years at Temple Israel, he has enjoyed collaborating with clergy, staff, and lay leaders to shape the congregation and its culture of lifelong learning, participatory prayer, friendship, kindness, and creativity.
Rav Hazzan Richmond was a member of the Rabbinical Assembly Mahzor Committee which worked on the Lev Shalem Mazhor. He has founded several klezmer bands, including the Klezmaniacs, Fish Street Klezmer, and the Richmond-Shazeer Family Band. You can find his original melodies for shabbat and holidays sprinkled through the music section of Temple Israel’s website. He and his wife, Rabbi Shira Shazeer, are raising their children in a Yiddish-speaking household and attend Yiddish Week annually. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and puzzle solving. Click here to email Rabbi Richmond.
*Rav Hazzan is Hebrew for “Rabbi / Cantor”
Here are some words of Torah from Rav Hazzan Richmond:
2024, Yom Kippur: Giving it Our All; Maturing Gracefully on Yom Kippur and Year Round
2024, Rosh Hashanah: Coming Together Like a Shofar for a Better Year
2023, Yom Kippur: Artificial Intelligence or Natural Humanity
2023, Rosh Hashanah: Not in Heaven; Reaching for Closeness in the New Year
2022, Yom Kippur: Receiving Mistakes with Love
2022, Rosh Hashanah: Shana Tova & Shehecheyanu
Please click here to read some other past divrei Torah and sermons from Rav Hazzan Richmond.