Our new religious leader, Cantor Lyle Rockler comes to us from many directions. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and attended public schools in Minnesota - as well as the Talmud Torah of Minneapolis. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor's degree in English Education. He taught High School English in Minnesota and Michigan before he decided to follow his true love - chazzanut - and entered the Cantor's Institute at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

After his studies, he took on cantorial positions in New York and New Jersey. In 1990, he took his first position as religious leader of a congregation in Westchester County, New York. It was there that he also began writing fiction seriously which led him to seek a Master's Degree at Oregon State University in Creative Writing.

After achieving that degree in 1997, the local small shul in Corvallis persuaded him to become their religious leader. In 2002, the bug of chazzanut took over again and he became Cantor of Temple Sinai in Middletown, New York. Utilizing his education background, he soon became Principal of the Temple Sinai Hebrew School after the previous principal retired.

Cantor Rockler will now become our religious leader and will also be teaching on Sundays at Temple Beth Shalom in Sarasota. He also looks forward to developing and instructing our young students on Wednesday afternoons. Chazzonos. We are pleased that Cantor Rockler is bringing us his many talents and years of experience. We look forward to a meaningful and productive relationship.