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Havdalah Experience: Up Close and Personal with Danny Maseng

Saturday, February 7, 2026 • 20 Shevat 5786

6:15 PM - 9:00 PMKol Shofar

Close out Shabbat with a soulful Havdalah gathering, followed by an intimate, up-close evening of music and storytelling with Danny Maseng.

We’ll begin with a relaxed wine-and-cheese schmooze, creating space to unwind and connect. Then the lights go down for a special concert featuring Danny’s powerful voice, rich Jewish artistry and signature warmth along with Cantor Naomi Weiss and featured musical guests, Gaston Bernstein, Cantor Asa Fradkin, Daniel Lockert, Sarah Lonsert and Lee Steward.

Expect a night that brings together community, creativity, and the magic of Havdalah; an opportunity to shift into the new week feeling inspired and replenished.

ABOUT DANNY MASENG

Born in Israel to American parents, Danny first came to the United States to star on Broadway in 'Only Fools Are Sad.' A playwright, actor, singer and composer, Danny has served as Evaluator of New American Plays/Opera-Musical Theater for the National Endowment for the Arts, as the Director of the Spielberg Fellowships for the FJC, as Spiritual Leader of URJ congregation Agudas Achim in NY and as Cantor of Temple Israel of Hollywood in California. Danny is excited to now be the Chazzan and Spiritual Leader of Makom LA, a newish, Jewish, dynamic, post-denominational community, in Los Angeles.

Danny's critically acclaimed off-Broadway musical 'Wasting Time with Harry Davidowitz: The Musical Journey of a Jewish Soul,’ along with his innovative 'Soul on Fire' and 'Let There Be Light' productions are just three exciting projects that have earned Danny accolades.

Danny is also one of the most popular and respected composers of contemporary Liturgical and Synagogue music. He has been the invited guest of the American Conference of Cantors, the Cantor's Assembly, as well as the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. His compositions are sung worldwide, with a recent Disney Hall appearance by the renowned Pink Martini, who performed Danny's Elohai N'tzor, and a Carnegie Hall premiere of his ‘Bring on the Light’ by the New York Youth Chorus.

Danny has been the Patron Artist of the Avraham Geiger School for Cantorial Arts in Berlin, Germany. Danny's essays, writings and poems, have been included in recent books by leading Jewish rabbis and scholars, including 'Naming God' by Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, 'Jewish Men Pray' by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, and 'A Dream of Zion' by Rabbi Jeff Salkin.

Danny has been featured in a number of documentary films including the popular 'Hava Nagila,' and 'The Other Men in Black.'

Danny has had a long and celebrated career with appearances on television (Law and Order), Broadway, and film. His books include the novel 'Apollonia', 'The Passion, the Beauty, the Heartbreak:The History of Israel Through Music and Poetry', ‘Spiritual Cooking in the Time of the Plague.’ Danny has also created ‘Black Milk,’ an Oratorio about poet Paul Celan.

Danny has been a faculty member for major organizations including Limmud, JCM, Elat Chayyim, The Wexner Heritage Foundation, and is deeply involved in interfaith dialogue. A much sought-after Scholar/Artist-in-Residence, Danny travels the world, inspiring, teaching, and rekindling the love of Judaism through Torah, Hassidut, Jewish Culture, and the Arts.

ABOUT GASTON BERNSTEIN

Gaston Bernstein is a Cantorial Soloist and world music percussionist based in Walnut Creek, California. With over 25 years of experience, he performs regularly at synagogues and major Jewish gatherings, including the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors Assembly. He leads the Congregation B’nai Shalom band and has collaborated with leading Jewish artists such as Danny Maseng, Craig Taubman, Neshama Carlebach, and Rick Recht.

ABOUT CANTOR ASA FRADKIN

Hazzan Asa Fradkin, a bass-baritone cantor born in Baltimore, blends classical vocal training with deep roots in chant, meditation, and spiritual practice. Influenced by early experiences in Kirtan and mentors including Hazzanim Lawrence Avery and Jacob Mendelson, he has composed original settings of Hebrew liturgical chant. An accomplished soloist, he has performed with leading chorales and orchestras and finds his greatest fulfillment in mentoring youth and teen choirs—cultivating a lifelong love of Jewish music and meaningful Jewish connection.

ABOUT DANIEL LOCKERT

Daniel Lockert is a versatile soloist and collaborator on piano, organ, and harpsichord, with an international performance career spanning the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. A respected coach and educator, he has served on the faculties of Juilliard, San Francisco Opera, and numerous universities and conservatories. He currently serves as a church musician and accompanist in the Bay Area and is summer accompanist for the Mendocino Music Festival chorus.

ABOUT SARAH LONSERT

Sarah Lonsert is a versatile vocalist praised for her “angelic voice” and authentic storytelling across classical and musical theatre. She performs with leading ensembles including the L.A. Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale, has recorded with John Williams, and was part of the Grammy Award–winning Mahler Symphony No. 8 with Gustavo Dudamel. Sarah has shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli, performed internationally, and holds degrees in vocal performance from Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge. Rooted in a lifelong passion for connection through music, she is dedicated to making storytelling accessible, healing, and inspiring for all audiences.

ABOUT LEE STEWARD

Lee Steward's singing career had an auspicious beginning, performing with international film and Broadway stars Gregory Hines, Stephen Schwartz, and with Bernadette Peters and Stephen Sondheim on A&E Television.  He performed concerts in Saltzburg, Austria and Okinawa, Japan, then moved to New York City to work with vocal coaches at The Metropolitan opera and The Juilliard School as well as practice Alexander technique. While a visiting professor at Ithaca College, he premiered a series of song cycles and performance pieces by the eclectic New York City composer, Gerald Busby, including “Emotion” with a text by Tony Award winner, playwright, Craig Lucas.  Regionally, Lee performed with North Bay Opera, Opera San José, San Francisco Opera Chorus and West Edge Opera. He currently sings, accompanies, and conducts a wide range of concert performances in the SF Bay Area.  

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Mon, February 16 2026 29 Shevat 5786