Our Rabbi
Rabbi Stanger was born in Brooklyn, New York to a loving, supportive and "Jewishly aware" family. A graduate of Brandeis University, Rabbi Stanger spent a semester abroad at Tel Aviv University. It was a side trip to Poland for the “March of the Living” that first brought forth his desire to further explore Jewish studies and a career working in the Jewish community. He went on to earn his rabbinical and Master’s in Education degrees at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Stanger has been a proud member of the OWHC community since 2006. In addition to the numerous rabbinical duties he fulfills, such as leading services, pastoral counseling, officiating life cycles events and sermonizing, he is an active and dedicated Jewish educator of both adults and children. In his spare time he pursues his interest in interfaith work and activities, in addition to serving as President of the Long Island Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Stanger, his wife Sandi, and their children Arielle and Noah love living in the community here in Old Westbury.
Our Cantor
Cantor Karavani attended the Amit Yeshiva in Ranana, where the choir leader, Mordechai Sobol, encouraged him to join the choir and later make his first music album. His strong connection to tefillah led him to take private lessons from the chief army Cantor, Avraham Carmel, ז"ל. Cantor Karavani was selected for the Rabbinical Choir of the I.D.F., which allowed him to pursue his passion for Jewish music while serving his country. He studied music at both the Music College of Petach-Tikvah and the Cantorial College of Tel Aviv. In 2003, following a very successful performance career spanning many continents, Cantor Karavani joined the clergy at OWHC. As diverse as our own congregation, Cantor Karavani is able to perform and leads services in many different styles, including Ashkenaz, Sephardi, and Yemenite. He also sings in the many different languages of our people, such as Yiddish and Ladino. He is currently fulfilling his life’s dream as he instills in the next generation of Jewish children their own love of Torah and Jewish music.