SWF Tachlit (Mission)
Shabbat with Friends NM is a recently formed Jewish organization and nonprofit in New Mexico. The mission of Shabbat with Friends is to recapture together the joy of Shabbat (Oneg Shabbat). We cultivate the love of Shabbat through our gatherings, teaching, and relationships. We give special attention to Shabbat home practice: hospitality, shared meals, group singing, musical traditions, engaging conversation, interactive Torah study, and Menuchah-the authentic experience of Shabbat rest.
Our name, Shabbat with Friends, underlies our commitment to Shabbat hospitality, to cultivating the unique joy of Shabbat fellowship through our gatherings, and illuminating the profound Jewish ethical and spiritual teachings in the way we share this special day.
Leadership
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg is the Founder and Convener of Shabbat with Friends New Mexico. He was Founder of Panim Hadashot-New Faces of Judaism in Seattle, Washington started in 2004. Shabbat with Friends NM, founded in 2022, expands significantly on the innovations of Panim Hadashot. Rabbi Dov has also served for nearly two decades as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle.
Rabbi Dov received his B.A. with honors at the University of California, Berkeley. He studied under and was mentored deeply influenced by the great scholar of the sociology of religion, the late Robert Bellah, of blessed memory. Under Professor Bellah's guidance, Rabbi Dov went on to study comparative religions at Harvard University and pursued rabbinical studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles (now known as the Zeigler Rabbinical School at the American Jewish University) and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. He is a member in good standing of the Rabbinical Assembly of America.
Rabbi Dov was also profoundly influenced by Rabbi David Hartman, of blessed memory, of the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem. Rabbi Dov has attended rabbinic seminars at the Hartman Institute regularly since the 1980s.
Rabbi Dov is the father of three children, Zachary, Moriel, and Fay. He is a passionate baseball fan and loves to sing Shabbat table songs with people whenever he can.
Who Steers the Wheel
Guided by tradition and driven by connection, our team shapes the SWF journey.
Ethan Stone
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Ethan, who grew up in the greater Boston area, attended a Reform Jewish day school and was deeply connected to the area youth
social justice community. Every Shabbat, his family would host friends or attend Shabbat dinner at a friend's house.
He initially came to Santa Fe to attend St. John's College, but then lived and worked around the world for over a decade in the U.S. Foreign Service, where he met his partner, Becca. Although they both grew up in the Boston area, their paths first crossed on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Burundi.
Drawn back by the green chile, sunsets, and mountains of Santa Fe, Ethan and Becca eventually settled in the foothills of the city, where they now live with their pup, Cori, and toddler, Avi. Ethan's family has been enjoying the intergenerational connections of the Shabbat With Friends program for the past couple of years and looks forward to helping sustain its mission of spreading the mitzvah of Shabbat hospitality.
Rick Hammer
Vice-President
Rick Hammer and his wife Karen moved to Albuquerque 23 years ago. Rick is a retired physician and volunteer Hebrew and Bar/t Mitzvah tutor. He has served on the boards and as an active volunteer in several Jewish organizations in Albuquerque. Rick has been a strong supporter of SWF’s popular Musical Shabbat Gatherings.
Rachel Simon-Stark
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Rachel was raised in El Paso, TX in a vibrant Jewish community by a family fervently devoted to tikkun olam -- working across the US-Mexico border on social justice initiatives. She attended a Hebrew Day School through 8th grade, thus nurturing a relationship to Judaism rooted in scholarship and service. She moved to Santa Fe in 2022, where she has continued a 15-year career as a collaborative, visionary leader directing large-scale social impact initiatives across public, non-profit, tech, and academic sectors, with a focus on addressing affordable housing and homelessness. She worked for the NM Office of the Governor to develop unprecedented youth homelessness services initiatives, and now for the City of Santa Fe on projects including scaling the city's tiny home villages. She recently completed her first novel -- an intergenerational story of Jewish family spanning centuries and countries, teaches a course on ancestral reclamation and renewal, and is passionate about enhancing Jewish life locally and rehydrating the mystical, Shamanic root systems, practices, and rituals of ancient Jewish lineage for modern thriving.
SWF Oneg Shabbos Ensemble
Issa Noor
Issa Noor, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a versatile percussionist renowned for his expertise in Middle Eastern, Arabic, and North African rhythms. His recent artistic evolution includes a significant pivot towards intuitive, improvisational music.
This shift has seen him master a variety of unique instruments, each adding a distinct texture to his sound palette. Notably, Issa has embraced the handpan, a melodic percussive instrument known for its hypnotic tones, enhancing his repertoire with its serene yet resonant sound. His proficiency with the native flute adds a layer of organic, earthy timbres, while his skill with the Baglama, a stringed instrument central to Turkish folk music, introduces a rich cultural narrative. The Shahi Baaja, an electric Indian instrument, bridges traditional and modern sounds, reflecting Issa's versatile musical identity. Furthermore, his proficiency in electronic instruments and sound design, honed through years of experience, allows him to blend acoustic and digital realms seamlessly, creating a unique fusion genre.
Issa's approach to music is deeply rooted in a spirit of exploration and emotional expression, making each performance a unique, improvisational journey. This blend of diverse instruments and styles positions him as a multifaceted artist who continually pushes the boundaries of musical creativity.
Beth Cohen
Beth Cohen is a well-known vocalist, violinist, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator in New Mexico.
Since 1983, Beth has been operating Beth Cohen Music Studio in Albuquerque, where she teaches voice, guitar, violin/fiddle, viola, and piano to students of all ages.
Beth holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from the University of New Mexico (1991)
She has also completed coursework for a Master of Music degree. Since 1995, Beth has
been the Cantor and music director at Congregation (Nahalat Shalom) in Albuquerque, where she leads Shabbat and holiday services, teaches and directs the Community Klezmer Band and Alavados Holy Days Ensemble, teaches tefillah, Torah cantillation, Jewish folk music, and folk dance in the religious school, and coordinates the annual renowned Klezmer music and dance festival KlezmerQuerque. Over the past 40 years, Beth has taught music, choir, band, and orchestra at
several public and private schools in Albuquerque and Santa Fe as well as directing the choirs at
Congregation B’nai Israel and Hillside Community Church. Beth is a professional performing musician
and she has co-founded, performed in, recorded, and toured with many New Mexico-based ensembles,
including Svirka-women's Balkan chorus, The Rebbe’s Orkestra-klezmer and Judaic band, Goddess of Arno-Balkan band, and Neshama del Bosque-Sephardic ensemble.
Travis Rourk
Travis Rourk is a versatile multi-instrumentalist based in Albuquerque, known for his ability to seamlessly blend genres and, along with esteemed colleagues, create captivating, immersive musical experiences. With a deep-rooted passion for collaboration and fostering community through music, Travis has become a dynamic contributor to the vibrant Albuquerque music scene, drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences and instruments. As a founding member of alt-rock phenomenon Dust City Opera (New Mexico Entertainment Awards Top Rock Group of 2023), and the deeply southwestern-inspired indie-Americana meets roots-rock outfit Radio Free ABQ, Travis has enjoyed contributing to and learning from his colleagues in the rich music scene of New Mexico.
While his technical prowess is obvious as he shifts from brass to vocals, guitar to synthesizer, and back again, it is Travis's dedication to using music as a means of connection and bringing people together that is truly at the center of Travis’s approach to music. Whether performing, touring, teaching or recording, Travis remains committed to connecting with the greater music community through his work, collaborating with fellow musicians, and creating opportunities for others to share in the joy of music. He believes in the power of music and in its ability to bring people into harmony.
Judah Horowitz
We are honored to have Judah Horowitz as lead for the Oneg Shabbos Ensemble of Shabbat with Friends NM. Judah brings a very rich background in Jewish music to our Shabbat musical gatherings. Judah grew up surrounded by the sounds of traditional Jewish and Hasidic music in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in a home without a TV, radio was an essential access point to the world. Not long after arriving in Santa Fe he founded the klezmer band Los Klezmerados Real de la Santa Fe de Judios Crucificados, in which he sang and played guitar. Last year, Judah became the host of KSFR 101.1 Santa Fe Public Radio’s "Klezocalypse Now!". The show is a wild ride through Klezmer and Jewish music in all its forms including Yiddish, Ladino, and Hebrew musical traditions.
SWF Support Staff
Your behind-the-scenes virtual support team.
Victoria Nwokoye
Virtual Assistant
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Tasneem Attar
Virtual Assistant
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Maria Cristina Lecerio
Virtual Marketing Assistant
Maria manages the organization’s digital presence and provides ongoing administrative and marketing support. She oversees the SWF website, including updating content, posting events, and publishing blog entries. She creates and manages event registration forms, prepares and send out the weekly Hashavua, and designs promotional materials such as flyers. She also assists Rabbi Dov with follow-up communications, event logistics coordination, and other operational tasks as needed. Her work supports the smooth promotion and execution of SWF’s programs and community events.