Cantor Matt Axelrod was born and raised in the Boston area. He is a graduate of Brandeis University and received his Masters of Sacred Music and Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1993. Most recently, he served Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains, NJ, where he taught, inspired, cajoled, and nagged generations of kids and their parents over the course of his 33-year tenure there.
In July 2023, Cantor Axelrod started a new chapter and took over as the Executive Director of the Cantors Assembly, the largest organization of professional cantors in the world. He is only the fourth person to fill that role since the Assembly’s founding in 1947.
Cantor Axelrod has been a regular columnist and contributor to the online Bar & Bat Mitzvah Guide, and is the author of three books: Surviving Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide, Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays: From Shofar to Seder, and Raising the Bar Mitzvah: Reimagining What our Kids Learn. He has been a frequent presenter at synagogues, Jewish community centers, and conferences to speak to groups of parents and teens about the process of preparing for their b’nei mitzvah and how to successfully navigate that period. Recently, Matt appeared as the cantor in the HBO miniseries “The Plot Against America.”
Matt is also an avid aviation enthusiast, and is a licensed pilot and flight instructor. When not flying over New Jersey, he is likely out running and training for his next marathon. He is married to Dr. Tali Axelrod, a public school principal in Bridgewater, NJ, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Judah and Josh.
Cantor Matt Axelrod 
You must be logged in to post a comment.