Bios

ANNA SOBEL is a professional puppeteer, storyteller, and musician. She began learning tabla while on a Fulbright in India in 2003 studying puppetry. Upon her return to the US, she studied tabla intensively for several years under Guruji Pandit Divyang Vakil of Ahmedabad, India and the New Jersey-based Taalim School of Indian music. She has accompanied many kirtan singers on tabla and vocals.

Anna studied maggidut, or Jewish spiritual storytelling, under Yitzhak Buxbaum, z’l, and has performed Jewish stories at the National Yiddish Book Center, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, the 92nd Street Y, the Jewish Museum, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Learn more about Anna’s puppetry and storytelling at talkinghandstheatre.com

Anna leads Jewish services for families at a variety of congregations, and specializes in making Jewish spiritual experiences accessible to children. Anna is also a Childlight Yoga-certifiied children’s yoga instructor and a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction meditation teacher. She has been practicing meditation and yoga for 25 years and sat a 3-month silent retreat in Thailand under Tibetan Lama Gen-la Chokyi Dhakpa. Anna is also a reiki master. Remote healing sessions are available through fallingwaterreiki.com

BRIAN BENDER (harmonium, melodica, trumpet, piano, vocals) is a professional musician, sound engineer, and music instructor. Steeped in Jewish traditional music since his immersion with Klezmer great Hankus Netsky at the New England Conservatory, Brian has since performed Klezmer music at Carnegie Hall, the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton and throughout the United States with The Wholesale Klezmer Band. He has also performed Klezmer music in Israel, Alaska, Egypt, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, the UK, Russia and Austria with his Klezmer/Jazz/Latin/African/Middle Eastern fusion band Little Shop of Horas.

Brian also leads the band Yiddishkeit Klezmer Ensemble, plays trombone with the Wholesale Klezmer Band and Klezamir, and has played with other notable Klezmer performers such as Alicia Svigals, Adrianne Greenbaum, Eleanor Reissa, Adrienne Cooper, and many others. He also teaches Klezmer workshops and lessons. Learn about Brian's band The Yiddishkeit Klezmer Ensemble at yiddishkeitklezmer.com, and Brian's band Little Shop of Horas at littleshopofhoras.com. Brian also performs regulary with various Wedding, Reggae, Swing, Irish, Jazz and Dixieland bands. Book one of Brian’s bands for your simcha or special occasion at brianbender.com.