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Testimonials

Find out what people are saying about Cantor Ellen Stettner:

Weddings

 

Cantor Ellen Stettner was amazing. She really took the time to get to know us prior to our wedding. As a result, our service was warm and full of love. She made every step of this process very personal and we look forward to having her part of many more happy occasions.

 

Cantor Ellen Stettner performed our daughters wedding this past month. Ellen exhibited such warmth and sincerity from the first time we met her. Our daughter and son-in-law felt a connection with Ellen right from the beginning as well. They met with Ellen throughout the year leading up their wedding. We were so happy that they felt so connected and chose to meet with Ellen to discuss their ceremony on numerous occasions. Ellen really took the time to get to know Lisa and Matt. Our guests at the wedding were overwhelmed by the beauty and warmth of her service- as were we as well! Thank you Ellen for playing such a very special part of Lisa and Matt’s wedding!

—Barbara and Victor Kalafa

 

 Wow! When Jarrod and I selected Cantor Ellen to marry us, I didn’t know what to expect. We live in Chicago and were being married in Florida so my mom was the one working with all our vendors on a day-to-day basis. Ellen made it a point to make sure she knew us despite the distance between us. Every time we were in Florida she met with us to talk about us as a couple, explain the Jewish ceremony and walk us through what would happen at our ceremony. Not only did she take the time to meet with us in Florida, but she would Skype us as well. She also told us where to get our Ketubah (and it is absolutely gorgeous) and reminded us to get our marriage license. The day of the wedding, Cantor Ellen was amazing. All of our friends and family raved about how personal the ceremony felt. You would’ve thought that Ellen had known us since the days we were born and her singing was beautiful. If you want a beautiful ceremony with someone that takes the time to get to know you, definitely work with Cantor Ellen Stettner.

 

I want to thank you for making my daughter’s wedding a priority in your life. Your time, effort and headache to schlep to Whidbey Island and celebrate her happiness with our family is incredibly meaningful to me. Sharing this experience with you is beyond words. I hold your friendship as a precious treasure that has just deepened in value. Your talent, insight and spirit made Sara and Duncan’s wedding something that will be held as the gold standard for every wedding hereafter…for all the guests! There is nothing like being a witness to such authentic love. Sending you thanks and hugs, Barbara

 

Well, it’s been a week since our wedding and quickie honeymoon (actually two nights at a romantic B&B in upstate New York)–and we wanted our first letter as a married couple to be to you, since you gave our marriage such a spectacular start! How did you do it? How do you manage to make every event at which you officiate so personal and particular and memorable and uplifting? Every marriage has its past, and ours certainly did. Of course there was the joy of love and finding each other again after many years, but there was also the pain of two divorces, and the sensitive feelings of children who had to adjust to their parents’ new lives. Somehow, with beauty and grace and joy, you created a ceremony in which everyone’s feelings were honored, and the two of us were ecstatic. When you wrapped us both in the tallis, we felt enveloped by the love of everyone in the room. (We thought we were the only ones crying, but it turns out that most of the room was awash in tears!) Your music was magnificent, your words were deeply meaningful to us, and it is a total tribute to you that so many people said it was the most spiritual and beautiful wedding they had ever been to! Thank you, Ellen, for honoring our love in such a wondrous, moving way! Love always, Linda & Rob

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am forever grateful for the absolutely perfect wedding ceremony you officiated! Everyone is still talking about how you captured the spirit of Sara and Duncan in the tender way you constructed the program. When I think back to the challenges you faced… an interfaith wedding with the bride and groom living in China, each exhausted from working ridiculous hours with just snippets of moments to confer with you… your sensitivity to all of their issues was brilliant! Sara told me you coached them carefully on the creative aspects of the service so they could express their individuality without sacrificing the elegance and flow of the ceremony. The inclusion of so many family touches honored each family member and brought them closer to the moment. Beyond your skill of “hearing” the needs of the bride and groom… your voice elevated the wedding to a sacred level. As my cousin Barri commented, “You are a consummate professional!” Fondly, Barbara

 

Thank you for being such a huge part of our special day! You really set our minds at ease; after all, you took the time on more than one occasion to meet with and get to know us long before we said, “I do.” Everything from our Aufruf blessing to our marriage ceremony went without a hitch and was personal, intimate, and memorable… your singing was beautiful and the prayers you read and elaborated on could not have been better tailored to our relationship. To us, you’ve become family, and we were so lucky to have been able to work with you to achieve the beautiful end result that was our wedding. In addition, our family and friends all commented on how charismatic and personable you were and how the ceremony was refreshingly upbeat. Our newly engaged friends even came up to us afterwards seeking your information, hoping they could work with you for their own upcoming wedding! Sure, by definition you are an officiant, but that term neglects to define you and your indomitable spirit and passion for what you do. We are truly grateful for all your efforts in making our ceremony unique. Sincerely, Kielle & Dana

 

It has been said that your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life. I had hoped for that, but the day came, and the joy was far beyond my expectations. Having you officiate thrilled me from our pre-wedding counseling, the signing of our Ketubah through the beautiful and personal ceremony you performed for us, our families, and friends. Your guidance gave me the confidence and courage to become a bride, a wife, and to join our two families together. We so much appreciate the effort you made to officiate at our wedding in New York. I felt you lived true to the original spiritual bond we had formed in New York. Not only were you there but your beautiful voice, wisdom, and warmth shone throughout “The 21 Club.” Your suggestion to have my four new stepsons hold the Chuppah above our heads and my two sons to walk me down the aisle was fantastic. From the get-go, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. There was not a moment of our ceremony that I did not cherish, but the most moving moment for me was being wrapped in the tallis with Leon and you praying for us. I knew at that moment I would always be protected. Thank you. With love, Fredda

 

Wedding Vow Renewal

 

Lisa and Sig HaberCantor Stettner officiated at a vow renewal ceremony in honor of our 25th wedding anniversary. She did a fantastic job. She met with us prior to the event so she could tailor the ceremony based on our preferences. It was very personalized – not at all a cookie cutter ceremony. I put out packets of tissue on each seat for the ceremony. It was a good thing. Everyone was in tears. The ceremony was very meaningful, sentimental & beautiful. Even Our non-Jewish friends were enchanted by Cantor Stettner. It was a very special, magical, meaningful & unforgettable event. Everything completely exceeded our expectations. It was almost like getting married all over again – but after 25 years the vows have a lot more meaning.

—Lisa and Sig Haber

 

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

 

Jonathan MarcusCantor Ellen Stettner guided our son Jonathan through his Bar Mitzvah training and ceremony. The service was nothing short of amazing. In leading the congregation, he demonstrated fluency in the core prayers, chanted several large Torah readings and a Haftarah, and delivered an impactful speech with gravitas.

Yet beyond the Bar Mitzvah service, Cantor Ellen’s guidance created a lasting effect on Jonathan: An appreciation and interest in Judaism and a new level of self-confidence and sense of accomplishment, which will serve him well as he develops into an adult.

An important contributor to Jonathan’s success was Cantor Ellen’s training, guidance, and consultative approach in working with Jonathan and us from the start. Based on an initial assessment, Cantor Ellen designed a custom training program, including timeframe and frequency of lessons and practice sessions all tailored to Jonathan’s individual goals.  Based on progress during the training, and in consultation with us, Cantor Ellen made adjustments to the program to ensure that Jonathan realized the maximum of his potential.

For anyone considering private lessons and a truly individualized approach to Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation, I strongly recommend working with Cantor Ellen Stettner.

—David and Karen Marcus

 

Cantor Ellen Stettner has made an incredibly wonderful impact on our son, Adam, as well as our entire family. During his Bar Mitzvah training, Ellen demonstrated both patience and inspiration. She constantly offered praise which raised Adam’s self esteem. By having a knack for being firm but loving, Ellen has the ability for getting excellent results from her students. My son wanted to be successful but also wanted to please her because he truly admires her and wanted Ellen to be proud of him. Cantor Ellen along with her beautiful singing voice is extremely knowledgeable in the teachings of the Torah. It is clear to all who have attended her services that she truly loves what she does (especially when working with children). I can speak for my entire family when I say we truly love Ellen as a spiritual leader as well as a friend.

—Hope Clayman

 

Worship

 

Thank you from both Rick and myself for an amazing service this evening. We had to keep reminding each other that we were not at a wonderful concert and we had to hold each other’s hands so that we would not applaud. The music was truly beautiful. We loved your sermon – how fresh and original to have the forgiveness theme line up with the world’s series. Thanks again to you and your wondrous voice. We are looking forward to tomorrow. Much love, Sue & Rick