Cantor Mark E. Childs
After earning his B.A. in Music from U.C. San Diego, Cantor Mark Childs earned his Master of Sacred Music degree along with an ordination as Cantor in 1991 from Hebrew Union College-Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York City. Cantor Childs has served Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara, CA since 1991.
His full array of worship services, relationship building, and educational/cultural programming have enriched both Jew and non-Jew alike throughout the greater Santa Barbara area where he resides with his wife Shari, and sons David (now at JTS Cantorial School) and Adam (now at Yeshiva University). He has a particular interest in interfaith dialogue through music and study and serves as a board member of the Interfaith Initiative of Santa Barbara County.
He is active as a concert artist, is a prolific commissioner of new Jewish music, and has produced four professional albums, including his latest “The Layered Path” with his son David. Cantor Childs is a member of both the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors Assembly.
Cantor Childs may be contacted at cantor@cbbsb.org
Performances
Recordings
The Layered Path
Spring, 2021
Our journey into illness, healing and eventually passage to the World to Come is often circuitous and multi-layered. The songs on this album were assembled according to their messages of hope, strength, recovery, resolution, and oneness with our Creator. Many of these songs are original commissions by Congregation B’nai B’rith of Santa Barbara, CA, which I am proud to spotlight. Collaborating with my son, David, has been an intergenerational joy that would have made my mother Myrna Childs, to whom I dedicate this album, overflow with love. Her friend, my mother-in-law Edie Ostern, created the artwork for the album which inspired it’s title.
Cantor Mark Childs
Spring, 2021
Projects
Interfaith Initiative
The Interfaith Initiative of SB bring clergy of all faith traditions in Santa Barbara together. Our projects are Educational and inspirational programs, a shower truck and other services for our neighbors without homes and ECOFaith to help our faith communities to model environmental sustainability.
learn more
Showers of Blessing
Showers of Blessing is a project of H.E.A.L (Health, Empowerment, and Love) and the Interfaith Initiative of Santa Barbara, of which Congregation B’nai B’rith is a proud member. Join us in our support of this wonderful project which provides houseless individuals in our community with a simple gift – a shower – giving them hope, a tool to better their lives, and allows us to share the beauty and love of our community, faith, and tradition, by improving the lives of our most vulnerable community members.
