Enid Bootzin Berkovits, artistic director and founding member of the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale, began voice lessons at age 14 at the Wisconsin College of Music. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Alverno College, where she also studied choral conducting. In post-graduate study at Northwestern University and De Paul University, she studied choral conducting and arranging, opera theater, and voice performance.
Enid’s coloratura voice has been heard in performances with Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera Theatre and the Milwaukee Opera Company. She has performed in recital and performance venues throughout the greater Milwaukee area.
Since 1974, Enid has been directing church, synagogue, interfaith and community choirs. She served as choir director and soloist for Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue since 1989 and is currently serving Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid in the same capacity. She also directed combined synagogue choirs for Milwaukee Zimriah. Enid has directed the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale in Israel, New York, Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee. She is honored to have worked with Jewish music legends Max Janowski and Matthew Lazar, among others.Samantha Haake joined the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale in 2016. She began her studies in voice when she was 12 with Benita Wandel. She holds her BA from Augustana College of Music in music education as well as her Master of Music in flute performance and Performance Certificate in chamber music from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During her studies in flute she remained passionate about vocal music, finding opportunities to perform as a vocalist whenever possible.
As a vocalist Samantha has, in addition to the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale, performed with the following ensembles: the Augustana Collegiate Chorale, the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Chorale, and the Highland Park High School Choir. With these groups she performed master works including Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, and excerpts from Mendelssohn’s Elijah.