Rachel Haymer, Kol Isha (“the voice of a woman”), is a co-director of Rappers & Rabbis where her music and leadership bring new energy, vision, and vitality to the collective. A cantorial soloist, Jewish educator, and international performer, she has represented R&R at major Jewish conferences and created original contributions to the Jewish liturgical music catalogue. She is also a MUNY musician and two-time honoree as one of New York City’s Top 5 Street Performers ('23 &'24)

Matt Bar is a hip-hop educator, bridge-builder, and cultural architect.

As the founder of Bible Raps and co-director of Rappers & Rabbis, Matt has spent over two decades fusing Torah study with hip hop performance, turning classrooms and concert halls into collaborative Beit Midrash (House of Study) spaces. His programs have reached more than 125,000 youth worldwide, and his curriculum has been implemented in hundreds of Jewish day schools and Hebrew schools, including comprehensive partnerships with national organizations such as Chai Mitzvah and Shalom Learning.

Named to Slingshot’s “Top 50 Jewish Nonprofits” five consecutive years, Matt has become a leading voice in Jewish hip hop — not only performing, but building platforms for other artists to thrive. Through Rappers & Rabbis, he curates retreats, albums, fellowships, and live events that bring Jewish, Black, Christian, and Muslim voices into creative dialogue.

Part MC. Part educator. Part producer.
All bridge-builder.

Rabbi Dvir Cahana — known on stage as RIVIR — is a rabbinic educator, battle rap champion, and founder of The Amen Institute. His hip-hop journey began at age twelve with a Passover Seder battle between Moses and Pharaoh. He went on to produce eight albums and perform across North America, including Sababa Fest and End of the Weak, earning recognition as a formidable MC — even proposing to his wife in rap form.

During the pandemic, Dvir launched Bezallel Koli, collaborating with his stroke-survivor father to transform divrei Torah into music and art. That project evolved into The Amen Institute, an international creative beit midrash where “art is informed by Torah and Torah is formed in art.” For this work, he received the 36 Under 36 Award from the Jewish Week.

Ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2024, Rabbi Dvir now serves as Rabbi of the Base Community in Miami and as the rabbinic educator of Rappers & Rabbis, guiding artists and communities to engage Torah and Prayer with the help of Hip Hop.

Ali Richardson — known artistically as Text Rich Ali — is a Philadelphia-based music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of Rappers & Rabbis. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Ali’s work bridges Hip-Hop with its ancestral roots in Gospel, Jazz, Blues, and African drumming — using music as a living lens into American history and the African-American experience.

In 2004, Ali co-founded the CODA Program, where he developed Hip-Hop Jazz Musicology, an innovative framework connecting generations of sound and story. Through classroom residencies, camps, museum partnerships, and national workshops — including programming with the African American Museum in Philadelphia — he has engaged thousands of students and adults in immersive musical learning experiences.

A guitarist by training, Ali is also fluent in percussion, bass, piano, and didgeridoo, bringing live instrumentation and improvisation into every space he leads. His workshops blend performance, reenactment, call-and-response, and dialogue — creating environments where youth and elders learn side by side.

Beyond the classroom, Ali curates and hosts one of Philadelphia’s longest-running open mics at Dahlak Restaurant, sustaining a vital hub for artists and community voices.

As co-founder of Rappers & Rabbis, Ali anchors the collective’s musical depth — ensuring that its hip-hop expression remains rooted in tradition, history, and soul.

Eric Shandroff, known artistically as Myster-E, is a hip-hop lyricist, spoken-word champion, and Jewish community leader whose work bridges culture, faith, and education.

A recipient of grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Eric first gained statewide recognition as a member of the slam poetry collective New Jeru, representing New Jersey on prominent competitive stages across the country. He later became part of a New Jersey State Champion spoken-word duo and has shared stages with legendary artists including KRS-One, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and Queen Latifah. He has also served internationally as a U.S. Hip Hop Cultural Ambassador with Next Level USA and most recently performed on the iconic stage of the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

As flagship artist and New Jersey Ambassador for Rappers & Rabbis, Eric has performed for thousands of young Jews in synagogues, schools, and communal spaces while helping to lead retreats and large-scale creative gatherings throughout the region. His work uniquely blends high-level hip-hop craft with thoughtful facilitation, creating spaces that are artistically electric and deeply rooted in Jewish learning.

Beyond the stage, Eric is a leader at Mesorah House in New Jersey, cultivating intentional Jewish community through music and study. He teaches at RJJ Yeshiva and works full-time as a classroom educator, bringing the same presence and integrity into daily student life that he brings to performance.

Internal Rhyme, is both a rapper and a licensed social worker who brings his expertise in wellness and mental health to Rappers & Rabbis. His music is known for its clever wordplay and deep exploration of Jewish identity, resilience, and healing. As the group’s Wellness Coordinator, Rhyme helps bridge hip hop expression with emotional support and community care.

Rabbi Adam Mayer is a teacher, counselor, and rabbinic advisor for Rappers & Rabbis, providing wisdom, text study, and spiritual grounding to the collective. With years of experience guiding students and communities, he supports the group’s mission of weaving Torah into hip hop culture. His counsel helps ensure the work of R&R remains rooted in tradition while boldly pushing into the future.