Oren Hayon is a rabbinic student at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

He has just completed his first year of study in Jerusalem and will be completing his studies at the College's campus in Cincinnati.

Oren is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Rice University in Houston in 1994. He has spent the past few years working in Houston and in Los Angeles, most recently as a songleader, educator and program leader for the Los Angeles Bureau of Jewish Education.

Oren and his fiancée, Julie Lentzner, are very excited about spending the summer in Albuquerque and getting acquainted with Congregation Albert.