Ian Simpson
Spiritual Leader
About Speaker
Ian Simpson is a Songleader, worship leader, and artist at one of the nation’s most innovative and dynamic reform synagogues. As the full-time Temple Songleader at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, Texas, Ian spends most of his days making music and joyful noise with over three hundred students at Temple Emanu-El’s Early Childhood Education Center. Ian has also brought new energy and excitement to Temple Emanu-El’s family Shabbat programs, including Tot Shabbat, Sababa, and Shabbat B’Yachad- an inclusive service focusing on community members with special needs. On Sundays, Ian leads music and worship for students at Emanuel-el’s Youth Learning and Engagement program. Originally hailing from Massachusetts, Ian spent many summers at URJ Crane Lake Camp as the director of the songleading and music programs, while working at many synagogues and day schools in central Massachusetts and throughout the Boston area during the year. Ian is a recent graduate from the music program at Worcester State University, where he studied classical voice and jazz guitar. Ian’s style blends together contemporary Jewish music with a variety of genres from his background in folk, rock, jazz and soul. In 2018, Ian was proud to be one of the winners of the first-ever Jewish Rock Radio Jewish Star Talent Search, for his song ‘No More’, a message for hope and peace in this country, and the world beyond.