Marla Aviva Bentley, RJE (she/her) is the Director of Lifelong Learning and Music at Congregation Etz Chaim. She has worked in the field of Jewish education for more than 20 years. Before coming to CEC, Marla served as the Director of Music at Temple Beth Israel in Skokie. Marla is passionate about fostering Jewish identity through learning, music and Tikkun Olam, the repair of our world. She cares deeply about her congregants and seeing each person as a unique and precious individual created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God.
Marla is a Past President of the Guild of Temple Musicians, an affiliate of the American Conference of Cantors, and is the 2022 recipient of the Shomeir Shira Award, the Guild’s highest honor. For 5 years, she was the conductor of HaZamir Chicago, a chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. Marla is proud to serve on the camp faculty of Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI).
Marla is a graduate of the Executive MA program at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) where she earned a degree in Jewish Education. She earned the title Reform Jewish Educator (RJE) in 2024 from the Association of Reform Jewish Educators. Marla was in the 14th cohort of iFellows, a fellowship in Israel Education, has a certificate in Conflicts of Interest through the iCenter, and completed an Israel fellowship with Shifting the Paradigm. She has a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors in Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Pedagogy from Oakland University, Rochester.
A native of Metropolitan Detroit, Marla now calls Deerfield home. She is a lifelong learner and loves to read and listen to audiobooks. Marla also loves to be in nature, camp, sing, bake, and spend time with her husband, Newell, and their children, Hannah and Jaret, and their rescue dog, Duke.
