About Danny
Rabbi Danny Maseng is a singular voice in contemporary Jewish culture—melding performance, music, scholarship, and spiritual leadership. Whether on stage, in song, or through his writings, he continually explores the intersections of identity, tradition, and creativity.
Born in Tel Aviv to American parents, Danny began his artistic career as a teenager on Israeli television and later came to the United States to star on Broadway in Only Fools Are Sad, sponsored by then–Prime Minister Golda Meir.
A gifted actor and playwright, Danny has performed in major theater productions across the U.S., including his acclaimed one-man Off-Broadway show Wasting Time with Harry Davidowitz. He has appeared on television (Law & Order, One Life to Live) and worked as a voice-over artist for major global brands.
Danny’s spiritual journey led him from Zen Buddhism back to Judaism, where he became a leading voice in Jewish renewal and artistic expression. He served as Director of Tiferet Arts at URJ camps, and later as Cantor and Musical Director at Temple Israel of Hollywood. He was the founder and spiritual leader of Makom LA, a post-denominational Jewish community in Los Angeles committed to soulful prayer, justice, and the arts and is currently the Rabbi-Chazzan at Desert Outreach Synagogue in Rancho Mirage, CA.
Renowned for his liturgical compositions, Danny’s music—including Elohai N’tzor, Mah Tovu ,Hashkiveinu, Veshamru, etc.—is sung in synagogues and concert halls around the world. His Elohai N’tzor was featured by Pink Martini at Disney Hall and on their 2010 album Joy to the World while Bring on the Light premiered at Carnegie Hall with a performance by the NYC Youth Chorus.
In addition to his musical and theatrical contributions, Danny is a passionate teacher and scholar. He has served as Artistic Director at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute and the Jewish Arts Institute at Isabela Friedman, as a founding director of the Steven Spielberg Theater Fellowships, and as faculty for Wexner Heritage, Limmud, and numerous international and interfaith programs. He was also a patron artist of the Avraham Geiger College for Cantorial Arts in Berlin, Germany.
A frequent contributor to The Times of Israel, Danny writes on spirituality, culture, and contemporary Jewish life. A much sought-after Scholar/Artist-in-Residence, Danny has spent four decades traveling the world, inspiring, teaching, and rekindling the love of Judaism through Torah, Hassidut, Jewish culture, and the Arts.
