About Bruce

Bruce Chalmer has been performing and composing music for over 60 years. He served as ba’al tefila (lay service leader) and choir director at Beth Jacob Synagogue in Montpelier, and led the choir at Temple Sinai in South Burlington. He also organized several incarnations of the Burlington Jewish Community Choir (here’s a concert from 2012).

Bruce was a founding member of Fyre and Lightning Consort, with whom he recorded four CDs, including his own work, Berakhot: A Midrash Cantata.

He is also a member of Social Band, a group of singers in Burlington, Vermont, which has performed many of his choral compositions.

His composition Come Inside: A Midrash on Genesis 18:1 has been performed at several synagogues (follow this link for more information).

Professionally, Bruce is a psychologist in private practice specializing in couples therapy based in South Burlington, Vermont (though his sessions are by telehealth). He is married to Judy Alexander, retired education director at Temple Sinai, and they have five adult children and a wonderful bunch of grandchildren. Bruce is the author of several books–more information at his website.

The name “Chalmer” was “Khelemer” in the old country (the citizenship judge told his grandfather to Anglicize it)–in other words, Bruce is (apparently) a descendant of the Khelemer chokhomim (“wise men” of Chelm). That probably explains a lot.