Adrienne Suson, known in her community as “Auntie A,” believes that Judaism should feel joyful from the very beginning.
That’s why she became a licensed Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach facilitator, offering Jewish music and movement classes to young children and their families across the DMV. The Glenmont resident is an early childhood educator through the Hebrew literacy, Jewish music and movement program founded in 2011 by her friend, Shelley Dean.
“When you walk into a Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach class, you’ll see families sitting together,” said Suson. “I really encourage families of all ages to be sitting on the floor with their kids and moving together.”
Her interactive sessions include shakers, drums, yoga, Hebrew literacy and familiar Jewish tunes, with Suson strumming her guitar and leading sing-alongs.
“I found that combining Jewish education and music and early childhood education is what made me a good teacher, so I honed in on those three skills,” Suson said.
She leads a weekly interactive Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach program at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington’s parenting center and Shabbat Family Jams at Congregation Har Tzeon-Agudath Achim, Shaare Tefila, Tikvat Israel, Tifereth Israel and Ohr Kodesh. Suson also runs classes for private cohorts at B’nai Shalom of Olney, Washington Hebrew Congregation, Chabad of Silver Spring and Etz Hayim’s preschool.
Families and organizations can book “Auntie A” for educator-in-residence programming, birthday parties, “baby and me” classes and even adult education. Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach “Shalom at Home” airs on Jewish Life Television six times a week.
Suson’s goal? “Helping families bring Jewish life off the page and into their everyday routine,” she said.
Since its founding, Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach has trained 22 facilitators nationwide and created a brand of “tie-dye and what we call #JoyfulJudaism.” The organization has partnered with several chapters of PJ Library and Jewish Federations. Each program is structured in a way that the youngest attendees feel a sense of familiarity.
“We have created a flow of the way our class runs … so for any learner, it becomes easy and natural because they know what’s happening next and that’s very important for a child or for really anybody,” Suson said.
Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach programs embody research-based, play-based experiences, which aid early learning.
“Many of us just went to boring Hebrew school where we just sat behind a desk and listened to a teacher for hours,” Suson said. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but kids learn differently, we know now … and we need to cater to everyone’s learning.”
Jewish people are fortunate to have a plethora of “amazing music and liturgy” to pull from, according to Suson: “We don’t need to create something; we already have the curriculum. We just need to utilize it.”
Growing up in Denver, Colorado, with two older siblings, “there was a love of music in the house,” between her mom’s beloved show tunes and her oldest brother practicing music. She recalls watching her brother, Rabbi Steven Suson of Congregation Har Tzeon-Agudath Achim, play the guitar: “I always wanted to be like my big brothers.”
Adrienne Suson studied human development, specifically early childhood education and teaching, with stints working in veterinary medicine and marketing. During the COVID pandemic, she left her day job to focus on Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach full time.
“When education chose me … I knew that music was going to be a big part of my education and my teaching journey, and it really has,” Suson said.
She sings songs created around themes of Shabbat, holidays, Jewish values, Israel, nature, transportation and more. Some of the music is written by Jewish artists such as Nefesh Mountain.
“I love making the connections educationally, when a parent or child hears a song that connects them to a memory from their youth or connects them to a memory at camp,” Suson said.
But she’s not just teaching music: “I’m really helping families build joyful, lasting connections to Judaism from their child’s earliest years.”
The activities are designed to strengthen the bonds between children and their caregivers while learning in a low-stakes environment: “It’s not about me performing; it’s about experiencing it together and what we can experience together as a community.”
“Every family deserves a way to experience Judaism that feels connected and not intimidating,” she added. “Those early years matter so much, not just for the child development, but for connection. And I really want to create something where families feel that joy, that belonging and a real connection to Judaism from the start.”
Suson enjoys making connections, which also extend to the parents who bring their children to Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach programs.
“I see a lot of parents and moms who are just looking for a friend,” she said. “I have some testimonials of best friends that have been created through my classes, and seven or eight years later, they’re still going strong.”
Suson has “pretty much exclusively” worked within Jewish institutions, synagogues and preschools. “I’ve been very blessed to have the opportunity to work in nonprofit and Jewish organizations all across the nation, and I think there’s something really special about that,” she said.
She served as Har Tzeon-Agudath Achim’s program director for nearly six years and continues to help out with the Silver Spring synagogue’s marketing: “I see that as my home synagogue, so I try to volunteer my time as much as I can.”
After her father’s unexpected death in 2019, Suson created the Jewish Grief, Loss and Bereavement Support Group on Facebook, which has grown to nearly 2,000 members across the United States.
Continuing on the theme of building Jewish community, Suson hopes to expand to more Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach classes, both in terms of location and the addition of video on demand.
“I’m just getting started,” Suson said.
