Philip L. Sherman

Cantor Philip L. Sherman (Phil) most recently appeared as Judge Roland Corcoran in Season 6 of "Orange is the New Black." In the feature film, "Our Idiot Brother," he played the part of a rabbi in a scene with Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones and Zoey Deschanel; the scene was included in DVD release as an Alternate Ending. He played a rabbi in the "The Bizarre Mitzvah" episode of the television show "Z Rock," which portrayed the Bar Mitzvah of a black rapper. For the episode, Cantor Sherman trained his co-star to read a portion of the Torah, and to recite the appropriate blessings in the original Hebrew. Cantor Sherman also has appeared in an episode of the TV show "Storage Wars," to which he was invited to participate as an expert Judaica appraiser. Phil has done commercial work, as well: He appeared alongside Whoopi Goldberg in a seasonal spot for an online gift service; and his singing voice was featured in a commercial celebrating the 200th anniversary of The Bill of Rights. His stage performances have included local productions of "The Education of Hyman Kaplan" (Hyman Kaplan), "Little Mary Sunshine" (Pete), and as understudy for three of the four barbershop quartet members in "The Music Man." Phil studied acting with Alice Spivak, and Voiceover Technique with Howard Ross. He is a classically trained singer (tenor), and studied Voice privately with the late Mr. Oren Brown of the Juilliard School. He studies vocal technique with Mr. Anthony Manoli. Phil also studied conducting with Mr. Oscar Julius; for his college graduation recital, he conducted the first movement of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Phil received concurrent B.A. degrees in Music/Jewish Studies from the Columbia University/Jewish Theological Seminary of America Joint Program. During a Junior Year abroad in Israel, he sang with Maestro Leonard Bernstein and the Rubin Academy Choir at the Bernstein Festival in Tel Aviv ("Chichester Psalms"). He is a student of the brass instruments--trumpet, trombone and euphonium--and was a member of the Rubin Academy Jazz Band in Jerusalem. Finally, Phil received training and certification as a Mohel (Jewish ritual circumciser), by the former Chief Mohel of Jerusalem, the late Rabbi Yosef HaKohen Halperin. In addition to acting, Philip L. Sherman has served as cantor at a number of prominent Manhattan synagogues over the years, including Congregation Shearith Israel--The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in the City of New York (the oldest continuous Jewish congregation in North America, founded in 1654); Park East Synagogue, on the Upper East Side; and Lincoln Square Synagogue, on the Upper West Side. When not acting, Cantor Sherman is a full-time, practicing Mohel; his website may be found at www.emoil.com. He is a classic car enthusiast, and also owns a motorcycle license. As of this writing, Phil remains the only Modern Orthodox Jewish motorcycle-riding Mohel in SAG/AFTRA.