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Aviva's works are recommended by Professor Eliyahu Schleifer, well known lecturer as well as Professor of Sacred Music and Director of Cantorial Studies at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem. Dr. Schleifer is also the Cantor of the Murstein Synagogue at the same institution.

Dr. Schleifer was born in Jerusalem in 1939 and began his musical training at the age of 5 as a Meshorer (young chorister) at the synagogue choir of Shirat Israel Institute, and studied cantorial art music at the same institute under Cantor Shlomo Zalman Rivlin.  He also studied violin and French horn at the New Conservatory of Music in Jerusalem.  From 1957 to 1960, he served as the French horn player and violinist in the Israeli Army Band and Symphonic Orchestra Tizmoret Tzahal.   After his discharge from the army, he studied Judaica (Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah)) at the Hebrew University, and music at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem.   During the years 1964-67, he served as research assistant of Dr. Edith Gerson-Kiwi, recording and preserving the heritage of the various Jewish communities of Israel.   During the same years, he officiated as cantor in various synagogues in Israel.   During the years 1968-76, he studied at the University of Chicago and graduated with a Ph.D. in musicology.  At the same time he also served as Cantor at the South Side Hebrew Congregation in Chicago.  After returning to Israel, Dr. Schleifer served as teacher of music history at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and lecturer of musicology at Tel Aviv University.  He continued his research at the Jewish Music Research Center of the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem, where he published a book on Hassidic music.  He was President of the Israeli Musicological Society from 1988 to 1990 and was founder and first editor of the Journal of the Israeli Musicological Society.  Dr. Schleifer appears frequently as lecturer on Jewish music on the Israeli National Radio. Dr. Schleifer is married to Aya (Laipsker) Schleifer, concert pianist and piano teacher at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem.  They have two sons.