Relish the voice of the cantor

By Morton Gold

March 24, 2010

I suppose that given the current stateof finances that it had to happen sooneror later. To what am I referring? The deanof the Cantor's Institute (affiliated withthe Jewish Theological Seminary) has been"let go," and the school will somehowmerge with the seminary. Finances aside(and mind you, this is a big aside), moneyor the lack of it is only a part of the problem.

In Reform temples, cantors, even wherethey exist have little to sing during theservice. Often, a cantorial soloist is usedwhen needed and he needn't always beJewish either. Where there is a professionalcantor, the more significant part of his orher duties involves the preparation of bar/bat mitzvah youngsters. The cantor mayeven be involved with the Hebrew school,if not with actual teaching, then perhapseven as the principal. Many cantors oftentrain choral groups and give and/orprepare musical programs for constituencieswithin the temple. Often, the cantor willaccompany him- or herself on the guitar,eliminating the position of organist.

This versatility has been born ofnecessity, since the services are often inthe vicinity of an hour and leave littletime for any extensive solo work. Wherethere is no cantor in Reform temples, therabbi will assume the role and duties ofthe cantor in addition to his or herrabbinical responsibilities. This dual roleis similar to that of the priest in a Catholicchurch where the priest sings thefew lines that he needs to and oftenaccompanies himself on the guitar.Especially In smaller churches, theorganist is already an endangered species.

In Orthodox Jewish congregations, ifthere is no professional hazzan, any (male)member of the congregation may assumethe role of the cantor, often with less thanagreeable results! In Reconstructionistcongregations, since egalitarianism countsfor as much as anything else, members ofthe congregation often assume the role ofsong leader and chant the few linesbetween congregational melodies. InConservative congregations, there hasbeen the equivalent of a perfect storm.

On one hand, and especially in smallercongregations, the practice in the lastseveral decades has witnessed the erosionof the position of the cantor. Once upon atime, and not too long ago either, Jewswould go from one shul to another tohear different cantors. There singing wasas much of an attraction as the sermon ofthe rabbi, if not even more so.

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