Hazzan
Encyclopedia
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
khazn Ladino hassan) is a Jewish cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.
There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources. Jewish prayer services are collected in a prayerbook known as the siddur
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
.
The person leading the congregation in public prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s is called the cantor, or sometimes called the sheliach tzibbur (Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for "emissary of the congregation"). Jewish law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
restricts the role to Jewish males over the age of 13; but today all types of Judaism except
for Orthodox Judaism allow women over the age of 12 to have this role as well. See also: Cantor in Reform Judaism
Cantor in Reform Judaism
The cantor in the Reform movement is a clergy member who fills a diverse role within the Jewish community. Cantors lead worship, officiate at lifecycle events, teach adults and children, run synagogue music programs, and offer pastoral care...
.
In theory, any lay person can be a sheliach tzibbur; most synagogue-attending Jews will serve in this role every now and again. In practice, those with the best voice and the most knowledge of the prayers serve much more often.
Growing importance
The office of the hazzan increased in importance with the centuries. As public worship was developed in the GeonicGeonim
Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...
period, and as the knowledge of the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
declined, singing gradually superseded the didactic and hortatory element in the worship in the synagogue.
Qualifications
Even in the oldest times the chief qualifications demanded of the hazzan, in addition to knowledge of Biblical and liturgical literature as well as the prayer motifs (known as "steiger"), were a pleasant voice and an artistic delivery; for the sake of these, many faults were willingly overlooked. The hazzan was required to possess a pleasing appearance, to be married, and to have a flowing beard. Sometimes, according to Isaac of ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(13th century), a young hazzan having only a slight growth of beard was tolerated. Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
decided that the hazzan who recited the prayers on an ordinary Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and on week-days need not possess an appearance pleasing to everybody; he might even have a reputation not wholly spotless, provided he was living a life morally free from reproach at the time of his appointment.
But all these moderations of the rule disappeared on holidays; then an especially worthy hazzan was demanded, one whose life was absolutely irreproachable, who was generally popular, and who was endowed with an expressive delivery. Even a person who had once litigated in a non-Jewish court, instead of to a Jewish court, in a disputed question could not act as hazzan on those days, unless he had previously done penance. However many authorities were lenient in this regard and as long as a cantor was "merutzeh l'kehal" desired by the congregation, he was permitted to lead the prayers even on the holiest of days.
Today, a hazzan, particularly in more formal (usually not Orthodox) synagogues, is likely to have academic credentials, most often a degree in Music or in Sacred Music, sometimes a degree in Music Education or in Jewish Religious Education or a related discipline. The Doctor of Music degree is sometimes awarded to honour a hazzan.
Although traditionally a hazzan was always a man, today a woman can be a hazzan (also called a cantor)
in all types of Judaism except for Orthodox Judaism. In 1955 Betty Robbins, born in Greece, became the world's first female cantor when she was appointed cantor of the Reform congregation of Temple Avodah in Oceanside, New York, in July.
Barbara Ostfeld-Horowitz became the first female cantor to be ordained in Reform Judaism in 1975, and Erica Lipitz and Marla Rosenfeld Barugel became the first female cantors in Conservative Judaism
in 1987. The Cantors Assembly
Cantors Assembly
The Cantors Assembly is the international association of hazzanim affiliated with Conservative Judaism. The CA was founded in 1947 to develop the profession of the hazzan, to foster the fellowship and welfare of hazzanim, and to establish a conservatory for hazzanim...
, a professional organization of cantors associated with Conservative Judaism, did not allow women to join until 1990. Sharon Hordes became the first cantor of either sex (and therefore, since she was female, the first female cantor) in Reconstructionist Judaism in 2002. Avitall Gerstetter, who lives in Germany, became the first female cantor in Jewish Renewal (and the first female cantor in Germany) in 2002. Susan Wehle became the first American female cantor in Jewish Renewal in 2006; however she died in 2009. The first American women to be ordained as cantors in Jewish Renewal after Susan Wehle's ordination were Michal Rubin and Abbe Lyons, both ordained on January 10, 2010. In 2001 Deborah Davis became the first cantor of either sex (and therefore, since she was female, the first female cantor) in Humanistic Judaism; however, Humanistic Judaism has since stopped graduating cantors.
In 2009 Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar, who was born in Iran, became the first Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
woman to be ordained as a cantor in the United States.
As of 2007, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, which is the main seminary for Reform Judaism, has ordained 184 women cantors.
Professional status
The role of hazzanim (Hebrew plural of hazzan) as a respected full-time profession has become a reality in recent centuries. In the last two centuries Jews in a number of European communities, notably Germany and Britain, came to view professionally trained hazzanim as clergy and the hazzan as the deputy rabbi. After the enlightenment, when European nations gave full citizenship and civil rights to Jews, professionally trained hazzanim were accepted by the secular governments as clergy in the same way that rabbis were accepted as clergy.In an interesting turn of events, the United States government recognized cantors as the first Jewish clergy, even before rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s were recognized - as a congregation could be organized and led by a committee of Jewish "laymen," who would not have the expertise in liturgy a hazzan would have, newly forming congregations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sometimes hired a hazzan for a synagogue (and made sure that a kosher butcher was established in the neighborhood) for some time before setting about hiring a rabbi, seeing the hazzan (and the butcher) as a more immediate need. The hazzan therefore solemnized marriages and otherwise represented the congregation in the eyes of civil authorities.
In the United States, many hazzanim supplement their ministry by also earning certification as and working as mohel
Mohel
A mohel is a Jewish person trained in the practice of brit milah "covenant of circumcision."-Etymology of the Hebrew and Aramaic term:...
s, for bris ceremonies.
In the USA there are three major organizations for professionally trained hazzanim, one from each of the major Jewish denominations.
- American Conference of Cantors - Reform JudaismReform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
- Cantors AssemblyCantors AssemblyThe Cantors Assembly is the international association of hazzanim affiliated with Conservative Judaism. The CA was founded in 1947 to develop the profession of the hazzan, to foster the fellowship and welfare of hazzanim, and to establish a conservatory for hazzanim...
- Conservative JudaismConservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,... - Cantorial Council of America - Orthodox JudaismOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Training
Many members of the Cantors AssemblyCantors Assembly
The Cantors Assembly is the international association of hazzanim affiliated with Conservative Judaism. The CA was founded in 1947 to develop the profession of the hazzan, to foster the fellowship and welfare of hazzanim, and to establish a conservatory for hazzanim...
are trained at the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
. Many members of the American Conference of Cantors are trained at the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
- Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music (New York) Reform. Both of these programs offer a five year training program. Full cantorial training is also offered by the pluralistic seminary The Academy for Jewish Religion, with campuses in New York and Los Angeles, and through ALEPH, the movement for Jewish Renewal.
Members of the Cantorial Council can train at the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music
Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music
The Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music is a music school that focuses on Jewish music. It is part of Yeshiva University in New York City. Classes are held in the Schottenstein Center on Yeshiva University's Wilf Campus in Manhattan...
at Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
in New York City.
The curriculum for students in these programs generally include, but are not limited to:
- Hebrew: modern, Biblical (Torah), and liturgical (Siddur)
- NusachNusachNusach is a concept in Judaism that has two distinct meanings. One is the style of a prayer service ; another is the melody of the service depending on when the service is being conducted.-Meaning of term:Nusach primarily means "text" or "version", in...
(liturgical tradition) - Laws and traditions pertaining to Jewish prayer service
- History and content of the siddur
- Music theory, sight-reading sheet music
- Playing an instrument, usually a piano or guitar
- Singing technique
- CantillationCantillationCantillation is the ritual chanting of readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible to complement the letters and vowel points...
- tropes for the liturgical chanting of biblical books - Choral conducting
- Jewish history
- TanakhTanakhThe Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
(Hebrew Bible, or Old TestamentOld TestamentThe Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
) - Jewish music history
- Pastoral care and counseling
- Theology
Golden age
The period between the two World Wars is often referred to as the "golden age" of hazzanut (cantorial performance). The greats include Zavel KwartinZavel Kwartin
Zevulun "Zavel" Kwartin was a Russian-born chazzan and composer.- External links :*...
(1874–1953), Moritz Henle
Moritz Henle
Moritz Henle was a prominent German composer of liturgical music and cantor of the Jewish reform movement....
(1850–1925), Joseph "Yossele" Rosenblatt (1882–1933), Gershon Sirota
Gershon Sirota
Gershon-Itskhok Sirota was one of the leading cantors of Europe during the "Golden Age of Hazzanut" , sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Caruso."-Biography:...
(1874–1943), and Leib Glantz
Leib Glantz
Leib Glantz was a Russian-born lyrical tenor cantor , Composer, Musicologist of Jewish music, Writer, Educator and Zionist leader.He was born in 1898 in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. His father and both grandfathers were important cantors with Chassidic backgrounds...
.
In the Post World War II period, prominent cantors were Moshe Koussevitzky
Moshe Koussevitzky
Moshe Koussevitzky was a cantor and vocalist. A relative of noted conductor Sergei Koussevitzky, he made many recordings in Poland and the United States....
, David Werdyger
David Werdyger
David Werdyger is a Hasidic Jewish Hazzan and solo singer who is considered one of the pioneers of 20th-century Jewish music...
, Frank Birnbaum
Frank Birnbaum
William Franklin "Frank" Birnbaum was a well-known 20th century chazzan within Conservative Judaism in the United States. Serving congregations and performing concerts across America, his music was well-known for its eclectic and melodious nature...
, Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
and Abraham Lopes Cardozo
Abraham Lopes Cardozo
Abraham Lopes Cardozo was hazzan of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City.Born in Amsterdam, Holland, he was the great-grandson of the Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic community in Amsterdam. In 1939 he was appointed by Queen Wilhemina to be the...
(1914–2006). Operatic tenor Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is the father of film director Larry Peerce....
, whose cantorial recordings were highly regarded, was never a cantor by profession but he often cantored during the high holidays.
Popular contemporary cantors include Naftali Hershtik, Joseph Malovany
Joseph Malovany
Joseph Malovany is an Israeli-born American tenor soloist, cantor of New York's Fifth Avenue Synagogue since 1973, and Distinguished Professor of Liturgical Music at Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music, Yeshiva University....
, Shmuel Barzilai
Shmuel Barzilai
Shmuel Barzilai , is the chief cantor of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien. Barzilai has a lyrical tenor voice, and studied under cantor Moshe Stern in the Tel Aviv Institute for Cantorial Art. He was in the first graduating class of the Institute, which was established under former Tel Aviv...
, Yitzchok Meir Helfgot, Ari Klein, Benzion Miller and Alberto Mizrahi.
See also
- History of religious Jewish musicHistory of religious Jewish music- Origin of Jewish music in the Temple :The earliest synagogal music was based on the same system as that used in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, Joshua ben Hananiah, who had served in the sanctuary Levitical choir, told how the choristers went to the synagogue from the orchestra...
- ChazanteChazanteTraditionally, Jewish law has not allowed women to lead the prayer service in the synagogue. Even the Reform movement did not train female cantors until the early 1970s. Two forms of female cantors have developed:...
- RabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
- JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
- SiddurSiddurA siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
- Jewish servicesJewish servicesJewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
- Syrian CantorsSyrian CantorsThe Syrian Cantor or hazzan leads the traditional prayer rituals in the synagogues of the Syrian Jews. He conducts the services using ten maqamat or musical modes. A cantor must be fully cognizant of these maqamat and their applications to the prayers...
- Academy for Jewish ReligionAcademy for Jewish ReligionYou might mean:* Academy for Jewish Religion * Academy for Jewish Religion...
- The Reform Jewish Cantorate during the 19th CenturyThe Reform Jewish Cantorate during the 19th CenturyThe modern Reform Cantorate is seen as a result of developments that took place during the 19th Century, largely in Europe. The process continued to evolve in America following the emigration of German Reform Jews towards the end of the century.-Emancipation:...
- Cantors AssemblyCantors AssemblyThe Cantors Assembly is the international association of hazzanim affiliated with Conservative Judaism. The CA was founded in 1947 to develop the profession of the hazzan, to foster the fellowship and welfare of hazzanim, and to establish a conservatory for hazzanim...
- PrecentorPrecentorA precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
- SuccentorSuccentorThe Succentor in an ancient cathedral foundation sings psalms and Preces and Responses after the Precentor. In English cathedrals today the priest responsible for liturgy and music is usually the Precentor, but some cathedrals, such as St Paul's and Durham, retain a Succentor as well. Westminster...
Recordings
- Virtual Cantor - Free MP3 recordings of nearly the entire Ashkenazic liturgy.
- Sephardic Pizmonim- www.pizmonim.org- Middle Eastern Pizmonim Recordings for Sephardic Cantors.
- Chazzanut Online - a wealth of detailed information and recordings.
Cantorial organizations
- American Conference of Cantors (Reform)
- Cantors Assembly (Conservative)
- Cantors World (Orthodox)
- The Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of America (Non-denominational)
- Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute (Orthodox)