The word for Cantor in Hebrew is “Hazzan, a masculine noun. Fortunately the English language is gender-neutral, and the title “Cantor” is neither masculine or feminine. Twenty-five years ago there were no women Cantors, but that has radically changed; from the investiture of the first woman Cantor in 1975 to today, the ranks of women in the Cantorate have grown immensely. The American Conference of Cantors (ACC) is the “union” to which both men and women belong. Looking at the letterhead of a recent communication, I noted that of 26 members of the Executive Board, 16 are women. A number of presidents of the organization have been women, and they are equal to men in every way.
There are two ways of becoming a Cantor: private study (in which case you must be certified by Hebrew Union College) and/or attendance at one of the two cantorial schools. The requirements for entry are: 1) being a Jew, either by conversion or birth; and 2) a B.A. (preferably in music). The degree granted is a M.M. in Sacred Music.
There are more than 850 Reform congregations in the United States, and only 260 Cantors to serve them. Both the Reform and Reconstructionist movements are open to men and women, but Reform offers the most opportunities, being the largest. Many hire singers simply as soloists rather than hiring full-time Cantors, because the average graduating class only has between 12 and 16 Cantors and is made up of 70 percent women.
It is not uncommon today for a first-year graduate of the School of Sacred Music to earn between $45,000 to $70,000 annually. Many Cantors in the United States earn as much as $85,000 a year by their tenth year of service. [Ed: Hazzan Henry Rosenblum, Dean of the Miller Cantorial School, reports that new graduates are now starting at $60,000+ and that it isn’t uncommon to be making six figures in less than 10 years.]
Soloists do not command the salaries of Cantors, but a great deal less is expected of them. There are some Reform congregations which hire non-Jewish soloists, but their number is not large. Soloist salaries differ greatly. During my years as Cantor I always sought to get the highest possible per-service salary for my solo quartets. In 1997 they were being paid $60 for Friday evenings, rehearsal before services. I always hired an octet for the High Holidays. In 1997 they received $1,100 for three rehearsals and all services. My singers were always operatic voices and professional singers. During 35 years I may have had three soloists who were Jewish. My congregants complained that I hired singers who were not Jewish; my response was that when they found Jewish singers who were better musicians and could out-sing my soloists, I would hire them. That usually cut off any comments.
The outstanding social, moral and ethical values of prophetic Judaism (which is what Reform used to be called) are the Cantor’s link to humanity. Some of these values are: honesty; integrity; loyalty; righteousness; compassion and kindness; respect for human dignity; respect for law and ethics; accountability for one’s actions; responsibility for one’s decisions; and the concept of making the world a better place in which to live. The great 20th-century theologian and philosopher Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said it another way. “Be humble before the words. This should be the Cantorial imperative. A Cantor who faces the holiness in the Ark rather than the curiosity of man will realize that his audience is God.” The Cantor’s role is to “Know before whom you stand.” These words can found engraved in Hebrew, English and other languages above the Ark (in which the scrolls of the Torah are kept) of many synagogues throughout the world. This should be the watchword of anyone who serves God.
Within the synagogue music is not an end in itself, but a means of religious experience. Its function is to help us to live through a moment of confrontation with the presence of God; to expose ourselves to Him in praise, in self-scrutiny and hope. As a matter of fact, there have been times during the High Holy Days when, standing before the open Ark and pouring out my soul in prayer, I have been completely carried away. There have been moments when I have forgotten the real world and been transported to a higher consciousness, because music and prayer are more than just expressiveness. I became only the vessel of prayer.
Cantors need not only the gift of voice, but the gift of love for their fellow human beings. Cantors serve others as teacher, counselor and consoler, the vessel of prayer and of prayers. One need not be a “performing artist” to create. The creation of a spiritual environment, both in the synagogue and out, is an act of faith. To live a life in the service of others, to nurture both young and old, is to be truly religious.
It seems to be the common perception among congregants that a Cantor only sings at services Friday evening, Saturday morning and holidays. However, a Cantor ministers to the needs of the congregation in life and death situations. The job description changes with the needs of each congregation, but the Cantor basically has the title of Cantor-Music Director. This means choosing music for services; either the training or the oversight of an adult choir; children’s choir; professional choir; commissioning music; musical research; and presentation of four to 10 special music services per year. The Cantor, like the rabbi, visits hospitals, nursing homes and the homebound every week; provides family and sometimes individual counseling; officiates at life-cycles ceremonies (weddings, funerals, burials, services in the home to console the grieving); teaches classes in the Hebrew School and Adult Education; represents the congregation at public ecumenical events, and the list goes on.
All Cantors must consider that being full-time clergy is not a job, but a calling. The call to serve as a Cantor is a vocation. The word “vocation” describes it perfectly, because it is derived from the Latin word “vox,” meaning “voice.” The song of Jewish religious practice is sung by the Cantor: the holy awe, mixed with love and hope, of the congregation is the music that we sing. Being a Cantor means being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Very few Cantors have more than one day a week to call their own. Even then, one can expect calls late at night saying that some one has just been taken to the hospital or has died. Cantors, just like Rabbis, are expected to be available even on their day off.
As in any high-powered professional position, the demands on women are great–greater, I believe, than on men. Many women begin attending the School of Sacred Music later in life. Many are married with children. Unfortunately, the congregation becomes an extended family and the demands put great stress on marriages, sometimes to the detriment of family life.
It goes without saying that one who aspires to the Cantorate must be a spiritual person. If one is so inclined, the reward of giving of oneself can be the greatest reward of all. There is no adequate way to describe the satisfaction attained through the giving of oneself to others.
Finally, and this cannot be stressed enough, those who truly wish to serve must make sacrifices for those they serve. It is my firm belief that the rewards outweigh the problems and that one can live a truly productive and artistically-satisfactory life in the right atmosphere.
