Reflections on 50 years in the cantorate

This June will mark the 50th anniversary of my ordination as a cantor. 

I have always felt that every cantor deserves to thrive in their sacred work, not merely survive. Fifty years after my ordination, I still believe that each of us should feel a passionate commitment to elevating, protecting, reimagining and reinvigorating the cantorate.

We cantors can be very proud of how the cantorate has evolved over the past half century. My mentorship students at the DFSSM are sometimes amazed that things they take for granted were not always so. It was not that long ago that you could enter the HUC-JIR cantorial program right from high school, and if you were not a cisgender male you need not apply. The director of the cantorial program was a rabbi, not a cantor, and cantorial students were not included in the first year in Israel  program. After 5 years of study you received an undergraduate degree, and those cantorial alumni who served faithfully for 25 years were not eligible to received an honorary doctorate, like rabbinic alumni. Ordination was for rabbis only - cantors were invested (a rather bizarre term usually reserved for royal honors!) And, most distressingly, cantors were not widely accepted as clergy.

Despite all the unprecedented strides we have subsequently made in elevating the role and the status of the cantor, too often we see our colleagues struggling to navigate the complex world of congregational life. Clergy who face criticism or are stressed and distressed by congregational challenges, are hardly ever rebuked because of academic issues. Certainly within the liberal synagogue, I can’t think of any cantor or rabbi who got in trouble for singing the wrong nusach or misquoting a biblical reference.

As cantors, I believe that most of us are academically well-prepared to meet the needs of any congregation we serve. However, are we really prepared to navigate the unique, practical aspects of a particular congregation’s unique culture, ethos, and idiosyncratic traditions? Are we in synch with that congregation’s dynamics and tempo?

While most of us understand the importance of keeping our voices in good shape and refining our musical skills, did you ever stop to think how you are doing with honing your organizational and administrative skills? With time management? With creating and maintaining healthy boundaries for your professional and personal worlds? Have you defined, evaluated and reevaluated your goals and clarified your expectations? 

Are you getting what you need and giving your congregation what they need? Are you able to take your congregation’s emotional temperature and understand that developing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships may very well be the key to a successful career?

I believe that the cantorate can only grow in stature and credibility, if every cantor is a success and a valued clergyperson in their individual congregation. Even the world’s greatest tennis players or the world’s greatest golfers have a coach. Certainly, we cantors know the importance of having a vocal coach to provide us with objective, honest criticism and feedback to make sure that we are on track and avoid the pitfalls of gratuitous flattery or careless habits. 

Our rabbinic colleagues have long understood the importance of working with an executive coach who can provide ongoing, objective supervision to ensure that they are working at their highest possible level and meeting the multi-layered demands of the congregational world proactively, rather than reactively. A skilled coach will be committed to making sure you are a valuable part of a winning team, whether you are just beginning your career, or transitioning to a new congregation, or planning for your retirement.

Without question, the cantorate as a profession has made tremendous strides since my ordination 50 years ago. I turned to my mentors for guidance and, while they didn’t always tell me what I wanted to hear, they were dependable, honest and objective and wanted me to succeed in my sacred calling. If each of us succeeds within our own congregation, I have no doubt that the cantorate will continue to grow and flourish in generations to come. Find yourself a wise mentor to insure your future as a cantor and the future of the cantorate.