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I am cantors
CANTORS Bring spiritual, sacred and musical leadership to our 21st century Jewish communities.
Cantors have been integral to Jewish life for over 2500 years.
The Talmud refers to the Hazzan as the one responsible for taking out and returning the Torah scrolls, reading from them, and teaching the children. By the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in 586 CE, the cantor had assumed the mantle of leading the congregation in prayer.
To this day, the Cantor continues to be the keeper of Torah, its transmitter to the congregation, the primary teacher of our children, and our leader in prayer.
The Cantor orchestrates the liturgy of our seasons with the appropriate nusach and melodies. And, as knowledge of the liturgy wanes in our communities, the melodies, themselves, have become the liturgy and soul of the Jewish people.
As modern Judaism demands newer and broader definitions of community, prayer and what it means to be a Jew, Jewish music has become the connector that binds us to each other, to our tradition, and to our future.
And the Cantor, trained in our seminaries, communities and accredited through the Cantors Assembly is the keeper, selector, and transmitter of these melodies.
As our Jewish communities strive to find meaning, holiness, and connection, Cantors offer the spiritual, sacred, pastoral and musical leadership that our 21st century Jewish communities demand.
We are Cantors.
We are the Cantors Assembly.
Bringing spiritual, sacred and musical leadership to our
21st century Jewish communities.
OUR MISSION
The Cantors Assembly promotes the profession of the Cantorate, serving our members and their congregations by supporting our colleagues in their roles as vibrant, engaging, vital clergy and musical leaders.