I have recently read a post on a Colleagues face book page and decided to think about the subject through the rest of the holidays. Many are bemoaning the end of the Cantorate, and I feel strongly that this is not the case. Part of the issues have to do with several factors, but the two biggest overall factors, at least in my opinion, are changing musical trends in the Synagogue and the Economy.

The Economy is simple – Synagogues in most cases are facing declining membership, as well as an aging membership who are now on a fixed income. They are also facing a situation where in the past, generations gave to their Synagogues and primarily Jewish concerns. Today this is not the case. People give to any given charity with which they have a connection. Also, with the Economic climate currently being what it is, people do not have the money to give in the same manner as their parents and grandparents.

When faced with the current Economy many Synagogues can, in most cases, afford only one member of the Clergy – and that is going to be a Rabbi. Many can argue the fact that a Cantor can do what a Rabbi does, but the Reality is – if a Cantor can do it then why not become a Rabbi? Many of our Colleagues have chosen this path and created a successful career for themselves.

Also – Cantors today need to do more than sing – as Synagogues are facing these financial issues it is a good idea that Cantorial students also obtain a degree and experience in a secondary skill that would be useful to our community, such as in Jewish Education. We are already expected to teach B’nai Mitzvah students and Adult Education classes, so why not have the credentials behind you. There are many Synagogues who look for a Cantor to also double his/her role as an Education Director. I myself have done this in the past. It was not easy, but not impossible. Some Cantors have a business background and with good organizational skills can work as the Executive Director and Cantor.

With the Economy there has been a rise in Soloists – or Cantorial Soloists. I myself started my career as a Soloist and Education Director until I made the decision that I wanted to study and become a fully Vested Hazzan through the Cantors Assembly – best decision of my life. However many Synagogues that can-not afford a second Clergy hire a soloist who is part-time and might tutor some B’Nai Mitzvah students for extra money. This also crosses over from the Economy to Musical Trends. Does this affect our occupation? Yes, because when a synagogue hires a soloist, they are making a statement that the Cantor’s knowledge is not important or relevant, just the singing of their tunes the way they have learned them is sufficient. And that is sad and such a loss for those synagogues that make that decision.

At one point in our history the Opera Style Cantors were a new thing – and I am sure that the Baal T’fillah all bemoaned the loss of the Cantorate as it was during that point in our history. However the new style grew, many of the past Cantors having success not only in the Synagogue, but also on the stage and through recording. Lines would form outside the Synagogue just to hear these amazing Hazzanim. The Italians had their Opera Stars? Well we had our Cantors!

Many call it the “Golden Age of the Cantor”. I feel personally this is a mistake – we should acknowledge that it was an amazing era for the Cantor and our position, but when you denote “Golden Age” you are almost acknowledging that it was the Pinnacle of our career and anything previous or future is a pale shadow of that age. I truly believe that the best is yet to come.

The musical landscape is always in a state of flux. One moment people like symphonies, the next Operas, then to Jazz, Broadway, Pop, Folk, Hip Hop, Rap, and now Electronic music. The styles are seemingly endless. One commenter on facebook mentions that the next thing we will be expected to do is beat box and rap. This is already being done, and I also have done it.

We as the Hazzanim – we as the Jewish Music Specialists, not only in our specific Congregations, but in the Jewish World, we need to learn to embrace those musical tastes and changes. Musically we need to be able to look in three directions:

1. The past – Nusach – those amazing Cantorial pieces. There is a place for them, not only in concert but on our respective Bima during services. Not only do we keep the musical tradition alive, but we stay true to our roots, true to our past.
2. Current trends – we need to listen to and be open to what is current. What are our Congregants – specifically the younger ones with families – what are they listening to? Is there a way that we can create and utilize those current musical trends and utilize them in some of our davening without being disrespectful to the T’fillot and to our communities?
3. Future trends – How can we look or listen to future musical trends if they have not happened yet? We can see where the musical trends were in the past – where they are today – and we can somewhat forecast those musical tastes. Not easy, but possible. Many musical trends and tastes come back. I know that when our boys were younger, they and their friends were not listening to the music on the radios or what was “Pop” but instead were listening to Led Zeppelin; ELP; Billy Joel; and many others from the 1970’s era. And even the Beatles music is always classic and fresh in every generation.

To continue to be viable we need not only to be able to look in those three directions, but able to competently represent those styles in a worship service. How does one do this? I am only now personally working towards finding this out.

We need to be proactive in our chosen field not only for ourselves, but for the future Hazzanim. We each have the opportunity and responsibility to secure the role of the Hazzan in our synagogue so that the position will stay open and be filled by the next generation. We need to be proactive in engaging and continuing our education ourselves as professionals – presenting ourselves as not only “Singers” but as viable Clergy who work together with our Rabbis as a team in Pastoral duties, Funerals, Weddings, etc. We need to be a resource to our respective Congregants – not only on the music of our people, but on Judaism. We need to be the person whom a Congregant would feel comfortable with to just talk about a problem, or even to approach.

What I am writing about here is not new. This has been a growing issue within our communities for a few generations. It is good that we can discuss and challenge each other in this forum. Every day brings new experiences, new challenges, a new personal connection to a congregant. As a community we can support each other and learn from each other.

Let us join together, as colleagues, as friends, as Hazzanim – and bring the Cantorate to the 21^st Century and beyond. So that in 500 years historians can look back at us and say we started the new Golden Age of the Cantor!