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Concert at "Westend-Synagogue", with chazzan Tsudik Greenwald, 2010 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Hazan

Hazan [χaˈzan] (also chazzan or hazzan) (Hebrew: חַזָּן‎‎ ħazzān, Yiddish khazn Ladino hassan) is the Hebrew name for the singer, or cantor, who leads prayers and chants in the synagogue alongside the presiding rabbi. Depending on which Jewish movement you refer to, the requirements may vary. Some require cantorial or vocal training while others may be lay volunteers within the congregation, this includes men as well as women (however Orthodox Judaism only allows men).

History

While the practice dates back to ancient times (Exodus 15:19-21), the hazan ("overseer") and the role played within the synagogue gained momentum after the destruction of the second temple.

The Qualifications and Role of the Hazan

The Sulchan Aruch (or commonly understood to be "the Code of Jewish Law"), a set of legal halachic codes arranged in 1565 by Rabbi Josef Karo, discusses the roles and qualifications of the Shaliach Tzibbur (Hebrew meaning messenger of the congregation) or Hazan. While there are many halachic codes that exist, and much discussion over them, this particular book offers a detailed account of what is expected from individuals that assume the position of hazan. Some of these qualifying characteristics imply goodness, modesty, purity (or sinlessness), preference for the individual to be married, a full beard, and a good voice.

Training

Many members of the Cantors Assembly are trained at the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Many members of the American Conference of Cantors are trained at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music (New York) Reform. Both of these programs offer a five-year training program. Members of the Cantorial Council can train at the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music at Yeshiva University in New York City.

ALEPH, the movement for Jewish Renewal, includes a cantorial training program as part of its ordination program.

Full cantorial training is also offered by the Cantorial School of the Academy for Jewish Religion (California) in Los Angeles, the Cantorial Program at the similarly named Academy for Jewish Religion in New York, and the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. These institutions are unaffiliated with any particular Jewish denomination.

The curriculum for students in these programs generally include, but are not limited to:

• Hebrew: modern, Biblical (Torah), and liturgical (Siddur)
• Nusach (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
• Cantillation—tropes for the liturgical chanting of biblical books
• Choral conducting
• Jewish history
• Tanakh (Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament)
• Jewish music history
• Pastoral care and counseling
• Theology

Female cantors in non-orthodox Judaism

Although traditionally a hazan was always a man, today a woman can be a hazan (also called a cantor) in all types of Judaism except for Orthodox Judaism.^[2] Julie Rosewald, called “Cantor Soprano” by her congregation, was America’s first female cantor (though she was born in Germany), serving San Francisco’s Temple Emanu-El from 1884 until 1893, although she was not ordained.^[7][7][8] Barbara Ostfeld-Horowitz became the first female cantor to be ordained in Reform Judaism in 1975,^[9] and Erica Lippitz and Marla Rosenfeld Barugel became the first female cantors in Conservative Judaism in 1987.^[9]The Cantors Assembly, a professional organization of cantors associated with Conservative Judaism, did not allow women to join until 1990.^[10] Sharon Hordes became the first cantor (female or otherwise) in Reconstructionist Judaism in 2002.^[11] Avitall Gerstetter, who lived 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;^[12] however she died in 2009.^[13] 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.^[14] In 2001 Deborah Davis became the first cantor (female or otherwise) in Humanistic Judaism; however, Humanistic Judaism has since stopped graduating cantors.^[15]

In 2009 Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar, who was born in Iran, became the first Persian woman to be ordained as a cantor in the United States.^[16]

As of 2011, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the main seminary for Reform Judaism, has ordained 208 women cantors.^[17]

Professional Status

The role of hazzanim 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 rabbis 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. Therefore, the hazzan 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 mohels, for bris ceremonies.

In the United States, there are three major organizations for professionally trained hazzanim, one from each of the major Jewish denominations.

• American Conference of Cantors—Reform Judaism^[1[1]^8]
• Cantors Assembly—Conservative Judaism^[1[2]^9]
• Cantorial Council of America—Orthodox Judaism^[20[3]^]

Kantorenkonzert in the Stadttempel in Vienna, with a visiting group from Jerusalem.

In Modern Culture

Golden Age of Hazzanut

The period between the two World Wars is often referred to as the "golden age" of hazzanut (cantorial performance). The greats include Zavel Kwartin(1874–1953), Moritz Henle (1850–1925), Joseph "Yossele" Rosenblatt (1882–1933), Gershon Sirota (1874–1943), and Leib Glantz.

In the post–World War II period, prominent cantors were Moshe Koussevitzky, David Werdyger, Frank Birnbaum, Richard Tucker and Abraham Lopes Cardozo (1914–2006). Operatic tenor Jan 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 Shmuel Barzilai, Naftali Hershtik, Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, Chazzan Avraham Aharon Weingarten, Ari Klein, Yaakov Lemmer, Joseph Malovany, Benzion Miller, Jacob (Jack) Mendelson, Aaron Bensoussan, Alberto Mizrahi, Yaakov Yoseph Stark, Jochen (Yaacov) Fahlenkamp, and Eli Weinberg.

Today

The role of hazans have always been somewhat esteemed, but with such lofty preconditions attached, it was not the most glamorous. It wasn't until the success of Joseph "Yossele" Rosenblatt (and as a direct result of The Golden Age of Hazzanut) that fan-bases for hazans began to build, encompassing both Jewish and Gentile audiences. Hazans today (whether a professional with training or a volunteer member of the clergy) still amass some levels of popularity, and are often recognized for their contribution to the preservation of tradition.