'''Erica Jan (Riki) Lippitz''' and Marla Rosenfeld Barugel were the first two female hazzans (also called cantors) ordained in Conservative Judaism. Their ordination was held in 1987,<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gEj0oLYK10sC&q=%22marla+rosenfeld+barugel%22&pg=PA204 |title=Jewish Women in America: A-L|publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1997 |isbn=9780415919340|accessdate=2011-12-16}}</ref> two years after the first woman was ordained a Conservative rabbi.<ref name=aril>{{cite news|last=Goldman|first=Ari L.|title=A Sex Barrier for Cantors is Broken|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/06/nyregion/a-sex-barrier-for-cantors-is-broken.html|accessdate=2012-08-26|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1987-02-06}}</ref> Lippitz and Barugel were ordained at the same time by the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.<ref name="google1"/> After her ordination, Lippitz served for 34 years as cantor of Oheb Shalom in South Orange, New Jersey.<ref name="njjewishnews1">{{cite web |url=http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/013108/mwAWomanCantor.html |title=A woman cantor celebrates 20 years in a pioneering role |publisher=Njjewishnews.com |date=2008-01-31 |accessdate=2011-12-16 |archive-date=2013-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920220925/http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/013108/mwAWomanCantor.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was also the director and co-founder of the Kol Dodi choir, director of Oheb Shalom's adult and children's choirs, and a member of the folk-singing group ''Beged Kefet'',<ref name=metro>{{cite web|title=Kol Dodi: The MetroWest Community Chorale |url=http://www.jccmetrowest.org/koldodi |publisher=JCC Metrowest |accessdate=2012-08-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811092234/http://www.jccmetrowest.org/koldodi |archivedate=2012-08-11 }}</ref> which performs nationally and has made three recordings.<ref name="njjewishnews1"/><ref name="ohebshalom5">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohebshalom.org/home/page.jsp?pg=5&pgName=ProfTeam |title=Oheb Shalom Congregation |publisher=Ohebshalom.org |date=2006-10-19 |accessdate=2011-12-16 |archive-date=2011-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121114637/http://www.ohebshalom.org/home/page.jsp?pg=5&pgName=ProfTeam |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was a cofounder, with Cantor Perry Fine, of the JTS Cantorial Alumni Association's Shir Joy Choral Festival.<ref name="njjewishnews1"/> In 2005 she sang at Carnegie Hall.<ref name="njjewishnews1"/>
Prior to becoming a cantor, Lippitz earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan, as well as a Masters in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.<ref name="ohebshalom5"/> She had also served as the director of Loyola University Chicago's Hillel. When she entered the Seminary, she did not believe graduating as a Hazzan would be possible. By the time she graduated, she was one of eleven accomplished women in the program, all of whom went on to serve congregations of note.<ref name=bid>{{cite news|last=Biddle|first=Fred Marc|title=Sour Notes Remain For Women As Cantors|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/03/13/sour-notes-remain-for-women-as-cantors/|access-date=2012-08-26|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=1987-03-13}}</ref>
Cantor Lippitz was recognized numerous times by the Cantors Assembly of the Conservative movement, receiving the Yehudah Mandel Humanitarian Award (2013), the Hazzan Moshe Nathanson Award for Conducting (2018), and the Yuval Award (2018).
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lippitz, Erica}} Category:Women hazzans Category:Living people Category:20th-century American Jews Category:Brandeis University alumni Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American Jews Category:Jewish Theological Seminary of America alumni Category:American Conservative Jews