Hazzan

{{Short description|Jewish cantor}} {{About|a Jewish cantor|people named Hazan or Chazan|Ḥazzan (surname)|the village in Iran|Chizan|the safety study|Hazard analysis}} {{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Hebrew words and phrases]]}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox occupation | name = Hazzan | image = Stadttempel Vienna August 2006 028.jpg | caption = Cantorial concert in the Vienna ''[[Stadttempel]]'' synagogue | official_names = Cantor | type = Jewish religious occupation | activity_sector = Synagogue | competencies = Hebrew proficiency; mastery of ''nusach''; vocal training | formation = Cantorial training or traditional apprenticeship | employment_field = Jewish liturgy and sacred music }} {{Listen |filename=Omar Rabbi Elozor.ogg |title=Amar Rabbi Elazar |description=Cantor Meyer Kanewsky's 1919 performance of the last part of Parshat Haketoret, a passage often read after the morning service in Judaism. }} {{Jews and Judaism sidebar|religion}} A '''''hazzan''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɑː|z|ən}};<ref>[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hazzan "hazzan"]. ''[[Collins English Dictionary]]''.</ref> {{IPA|he|χaˈzan|lang}}, {{literal translation|hazan}}) or '''''chazzan''''' ({{langx|he|חַזָּן|translit=ḥazzān}}, plural {{transliteration|he|ḥazzānim}}; {{langx|yi|חזן|translit=khazn}}; {{langx|lad|חזן|translit=hasan}}) is a Jewish musician or [[precentor]] trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful [[Jewish prayer]].<ref name=newEJ>{{cite book | last1=Bridger | first1=D. | last2=Wolk | first2=S. | title=The New Jewish Encyclopedia | publisher=Behrman House | year=1976 | isbn=978-0-87441-120-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hZqpCrG3qw0C | access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref> In English, a ''hazzan'' is often referred to as a '''[[cantor]]''', a term also used [[Cantor (Christianity)|in Christianity]].

An individual leading a Jewish congregation in public prayer is also called a ''sh'liaḥ tzibbur'' ({{langx|he|שליח ציבור|lit=messenger of the public}}). Any person is called a ''sh'liach tzibbur'' while leading prayer. However, the term ''hazzan'' more commonly refers to someone with formal specialized training in leading prayers or who is appointed to lead prayers regularly in a given synagogue without a formally trained ''hazzan''.<ref name="myjewishlearning.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-cantor/ |title=The Cantor |publisher=My Jewish Learning |access-date=January 7, 2024}}</ref>

==Qualifications== ''[[Halakha]]'' (Jewish law) restricts the role of ''sh'liah tzibbur'' to adult Jews; in [[Orthodox Judaism]], [[Women in Judaism#Present day|only males]] can lead public prayer before mixed-sex groups.<ref>''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'' "[[Orach Chayim]]" 53:4–26</ref> In theory, any layperson can be a ''sh'liah tzibbur''; many synagogue-going Jews will serve in this role from time to time, especially on weekdays or on a ''[[yahrzeit]]''. Proficiency in Hebrew pronunciation is preferred. In practice, in synagogues without an official ''hazzan'' (or in the temporary absence of one), those with the best voice and the greatest knowledge of the prayers typically assume the role.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

Even in the earliest times, the chief qualifications demanded of the ''hazzan''—in addition to knowledge of biblical and liturgical literature and prayer motifs ({{langx|yi|שטײַגער|translit=shtayger}})—were a pleasant voice and artistic delivery. For the sake of these, many faults were willingly overlooked. The ''hazzan'' was required to possess a pleasing appearance,<ref>''U-FirKo NaEh'', wording in the HiNeNi prayer recited by the Hazzan on the High Holidays</ref> to be married, and to have a flowing beard.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Singer | first1=I. | last2=Adler | first2=C. | title=The Jewish encyclopedia: a descriptive record of the history, religion, literature, and customs of the Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day | publisher=Funk and Wagnalls | issue=v. 6 | year=1906 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DkyAQAAMAAJ | access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref> Sometimes, according to [[Isaac ben Moses of Vienna]] (13th century), a young ''hazzan'' having only a slight growth of beard was tolerated. [[Maimonides]] ruled that the ''hazzan'' who recited the prayers on an ordinary [[Shabbat]] and on weekdays need not possess an appearance pleasing to everybody. He might even have a reputation not wholly spotless, provided he was living a life morally free from reproach at the time of his appointment.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

All the above-noted moderations of the rules disappeared on holidays, when an especially worthy ''hazzan'' was demanded: one whose life was absolutely irreproachable, who was generally popular, and endowed with an expressive delivery. Even a person who had ever litigated in a non-Jewish court—instead of a [[Jewish court]]—could not act as ''hazzan'' on those days, unless he had previously done penance.<ref>''[[Shulkhan Arukh]]'', "Orach Chayim" 581</ref> However, many authorities were lenient in this regard. As long as a ''hazzan'' was accepted by the congregation ({{langx|rtl=yes|label=none|ghe|מרוצה לקהל|translit=m'rutzei l'kahal}}), he was permitted to lead the prayers even on the holiest of days.

Today, a ''hazzan'', particularly in more formal (usually not Orthodox) synagogues, is likely to have academic credentials—most often a degree in music or sacred music, sometimes a degree in music education, [[Jewish education|Jewish religious education]], or a related discipline. The doctor of music degree is sometimes awarded to honour a ''hazzan''.

==History== Early sources in the [[Mishnah]] refer to a position called ''chazzan hakenesset'', which involved leadership roles in public prayer, although not necessarily involving music or singing. Later, as public worship was developed in the [[Geonim|Geonic period]] and as the knowledge of the Hebrew language declined, singing gradually superseded the role of sermons in synagogue worship, and the role of ''chazzan'' began to focus on chanting or singing of the prayers.<ref name=trm>[https://mattausterklein.substack.com/p/the-development-of-chazanut-in-the The Development of Chazanut in the Medieval Period]</ref> Thus, while the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources, the office of the hazzan increased in importance with the centuries, evolving a specialized set of skills and becoming a career in itself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jta.org/2008/08/15/life-religion/rip-orthodox-cantoring?_ga=2.170917606.757822227.1543719664-232171041.1543719664 |title=R.I.P. Orthodox cantoring? |date=August 15, 2008 |website=JTA.org}}</ref>

The role of the ''hazzan'' 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<ref name="myjewishlearning.com"/> 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 just as rabbis were.

Paradoxically, the United States government recognized cantors as the first Jewish clergy, even before [[rabbi]]s were recognized: as a congregation could be organized and led by a committee of Jewish laypersons, 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 [[Shechita|shokhet]], or kosher butcher) as a more immediate need. The ''hazzan'' therefore 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 [[mohel]]s for [[bris]] ceremonies.

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

*[[American Conference of Cantors]]—[[Reform Judaism]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rj.org/acc/ |title=American Conference of Cantors |access-date=October 14, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041113163406/http://rj.org/acc/ |archive-date=November 13, 2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *[[Cantors Assembly]]—[[Conservative Judaism]]<ref>[http://www.cantors.org/ Cantors Assembly]</ref> *Cantorial Council of America—[[Orthodox Judaism]]<ref>[http://www.yu.edu/belz/ Belz School of Jewish Music]</ref>

===Training=== Many members of the [[Cantors Assembly]] are trained at the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America#Cantorial School|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|Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion]] in New York. Both of these programs offer a five-year training program. Members of the Cantorial Council, the Orthodox cantorial association, can train at the [[Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music]] at [[Yeshiva University]] in New York.

ALEPH, the Alliance 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 (New York)|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 curricula for students in these programs generally include, but are not limited to:

{{Div col}} * Hebrew: modern, Biblical (Torah), and liturgical (''[[siddur]]'') * ''[[Nusach (Jewish custom)|Nusach]]'' (liturgical tradition) * Laws and traditions pertaining to Jewish prayer service * History and content of the ''siddur'' * Music theory, sight-reading * Playing an instrument, usually a piano or guitar * Singing technique * [[Hebrew cantillation|Cantillation]]—tropes for the liturgical chanting of biblical books * Choral conducting * Jewish history * [[Tanakh]] (Hebrew Bible) * Jewish music history * Pastoral care and counseling * Theology {{Div col end}}

===Non-Orthodox titles=== Until 2012, neither the [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] nor [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] streams used the term ''ordained'' for trained cantors; use of the term ''invested'' precluded confusion with those they titled rabbi.<ref name=MyCant>{{cite web |title=What Is A Cantor (Hazzan or Chazan)? |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-cantor}}</ref> In 2021, Conservative Judaism's flagship institution, the Jewish Theological Seminary, began using the term ''ordain'' with respect to cantors.

==Female cantors in non-Orthodox Judaism== {{Main article|Hazzanit}} In the 21st century, most streams of non-Orthodox Judaism no longer maintain gender distinctions,<ref>{{cite journal |title=examining the concept of gender role ideology |journal=Contemporary Jewry |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=95–119 |author=J. S.Legg Jr. |date=1998|jstor=23455339 |doi=10.1007/BF02963428 |s2cid=144047550 }}</ref> and therefore women often serve as cantors in these communities.<ref name="myjewishlearning.com"/>

The earliest known woman ''ḥazzan'', [[Julie Rosewald]], called "Cantor Soprano" by her congregation, is sometimes called the United States' first female cantor, serving San Francisco's Temple Emanu-El from 1884 until 1893.<ref name=JWA.Julie>[http://jwa.org/blog/Julie-Rosewald Julie Rosewald: America's first woman cantor | Jewish Women's Archive]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short_takes/forgotten_woman_cantor_julie_rosewald_now_getting_her_due |title=The Forgotten Woman Cantor: Julie Rosewald Now Getting Her Due {{!}} Jewish Week |access-date=September 14, 2014 |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514113854/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short_takes/forgotten_woman_cantor_julie_rosewald_now_getting_her_due |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, she was not ordained.

Another early and un-ordained woman ''ḥazzan'' was [[Madame Goldye Steiner]], who sang in cantorial concerts as well as in Broadway shows throughout the 1920s. She was one of the first African-American female cantors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madame Goldye Steiner |url=http://www.wbhsm.org/madame-goldye-steiner/ |website=Wisconsin Black Historical Society |access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>

In 1955, [[Betty Robbins]] (born Berta Abramson in 1924, in Greece) was appointed as cantor of Temple Avodah, a Reform congregation in Oceanside, New York. Like Rosewald, she was not formally ordained, but "the spokesman for the School of Sacred Music, founded in 1947 as the first training school for cantors in [the United States], said today there was no religious law, merely a tradition, against women becoming cantors", indicating the school's institutional approval.<ref name="Women Cantors">{{cite web |last1=Heskes |first1=Irene |title=Women Cantors |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/women-cantors/ |website=My Jewish Learning |publisher=70/Faces Media |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref>

In 1975 [[Barbara Ostfeld|Barbara Ostfeld-Horowitz]] became the first ordained female cantor in Jewish history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/women-cantors/|title=Women Cantors}}</ref>

The Women Cantors' Network was founded in 1982 to support and advocate for women cantors by Deborah Katchko, the second woman ever to serve as a cantor in a Conservative synagogue.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Women Cantors' Network |url=https://womencantors.net/about-wcn/ |website=Women Cantors Network |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref> Initially a group of only twelve women, its membership grew to 90 by 1996.<ref name="Women Cantors"/> The organization holds an annual conference.<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 WCN Conference |url=https://womencantors.net/conference-2021/ |website=Women Cantors' Network |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004185522/https://womencantors.net/conference-2021/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1987 [[Erica Lippitz]] and [[Marla Rosenfeld Barugel]] became the first two female cantors ordained in [[Conservative Judaism]]; they were ordained at the same time by the Cantors Institute of the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America|Jewish Theological Seminary]] in New York City.<ref name="Jewishgoogle1">{{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|access-date=December 16, 2011}}</ref><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=January 31, 2008 |access-date=December 16, 2011 |archive-date=September 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920220925/http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/013108/mwAWomanCantor.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><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|access-date=August 26, 2012|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 6, 1987}}</ref>

The [[Cantors Assembly]], a professional organization of cantors associated with Conservative Judaism, did not allow women to join until 1990.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/19/nyregion/a-bar-to-women-as-cantors-is-lifted.html |title=A Bar to Women as Cantors Is Lifted |last=Goldman|first=Ari L.|date=September 19, 1990 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

[[Sharon Hordes]] became the first cantor (female or otherwise) in Reconstructionist Judaism in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/cantors-american-jewish-women|title=Cantors: American Jewish Women|website=Jewish Women's Archive|date=June 23, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kenesethisrael.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=43|title=Cantor Sharon Hordes|publisher=Kenesethisrael.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713142907/http://www.kenesethisrael.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=43|archive-date=July 13, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref>

[[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,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://levinejudaica.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=0_33_148_712&products_id=11396|title=Cantorial/Hazzanut/Liturgical – CD Cantor Susan Wehle OB"M Songs of Healing & Hope | J. Levine Books & Judaica ||date=July 26, 2005|publisher=Levinejudaica.com|access-date=July 9, 2012|archive-date=January 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118021637/http://levinejudaica.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=0_33_148_712&products_id=11396|url-status=usurped}}</ref> serving until her death in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/nyregion/15grief.html|title='It's Not Even Six Degrees of Separation. It's One.'|last=Haughney|first=Christine|date=February 15, 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tikkunvor.org/Events/index.cfm?id=1392|title=Tikkun v'Or, Ithaca, NY – Celebration in honor of Cantor Abbe Lyons |date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=Tikkunvor.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306064843/http://www.tikkunvor.org/Events/index.cfm?id=1392|archive-date=March 6, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref>

In 2001 [[Hazzan Deborah Davis|Deborah Davis]] became the first cantor (female or otherwise) in Humanistic Judaism; however, Humanistic Judaism has since stopped graduating cantors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmwc.org/Women/womend.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040430110608/http://www.jmwc.org/Women/womend.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 30, 2004|title=Contributions of Jewish Women to Music and Women to Jewish Music |publisher=JMWC|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref>

In 2009, Iran-born [[Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar]] was ordained as a cantor by the non-denominational<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]] |date=June 7, 2007 |author=Nancy Sokoler Steiner |url=http://jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/14963 |title=Academy of Jewish Religion offers alternate path to rabbinate for 16 new grads}}</ref> [[Academy for Jewish Religion (California)]], becoming the first female [[Persian people|Persian]] ordained cantor in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ajrca.org/alumni/cantor-tannoz-bahremand-forunzanfar/|title=Cantor Tannoz Bahremand Forunzanfar; Academy for Jewish Religion, California |publisher=Ajrca.org |access-date=December 2, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320041940/http://ajrca.org/alumni/cantor-tannoz-bahremand-forunzanfar/|archive-date=March 20, 2013}}</ref>

==Golden age== The period between the two world wars is often referred to as the "golden age" of {{lang|he-latn|hazzanut}} (cantorial performance). The great figures of this era include [[Zavel Kwartin]] (1874–1953), [[Moritz Henle]] (1850–1925), [[Yossele Rosenblatt|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 (tenor)|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 often served as one 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, Aaron Aderet, Alberto Mizrahi, Yaakov Yoseph Stark, Jochen (Yaacov) Fahlenkamp, Meir Finkelstein, Alex Stein, Daniel Gross,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hazzan Daniel Gross – Adat Shalom Synagogue |url=https://adatshalom.org/about/our-clergy/}}</ref> [[Azi Schwartz]], Netanel Hershtik and Eli Weinberg.

=={{lang|he-latn|Hazzan Sheni}}== The title {{lang|he-latn|'''Hazzan Sheni'''}}<ref>{{cite web |quote=we welcome back our Chazzan Sheni ... |title=Adath Israel ... we welcome back ... |url=https://twitter.com/adathisraelto/status/616214886675283968}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Profile-Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn |url=http://www.globaldialoguefoundation.org/profile-rabbi_philip_heilbrunn.html |quote=Later he became the Junior Minister (Chazan Sheni) of ...}}</ref> ({{lang|he-latn|Sheni}} means 'second') can refer to * a ''hazzan'' who plays that role when the main ''hazzan'' does not officiate * a ''hazzan'' who fills a different spot, such as when the main ''hazzan'' leads [[Musaf]], and the {{lang|he-latn|Sheni}} leads [[Shacharit]].

==See also== *[[Cantor in Reform Judaism]] *[[Cantors Assembly]] (Conservative) *[[Hassan (surname)]] *[[Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion]] (Reform) *[[History of the Jews in Europe]] *''[[The Jazz Singer]]'' *[[Jewish music]] *[[Rabbi]] *Synagogue *[[Timeline of women hazzans]]

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3990-cantor/ Jewish Encyclopedia: Hazzan]

[[Category:Hazzans| ]] [[Category:Jewish religious occupations]] [[Category:Orthodox rabbinic roles and titles]] [[Category:Religious music]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law]]