[HANASHIR:4849] Cantorial qualifications

[Esd7657 <Esd7657...>]

Dear Friends - 
It's hard to be brief on an issue such as this, but I'll try. 
 First off, we ought to clarify that HUC/ACC certification is certainly not the 
only way to be recognized as a Cantor - these organizations are only the 
ordaining arms of the Reform movement.  Those who have stated that each 
movement tends to recognize those trained within the organizations of their 
movement are correct.  
They have these standards because many people can get three signatures on a 
certificate - but certification/ordination from a known institution guarantees 
that the candidate has met certain requirements which are known and accepted by 
the congregations involved.
Would you hire a surgeon because he/she has a piece of paper signed by three 
surgeons you never heard of?  How about a lawyer? or an accountant?  Each 
vocation requires skills in which this person must be proficient, and a clergy 
person is no different.

HUC accepts as many qualified candidates as apply each year - we are able to 
handle many more than we do - it is true that our standards are very high, and 
many people are unable to take five years out of their lives to devote to this 
full-time, and so our pool of candidates is severely limited.  Our training is 
as rigorous as it is because we are committed to ordaining clergy who will be 
able to fill the demands of our Reform congregations.

This lead me to what I feel is the most important point. 
I feel that we have to define terms here.  No-one is denying that there are 
many knowledgeable Jews with lovely voices, excellent musical taste, good 
memorization skills and incredible kavana who are perfectly capable of being 
choir directors, soloists, Torah readers, and outstanding shlichei tzibur.  
What HUC teaches, and what we need to understand, is that the role of the 
cantor in the Reform movement has evolved into something much broader than 
that.  Reform cantors spend only a small fraction of their time on the bima.  
We are called upon to be scholars not only in the religious school musical 
classroom, but in teaching Torah and a variety of other subjects to both 
children and adults.  We are expected to be counselors in matters both Jewish 
and personal, to officiate at a variety of life cycle events (in the case of 
marriages, as officials of the state), represent our congregations and 
organizations at a variety of community levels, be a full clergy partner and 
member of !
a synagogue staff on levels of administration, programming, education and 
ritual matters, and be the "guardians" of the rich musical tradition which has 
been handed down to us.
It's a full plate, and not exclusively musical, as you can see. 

HUC has no desire to tell people that they should not be learning on their own, 
devouring nusach and musical skills, sharing melodies and inspiring 
congregations with their voices and their kavana - but being a shaliach tzibur 
is no longer the equivalent of being a cantor in the Reform movement, in spite 
of what the term may have meant in the past.  We are struggling to supply our 
congregations with the kind of clergy person for whom they are looking.

I mean to clarify, not to pontificate.  I also do so with the utmost respect 
for all individuals and organizations which honestly strive to enrich us 
Jewishly as individuals and as a community.  Please let us not be quick to 
suspect the motivation or the agendas of our colleagues.  We're all doing the 
best we can.
I hope that this has been helpful to the discussion.

With all sincerity,
Cantor Ellen Dreskin
HUC - '86

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