[HANASHIR:15116] Re: short answer to Sholom's question

[Rabbi Richard Schachet <LVRabbi...>]

Absolutely there should be standards-- whether it be by the ACC or CCAR or
RA..

However, the problem is that politics takes a very big role in their
decisions.

Let me give you a real example.  When I went to Rabbinical School I didn't
know which movement I was interested in... so I enrolled at what was then
called The Academy for Higher Jewish Learning.. Now The Academy for Jewish
Religion.

Our faculty was outstanding -- taking the best from HUC and JTS and YU.  We
studied with the likes of Mex Kedushin, Ira Eisenstein, Mordecai Kaplan,
Abraham Cutler, Felix Levy and Louis Newman and Everette Gendler.

Still the Reform and Conservative Movement refused to accept the graduates
in their "Unions"- the CCAR and RA.. regardless of knowledge and grades.

People with smichah from Orthodox Institutions were not eligible as well.
I'm sure, great Cantor's would be called "Cantorial Soloists" today because
they were not graduates from the "big" schools.

Who is a Cantor?  Who is a Cantorial Soloist?  Who is a "Song Leader"-- Fair
standards should be established-- but I am not sure if we could ever agree
on those standards.

Thus there became this need for other schools and other agencies.

Oy vey-- Politics hasn't changed in 40 years.

Rabbi Richard Schacet--
(a mouther in elementary school)  My teacher's always said-- "Pretend your
singing but don't let a sound come from your mouth."
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "erik contzius" <contzius (at) yahoo(dot)com>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 7:28 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:15113] short answer to Sholom's question


> the question: since, for the american reform
> cantorate, the job description has changed, what does
> that mean for what the title, "cantor" meant in the
> past. i'll use the analogy of the doctor: once upon a
> time, leeches and lobotomies were prescribed for
> ailments; i know of no practicing doctor today who is
> fluent in the practice of administering leeches, nor
> would prescribe a lobotomy out of hand--okay... gross
> analogy. but the job of doctor has certainly evolved
> over the centuries. so too in the (and i can't
> underscore this enough) AMERICAN REFORM CANTORATE.
> it's not a matter of who calls themselves as such, but
> rather to what standard do members of the American
> Conference of Cantors wish to hold themselves. the job
> has changed.
>
> i'm anxious for this article on the cantorate, soon to
> appear in R.J. magazine, to come out already, as it
> (should) explain it pretty well.
>
> erik
>
> and yes, i'm very impressed at the professional and
> respectful tone this conversation has taken. kol
> hakavod to all participants!
>
> =====
> Cantor Erik L. F. Contzius
> New Rochelle, New York
>
> COME TO THE ROZHINKE RETREAT: http://rozhinke.org/
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>
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