[HANASHIR:15124] Re: short answer to Sholom's question

[Marsha Fensin <mfsings...>]

Dear List,
    I have listened in on this thread and have shared some of my 
thoughts with some of you personally.  I am also impressed with the 
respect and professional tone the comments have taken.  But, I do take 
umbrage with Cantor Erik's latest comment about doctors and comparing 
the medical profession and the cantorate to validate the "change" in 
each profession.
    Yes, the medical and pharmaceutical professions have progressed . 
 There have been amazing inroads in curing and treating disease, but 
guess what ?  The profession has come to realize that the theory of what 
"leeches" ( in Judaica parlance "bankes") do is still very valid in some 
cases.  Thousand year old remedies handed down by Chinese physicians 
such as acupuncture are still used, many natural herbs which have been 
used for years have been "rediscovered." by modern medicine, etc.  More 
and more medical practices are recommending and using what used to be 
called old fashioned or alternative medical proceedures.
    In medicine there is a slow realization that what was thrown out may 
not have been so old fashioned or useless after all.
    I applaud the Reform movement for upgrading and raising the 
standards for what the cantorate should be and educating top notch 
professionals.  I, as a Reform synagogue professional , applaud what my 
movement has done.  I am proud to be part of it.
    However, it is only one way to look at things.  It is only one way 
to invest or ordinate.  It is only one way to transmit our heritage.  It 
is only one way to be called to do God's work.  It is only one way to be 
the best.  It is only one way to be Jewish.  It is only one way to 
educate even Reform clergy.
    May our varied paths lead us in a road that is a blessing to us all.
Marsha Fensin

erik contzius wrote:

>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
>
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