[HANASHIR:15125] Re: short answer to Sholom's question

[Freedabet <Freedabet...>]

There ARE standards we can all acknowledge.  They are called halacha.  For 
the title "Rabbi", the standard is having smicha.  For the title "Cantor" or 
"Hazzan", it's being elected to that position by a Congregation (see "The 
Cantor's Manual of Jewish Law" by Orenstein for a compilation of relevant 
passages).  
You can have additional requirements within a Movement, but I think we have 
an obligation to respect the positions and titles of those in other movements 
or in no organized movement.

In contrast, I don't think the position (or calling, but it's much more than 
a 'job') has changed all that much.  We keep up with changes (e.g. new 
melodies) through 'continuing education' (just as doctors do, although some of 
them 
take meaningless courses to meet state licensing requirements where, as we are 
under no legal obligation to do so, can concentrate on what we get out of CE 
courses).  

When asking someone for a referral, I never ask for a 'young' doctor, I ask 
for a 'good' doctor and assume he is up to date in his field.  Is a 'Doogie 
Howser' necessarily better or more up-to-date than a doctor who has been 
practicing for decades?

And, common sense can go a long way in preparing you to pinch hit for the 
Rabbi in weddings, funerals, brit milah, hanukat habayit, etc. (all of which 
I've 
officiated at 'solo' with my lifetime experience and a Rabbi's Manual, and 
received only positive feedback).

Michael

-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Saturday, 16-Aug-03 12:06 PM
> 
> From: Rabbi Richard Schachet   \ Internet:    (lvrabbi (at) cox(dot)net)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
> 
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:15116] Re: short answer to Sholom's question
> 
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> 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/
> > http://community.webshots.com/user/eriklfc
> > http://soundswrite.com/swstore1.html#howexcellent
> > http://tinr.org/
> >
> > __________________________________
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
> > http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------

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