Re: HH Junior Congregation Leader

[Chazzzan <Chazzzan...>]

Marshall, some suggestions:

I led services for children (and parents) for many years in East Brunswick, NJ
and in Milwaukee, WI.  The services had originally been set for 10:30 to 12.
However, the family services often became place for "overflow".   Many parents
would come to sit with their kids in my much more "fun" family service, rather
than attend the "boring" service in the main sanctuary.  Therefore, instead of
100 kids in grades 2 to 6, we would 350 parents and kids, grades K through 8!

We eventually had to have two seatings to accommodate the crowd, 9:30 to 11
and 11 to 12:30, in addition to babysitting for younger children.

We used a terrific bilingual family service machzor (I will gladly EM the
publishing info. to you), which had plenty of pictures, English readings,
Hebrew prayers and even transliteration (English pronunciation of Hebrew) for
many of the prayers.  

As for salary, this should depend on a few factors.  First, the calibre of the
person who is leading.  Is he/she a professional cantor or rabbi? Second, what
is your budget?   I have heard of such a leader earning as much as $2,500 for
the three days for family services.  Maybe a lay leader, songleader or college
student would gladly accept 500 or $1000 for the three days.  Or maybe one
creative parent would volunterr to do it for free (Chas veshalom!!!).

Whatever you do, you want to make it fun, so you would want to include some
modern songs (Debbie Friedman's Rosh Hashanah and Birkat Halevanah come to
mind), as well as the standard melodies.  I have always led these services in
Conservative synagogues, so they have always included such #1 standard hits as
"BeRosh Hashanah Yikatevun".  However, I have always included Shabbat melodies
for some of the tunes, as this may be the only exposure these kids (and their
parents!) ever have to the standard Shabbat melodies.

Many synagogues also use the high holy day services as a "recruiting tool" to
interest kids and their parents in coming for Shabbat services the rest of the
year.  So Sell, Sell, Sell!

One fun thing -- we had quite a number of shofars last year, so that many kids
could come up and try to blow the shofar at that point in the service.  Be
sure to clean the mouthpieces between children -- we don't want to be guilty
of spreading colds on Rosh Hashanah!!!

As for finding a leader, try the following:  Local (Philly or suburbs) Hebrew
Schools, talk to rabbis and cantors or send them a letter, try local colleges
-- especially the Hillel Foundations at Temple, Penn, etc.; also try youth
organiz to ations like USY, Young Judaea, NCSY and PAFTY/NFTY, all of which
have dynamic songleaders.

Good luck and have a wonderful high holy day service this year!

Brian Serle

PS.  I would love to clone myself and show up in Wynnewood and a dozen other
communities this year.  However, I have accepted a repeat gig at Green Bay's
Cnesses Israel congregation to be their Cantor for the adult services.