The cantor, or hazzan, plays a unique role as both musical leader and spiritual guide in Jewish life. At the Academy for Jewish Religion California (AJRCA), our Cantorial School trains and educates students to blend musical talent with pastoral sensitivity and liturgical expertise.
Step 1: Assess Musical and Spiritual Readiness
Candidates typically have a background in music or performance and an interest in Jewish communal leadership. Hebrew, while not a condition of admission, is a required course of study; some applicants may benefit from pre-program study.
Step 2: Apply and Enroll to Begin
Students in the Cantorial School of the Academy will be well trained in nusach (prayer modes), repertoire coaching, cantillation, and Jewish music history. Students learn music for Shabbat, holidays, life-cycle events, and community engagement. Our Cantorial School graduates are true bimah partners to the rabbis with whom they serve.
Step 3: Voice Coaching and Repertoire Development
Cantorial students receive private coaching throughout their studies. They also build musical repertoires that include traditional liturgical music and modern Jewish compositions.
Step 4: Pastoral and Leadership Preparation
Coursework in pastoral counseling, improvisation, and choir direction equips cantors to serve as well-rounded leaders. Students also complete two internships – a traditional cantorial internship, most often in a synagogue, as well as fieldwork in a clinical site like a hospital, hospice or prison as part of their unit of Clinical Pastoral Care (CPE).
Step 5: Ordination and Career Opportunities
Upon completion, students receive cantorial ordination and a Master’s of Jewish Sacred Music. Our Cantorial School alumni go on to serve in congregations, schools, senior communities, and cultural organizations—bringing Jewish music to life across generations.
A Harmonious Journey of Spirit and Song
Cantorial students of the Academy are empowered to become vessels of both tradition and renewal. They learn to inspire communities through music, comfort the grieving, celebrate the joyous, and elevate prayer through their voice and presence. The path to becoming a cantor is both personal and communal—a sacred calling that blends head, heart, skill, and soul.