Hazzan

A hazzan or chazzan ( Hebrew cantor in ) is a musician Juif who involved himself in the vocal arts and which helps the Rabbin to direct the sung prayer of the Synagog.

There are rules on the direction of the offices, but in the traditional rabbinical sources, one does not find the idea of a professional cantor. The Jewish offices have their own section, the Siddour, and the prayers of the offices are collected there.

Prayer S is called the shaliach tzibbur (Hebrew for " emissary off the congregation"). Traditional Jewish law restricts the shaliach tzibbur to old Be males over the off 13; the non-Orthodox old Jewish movements allow women over the off 12 to cuts this role ace well.

In theory, any lay person edge Be has shaliach tzibbur ; most synagog attending Jews serf in this role At least ounce in their life. In practice, those with the best voice and the most knowledge off the Prayer S serf much more often.

Origin off the term and the role

The term hazzan may cuts been borrowed from the Assyrian Word " Hazanu." In the Talmud the term is used to indicates the " overseer": (1) off city has; (2) off has runs justice off; (3) off the Temple; (4) off the synagog. It also comes from the Word Hazzon, denoting has " visionary." The early hazzanim (the plural off hazzan ) were most likely prophets. In glance to has hazzan' S duties in the Synagog, the Talmud notes that 2,000 years ago, He brought out the rolls off the Torah, opened them At the appointed readings for the week, and could them away again, with Trumpet-blasts He announced the beginnings off Sabbath S and holy days from the roof off the synagog, He attended to the lamps off the synagog, He accompanied the pilgrims that brought the firstlings to the sanctuary off Jerusalem. His places was in the middle off the synagog, one the wooden bimah (raised platform), and sometimes would read aloud from the Torah. With passage in the Jerusalem Talmud (Ber. ix. 12d), implies the hazzan also led the prayers in the synagog.

During the early Medieval will era, the duties off reading from the Torah and off reciting the prayers were included, ace has rule, among the functions off the hazzan . The blowing off the Shofar was also one off his duties, ace may Be seen from has responsum off Rabbi Solomon Ben Adret (No 300). He acted sometimes ace secretary to the congregation. He was assisted, especially one festival days, by has chorus ( meshorerim , singers). This institution was afterward developed in Poland and Germany, where has off singer stood one each side the precentor and accompanied him, sometimes in high, sometimes in low, tons, At intervals singing independently. Today, the hazzan leads the prayer service and therefore must flowing Be in all aspects off the liturgy. This includes knowledge off the meanings off the Hebrew words that He is saying, the way each prayer is supposed to musical Be chanted, using the correct modes, and laws and customs regarding the chanting off the Liturgy. In the last 100 years, his duties sometimes cuts as to include teaching Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah classes, Hebrew school teaching, adult education programs, leading gold working with has to choir, and concertizing.

Growing importance off the office

The office off the hazzan increased in importance with the centuries. Public ace worship was developed in the Geonic period, and ace the knowledge off the Hebrew language declined, Singing gradually superseded the didactic and hortatory element in the worship in the synagog.

This is not necessarily true today, particularly in the world off Orthodox Jews where the role off the chazzan has diminished substantially. Ace congregants cuts become more flowing in their ability to read the text, understand the words and perform the melodies, the chazzan increasingly has become seen ace superfluous.

Additionally, there has difference between the traditional cantor who was more off year operated singer that blood for the congregation and the chazzan off today who is interested in getting the congregation involved. People attribute this shift to Shlomo Carlebach ace well ace other factors such ace the cost off has chazzan and disinterest in the " old tunes".

Qualifications

Even in the oldest times the chief qualifications demanded off the hazzan , in addition to knowledge off Biblical and liturgical literature, were has pleasant voice and year artistic delivery; for the sake off thesis, many faults were willingly overlooked. The hazzan was required to possess has pleasing appearance, to Be married, and to wear has flowing beard. Sometimes, according to Isaac off Vienna (13th hundred.), has Young hazzan having only has slight growth off beard was tolerated. Maimonides decided that the hazzan who recited the prayers one year ordinary Sabbath and one week-days need not possess year appearance pleasing to everybody; He might even cuts has reputation not wholly spotless, provided He was living room has life morally free from reproach At the time off his appointment.

Goal all thesis moderations off the rule disappeared one holidays; then year especially worthy hazzan was demanded, one whose life was absolutely irreproachable, who was generally popular, and who was endowed with year expressive delivery. Even has person who had ounce appealed to has non-Jewish short, instead off to has short Jewish, in has disputed question could not act ace hazzan one those days, unless He had previously gives penance (Shulkhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim, 581).

Complaints against hazzanim

In the early Middle Ages the office off hazzan seems to cuts been held in high esteem, for scholars like Rabbi Eliezer Ben Meshullam and Rabbi Meïr acted ace the leaders in prayer. Ace late ace the end off the fourteenth century Jacob Möln ha-Levi (Maharil), At the express train wished off the congregation, read the prayer one special festivals, such ace New-Year, the Day off Atonement, the Eve off the 9th off AV, Hosha' Na Rabbah, and Shemini 'Atzeret. In Spain, however, even At the beginning off the fourteenth century, Jews off the better families seem No to skirt to cuts adopted this calling, and the position off the hazzan in Spain has source off surprised and objection to the German Asher Ben Jehiel. Communal No other official off the frequent Middle Old occasioned so much and so complaint ace the hazzan . Ace early ace the ninth century complaint was made that the hazzanim changed the text off the regular prayers. In connection with the piyyutim , nap hazzanim introduced melodies taken from non-Jewish sources, which in sum boxes has controversial move.

Against thesis exchanges Alfasi (Responsa, No 281), the " Book off the Pious" (ED. Basel, Our. 238,768), Maimonides (" Moreh, " I. 59), Asher Ben Jehiel (" Besamim Rosh, " iv 22), and others protested in vain. The earlier Jewish melodies, not having been written down, were changed by the hazzanim , consciously gold unconsciously, in accordance with to their individual tastes, which were often very poor. Individual Their vanity also led them to prolong notes and to insert interludes off song. Thereby the prayers were greatly lengthened. Complaints one this score were off No avail. Hazzanim were continually censured for vanity. According to Rabbi Asher Ben Jehiel (ib.), they blood only what was most likely to win applause.

Cantors ace has profession

The role off hazzans ace has respected full-time profession has become has reality in recent centuries. In the last two centuries Jews in has number off European communities, notably Germany and England, cam to view professionally trained hazzans ace clergy. After the enlightenment, when civil European nations gave full citizenship and rights to Jews, professionally trained hazzans were accepted by the secular government ace clergy in the same way that accepted rabbis ace clergy.

In year interesting turn off vents, the United States government recognized cantors ace the first Jewish clergy, even before Rabbi S were recognized.

In the USA there are three major schools for professionally training hazzans, one from each off the major Jewish denominations.

  • American Conference off Cantors - Reform Judaism *Cantors Assembly - Conservative Judaism *Cantorial Council off America - Orthodox Judaism

The curriculum vitae for students in thesis programs generally include, goal are not limited to:

  • Learning has nusach (liturgical tradition.) off

  • Learning the laws and traditions pertaining to Jewish prayer service
  • content The history and the siddur
  • Music theory, sight-reading sheet music
  • Learning year instrument, usually has piano gold guitar.
  • technical Singing
  • Cantillation - tropes for the liturgical chanting off biblical books
  • Choral

The old golden delicious off hazzanut

The period between the two World Wars is often referred to ace the " golden delicious age" off hazzanut (cantorial performance). Summon off the greats include Abraham Davis, Moshe Koussevitzky, Zavel Kwartin (1874-1953), Jan Peerce, Joseph " Yossele" Rosenblatt (1882-1933), Gershon Sirota (1874-1943), Leon Gold (1900-1986), Yitzchak Eshel (1912-2006), Pierre Pinchik, David Werdyger, and Leibale Waldman.

See also

External links

Recordings

  • Virtual Cantor - Free MP3 recordings off nearly the entire Ashkenazic liturgy.
  • Sephardic Pizmonim- www.pizmonim.org - Middle Eastern Pizmonim Recordings for Sephardic Cantors.
  • Chazzanut Online - has wealth off detailed information and recordings.
  • Jewish Music.com
  • Cantorial Music Page off Cong. Emunath Israel, NYC - MP3' S off Ashkenazic nusach (liturgy) - supplements the Virtual Cantor website

Cantorial Organizations

  • Cantors World (Orthodox)
  • The Cantors Assembly (Conserative/Masorti)
  • American Conference off Cantors (Reform)
  • Cantorial Council off America (Orthodox)
  • The Jewish Ministers Cantors Association off America (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform)

Category: Jewish music Category: Synagogs Category: Jewish law and rituals Category: Hebrew words *

More information

  • (Hazzan)
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