For first time temple goers, many may have questions regarding the set up of the Jewish religion and prayer services.
Most synagogues or temples will have a Rabbi and a Cantor to lead prayer services.
The word Rabbi means teacher. A Rabbi is considered the leader of a Jewish community and looked upon for advice, console, and can perform many rituals and customs like baby naming, B’nai Mitzvot, or a Marriage ceremony.
A Rabbi is simply a teacher, a person who decided they wanted to become educated in Jewish law or halakhah. With their studies, Rabbi’s also study and practice the traditions to instruct a Jewish community by answering questions about halakhah.
When a student completes their course of study to become a Rabbi, they are given a semikhah or document, which confirms their authority to make decisions within the Jewish community. Rabbi’s can be men or women and the most popular schools are located in New York City, Los, Angeles, and Israel.
A Cantor is also a leader in the Jewish community. Another name for a Cantor is a Chazzan. Cantors lead the congregation in prayer through song and melodies and can also be looked upon for support needs.
In smaller synagogues, the Rabbi sometimes serves as both the Cantor and Rabbi; or a congregant will act as a Cantor. Since the Jewish prayer service incorporates a lot of music and melodies, a professional Chazzan is usually hired.
Cantors can be ordained in two ways: completing a cantorial program and becoming ordained or serving as a Cantor of a synagogue for 5 years of more and then applying for their ordainment.
Both women and men can be Cantors or Chazzans. Each synagogue is different concerning customs and traditions. Some services you may attend will be sung all in Hebrew while others will be partially sung in English. Some services incorporate a lot of melody, while others don’t. Experiencing all the different types of traditions is fun and a learning experience.