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By the time you are reading this, I will have just returned from the late Winter/early Spring meetings of the Executive Council of the Cantors Assembly, of which I serve as Senior Vice President. The Cantors Assembly is the Conservative movement’s professional arm for Cantors, of which there are approximately 600 members serving congregations across the globe. The Cantors Assembly provides professional development, Jewish music programming to the entire world, publications of new music, workshops and opportunities for congregants to learn skills, placement opportunities for Cantors, and a pension and disability plan, just to name a few things. It is an organization that is very dear to me, and I have been a member since I was ordained a Cantor. Many of the richest and deepest relationships that I have are with dear colleagues who are members.

The Cantors Assembly has run missions to Poland (I participated), Germany, and Spain, with the one planned for Italy abruptly suspended due to COVID. In all these missions, of which many congregants also joined, we brought the breadth, diversity and long history of Jewish music to these communities. For example, in Poland, we held a service in a synagogue that had not had a Cantor lead a service since the beginning of WWII. And, most incredibly, the Cantors who led Mincha (the afternoon service) and Maariv (the evening service) were the sons of the last Cantor of that synagogue, who was able to safely escape Poland. It was a very moving evening for all in attendance.

The range of skills that my colleagues possess is quite something to behold: leading interpreters of the art of hazzanut (the Cantorial recitative); composers; instrumentalists; choral conductors; teachers; pastors; hospital and nursing home chaplains; writers of prose and poetry; singers conversant with opera, Broadway, and classical repertoire. In short, a remarkable organization of remarkably talented people.

Out of the blue two years ago, I received a telephone call from the chair of the nominating committee, asking me to accept the nomination for Senior Vice President, meaning that in two years, I would assume the presidency. Normally, an officer begins as secretary, and rises through the ranks, acquiring the leadership skills required for the presidency. However, there were three openings in the officer’s corps for several reasons, and the nominating committee felt that I was someone who did not need to rise through the ranks to lead my colleagues. I was quite surprised and humbled that my colleagues felt I deserved such an honor yet took a week to speak to several past presidents of the Cantors Assembly, the leadership of our congregation, and my wife. Ultimately my love for the Cantors Assembly was the determining factor to respond “Yes. If the Cantors Assembly needs me, I’m ready to serve”. Thus, on May 21, 2025, at the Seaview Resort in Galloway (a six-hour drive), I will be installed as the 38^th president of the Cantors Assembly, an organization founded in 1948, and I most warmly invite you to be there for the installation, banquet and celebratory concert afterwards. Whether you live locally, in Pittsburgh, or beyond, if you can be present, it would mean a great deal to me, and you would honor me with your presence.

Below is a special link for you to register for the day, which includes lunch and dinner on that Wednesday, and a link to register at the hotel for overnight at a special rate. I am humbled by this honor bestowed upon me by my colleagues and will endeavor to meet their expectations.

https://www.cantors.org/together-by-the-shore-day-pass/