Book Launch 6th October 2021:
Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors,
Chazanim, Ministers and Synagogue Musicians:
their history and culture.

The European Cantors Association staged the International Launch of Michael Jolles’s
Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors, Chazanim, Ministers and Synagogue Musicians: their history and culture on October 6th.

This book is a major contribution to the knowledge of cantors and ministers who have served British Jewish communities in a musical capacity over the centuries from 1656 to the present day. After ten years of dedicated research, Dr Michael Jolles has produced a remarkable volume of material never assembled in one place before. It includes much information that is not available in any other publication.

Notable quotes from the international launch are :

“Singing is so essential as part of our davening….Imagine someone reading a Beatles song without the music.
When the Chazan begins to sing it transforms us. There is no talking to G-d, only singing”.
Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum; Dean London School of Jewish Studies.

“A publication of the this breadth and depth is so significant for Jewish Music. We need to have one of these for US cantors”.
Professor Mark Kligman, Professor of Musicology, and Director of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience, UCLA

“Cantors are a crucial part of Jewish history and yet comprise the thinnest, glimmering thread of actual scholarship.
The Jolles book adds to a now-wonderful blossoming of scholarship on the cantorate.”
Cantor Matt Austerklein, PhD Scholar, Halle-Wittenberg University, Germany.

To watch the recording of the event go here. To listen to a podcast of the event go here. To download the book (which is free of charge) go here.

FIVE DAZZLING UK CANTORS

A presentation by cantorial expert David Prager and ECA Director Alex Klein on '5 Dazzling UK Cantors' in junction with Edgware United Synagogue was a hit with an international audience and many engaged participants

If you missed the event, it's recorded here

Robert Brody's favourite Yamim Noraim Melodies

For those who may have missed it, here is the presentation by Robert Brody on August 31st of his favourite Yamim Noraim melodies in a presentation hosted by Edgware United Synagogue

UKRAINIAN CANTORIAL SUPERSTARS OF THE GOLDEN AGE

ECA teamed up with the North American Cantors Assembly, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the Jewish Music Institute to present a special programme featuring Ukrainian Cantorial Superstars such as Rosenblatt, Hershman and Joseph Schmidt.

Presented by ECA Director Alex Klein and Chazanut expert David Prager, we were also honoured to feature Ukrainian-born Cantor Svetlana Kundish.

The session included some rare, interesting photos as well as classic chazonus of hope represented by Pesach/Tal excerpts

You can donate to World Jewish Relief in recognition of the situation in Ukraine. For more info, go to https://worldjewishrelief.org/about-us.

Our joint event with Edgware Synagogue, UK, on Tuesday March 29th at 8pm saw EUS's Spencer Nathan interview world-famous Chazan, Joseph Malovany.

You can watch it back here.

Our 14th European Cantors Convention Will Take Place from 2nd - 7th Nov 2022 at the Rumbach Synagogue, Budapest. Details After Pesach

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks' extolling value of Jewish Music

- reprised

We have just republished a video featuring late Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks extolling the virtues of Jewish Music at the 25th Anniversary of the Jewish Music Institute in 2010.

The video is here.

"To me music is the most spiritual form of expression that exists Music was absolutely essential to Jewish spirituality" he says. "Words are the language of the mind – but music is the language of the soul".

He talks about nusach : "...you know exactly when and what kind of literature you are listening to, simply from listening to the music When we move from the secular to the spiritual – words take wings through music".

"How do we make Judaism live for a new generation – that answer is, we have to make it sing. If it has no music, no emotional contact, if there is no music – you can’t hand it on."

Read our Autumn 2021 newsletter. In this latest edition:

A Message from our ECA Director Alex Klein – talking about the European Cantors Association and welcoming its warm collaborators in the UK, USA, Israel and Europe.

We announce the next ECA European Cantors Convention to take place (Covid permitting) in Budapest in November 2022

We report on the Launch of the exceptional Michael Jolles Encyclopaedia of Synagogue musicians in Britain from 1656 to the present - and show how you can download your copy. – and also how to contact the editors to submit further information.

We introduce The Voice of the Cantor (VOC)-2 – Alex Klein conducts a series of interviews with distinguished cantors around the world. This continues fortnightly on Wednesdays. Register at https://bit.ly/eca-voc2

We share our ECA mission of Bringing together all who love Jewish liturgical music and the power it brings to prayer

You are also invited to share the Birthday Book of 70 messages compiled by ECA for our Director Alex Klein’s 70th birthday earlier this year. If you would like to add a personal message to Alex on this milestone, send it to geraldine@cantors.eu with a picture and we will add it.

Click here for the latest newsletter.

Voice of the Cantor Series 2 - Cantors Who Have Made Their Mark

Our second series of 'Voice of the Cantor - Cantors Who Have Made Their Mark' ran in the Autumn and Winter 2021-22. In a series of one-on-one programmes, ECA Director Alex Klein talked with those luminaries in the cantorate whose legacy needs little introduction.

The series featured cantors Beny Maissner, Rabbi Michael Plaskow, Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld, Alberto Mizrahi, Jacob Mendelson, Faith Steinsnyder, Moshe Dubiner, Deborah Katchko-Gray and Gideon Zelermyer.

And you can catch our first series of Voice of the Cantor, staged in the first half of 2021, on this page.

Thank you to all the cantors who gave freely of their time to talk to us in both these ground-breaking series.

ECA and Edgware Synagogue presented three programmes On Cantorial Music of the UK Provinces

In the first session, Rabbi Cantor Geoffrey Shisler, featured Star Chazanim Of The Provinces. The recording is here.

Somehow information on Bloom's birth, career and death has not been prominent so this presentation paid well-earned tribute to a genius whose trajectory through life has been painstakingly tracked down.

ECA together with the Cantors Assembly Listening Room brought you David Prager and Alex Klein in a second special international edition. The recording is not yet available but we hope to make it so soon.

See the making of a Professional Chazan - presented by ECA and Edgware United Synagogue on 7th December featuring Cantor Yossi Schwarz, Chazan of Edgware United

Notable quotes from the international launch are :

“Cantors are a crucial part of Jewish history and yet comprise the thinnest, glimmering thread of actual scholarship. The Jolles book adds to a now-wonderful blossoming of scholarship on the cantorate.” Cantor Matt Austerklein, PhD Scholar, Halle-Wittenberg University, Germany.

To watch the recording of the event go here. To listen to a podcast of the event go here. To download the book (which is free of charge) go here.

A presentation by cantorial expert David Prager and ECA Director Alex Klein on '5 Dazzling UK Cantors' in junction with Edgware United Synagogue was a hit with an international audience and many engaged participants

If you missed the event, it's recorded here

Robert Brody's favourite Yamim Noraim Melodies

For those who may have missed it, here is the presentation by Robert Brody on August 31st of his favourite Yamim Noraim melodies in a presentation hosted by Edgware United Synagogue

ECA has received many plaudits for our first 'Voice of the Cantor' series, which ran from March to July 2021over 11 sessions and covered a number of contemporary issues for the cantorate today. You can catch up with the first series here.

If you didn't manage to attend a service online for First Night Selicos in 2021, here's a catch up of a diverse sample:

From Shtibl to Pirchei Kodesh

Go here to hear the recording of 'From Shtibl to Pirchei Kodesh' with Cantor Benjamin Maissner Cantor Emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple of Toronto and teacher and performer, talking to Alex Klein Director of the European Cantors Association on his cantorial journey and philosophy

Recorded live on June 8th 2021.

JVocals is an innovative Israeli startup designed to boost the revival of Jewish music, with an emphasis on cantorial art. For cantors who want to list and directly promote their services there are no registration fees: http://www.jvocals.com/

UKRAINIAN CANTORIAL SUPERSTARS
OF THE GOLDEN AGE

Our second series of 'Voice of the Cantor - Cantors Who Have Made Their Mark' ran in the Autumn and Winter 2021-22.
In a series of one-on-one programmes, ECA Director Alex Klein talked with those luminaries in the cantorate whose legacy needs little introduction.

The series featured cantors Beny Maissner, Rabbi Michael Plaskow, Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld, Alberto Mizrahi, Jacob Mendelson,
Faith Steinsnyder, Moshe Dubiner, Deborah Katchko-Gray and Gideon Zelermyer.

ECA and Edgware Synagogue presented three programmes
On Cantorial Music of the UK Provinces

See the making of a Professional Chazan - presented by ECA and Edgware United Synagogue on 7th December featuring
Cantor Yossi Schwarz, Chazan of Edgware United

“Cantors are a crucial part of Jewish history and yet comprise the thinnest, glimmering thread of actual scholarship.
The Jolles book adds to a now-wonderful blossoming of scholarship on the cantorate.”
Cantor Matt Austerklein, PhD Scholar, Halle-Wittenberg University, Germany.

Go here to hear the recording of 'From Shtibl to Pirchei Kodesh' with Cantor Benjamin Maissner
Cantor Emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple of Toronto and teacher and performer, talking to Alex Klein
Director of the European Cantors Association on his cantorial journey and philosophy

JVocals is an innovative Israeli startup designed to boost the revival of Jewish music, with an emphasis on cantorial art.
For cantors who want to list and directly promote their services there are no registration fees:
http://www.jvocals.com/