Volume 16, Number 2 - Cantors Assembly

8
MAJOR CONCEPTIONS
AND MINOR DECEPTIONS
MAX WOHLBERG
On the 24th of February 1986 officers and members of the Cantors Assembly
spent a pleasant and mutually satisfactory day with the officers and members of
the American Conference of Cantors, our colleagues in the Reform movement.
In the papers read and in the discussions that followed subjects of common
interest received emphasis. Instances where divergent views may appear were
glossed over or remained unexpressed. It occurred to some that perhaps an
amalgamation of the two organizations would prove advantageous.
This idea, in addition to some almost tangentially voiced cases of Rabbi-
Cantor grievances reminded me of an article by the eminent scholar, Dr. Ira
Eisenstein which appeared in The Reconstructionist magazine some 33 years
ago. The appearance of that article - Et Hata-ai Ani Mazkir Hayom -led me to
an act of deception which, frankly, I had almost forgotten.
The article The Cantor In Modern Judaism (Nov. 6, 1953) was, of course,
well-planned and finely written. To at least two-thirds of it I could respond with a
resounding Amen. Toward the end, however, I encountered some ideas with
which I could not agree.
I promptly wrote a letter to the editor but before signing it I hesitated. In
retrospect - my hesitancy was probably the result of two circumstances.
Primarily, my rabbi, who had formerly been active in the Reconstruction&
movement and with whom I had been serving Beth El in Philadephia for eleven
years was seriously ill. As I had to attend to many of his duties it was for me an
inopportune time to partake in a Rabbi-Cantor dispute.
Secondly, having but recently concluded my three-year presidency of the
Cantors Assembly I no doubt felt it proper to leave to my successors the
involvement in a controversial issue.
MaxUWohlberg is Professor of Hazzunut at the Cantors Institute of the Jewish
Theological Seminary of America He served as President of the Cantors Assembly
from 1948 to 19.51. He is a leading scholar in synagogue music and lectures
and writes on the subject extensively.