School of Jewish Music

Jewish music enriches the spirit. It is the soul of Jewish prayer and the heart of Jewish life. The School of Jewish Music (SJM) of Hebrew College is your central address for the study, preservation and performance of Jewish music and offers a rich array of options for engaging the music of the Jewish people.

Cantorial Ordination with Professional Options

The traditional role of cantor—the leader of congregational prayer, who inspires through beautiful musical interpretation of Jewish liturgy—is evolving. More and more congregations are seeking cantors who can fill additional professional roles, from Hebrew school principal to community life director. Congregants want to feel personally involved in Jewish prayer and value cantors whose musical talents encourage participation. Beyond the congregational setting, ordained cantors now serve as full-time educators, chaplains and spiritual leaders in other Jewish communal institutions, and the range of professional opportunities is expanding.

To meet this growing demand, the School of Jewish Music prepares men and women in a pluralistic setting to become cantors who can serve a variety of Jewish communities in diverse roles—as spiritual leaders, Jewish educators, scholars of Jewish liturgy and skilled performers who are committed to fully engaging congregants in Jewish prayer.

SJM Certificate Programs

Committed to the highest quality standards of performance and scholarship, SJM is also dedicated to bridging the world of academia and the community—making Jewish music accessible by creating a more literate laity through certificate programs for congregants, lay-leaders, cantorial soloists and gabbaim. SJM offers certificates in Jewish Sacred Music, Jewish Music Education and Cantillation.  

Our Faculty

Our faculty team of eminent scholars, cantors and educators includes Dr. Joshua Jacobson, Acting Dean, whose book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation (JPS, 2002), is considered the definitive work in the field; Cantor Jeff Klepper, a leading composer of contemporary synagogue music; Cantor Brian Mayer, DSM, CEP Associate Dean and eminent scholar of Ashkenazic nusach; and Cantor Charles Osborne, distinguished vocal artist and composer of Jewish works. Also on our faculty are Cantor Scott Sokol, Cantor Joseph Ness, Cantor Louise Treitman, Cantor Lori Salzman and vocalist Lynn Torgove.