Hi! So one of my fellow music-major friends is in the process of conversion, and she has fallen in love with Jewish sacred music. We are both voice/opera students, but she has felt more and more pulled to Jewish music, which brings me to my question: can a convert become a cantor? I think this would mean a lot for her to know.
Hiya!
What an excellent question. (I’m honestly super happy that you didn’t ask me to send you any Jewish music because as a Rabbinical Student, I would have NOWHERE to start! 😂)
The short answer is, absolutely. Jews by Choice are often some of the best candidates for rabbinical and cantorial programs. If she is interested in the cantorate she should be careful that her conversion would be considered valid in that Movement. For example, the Conservative Movement generally accepts Reform Converts assuming they went through hatafat dam brit / brit mila (generally performed on men) and the mikveh ritual. As the Reform Movement emphasizes informed choice, these rituals are generally either left up to the supervising clergy and/or the conversion candidate.
If she is interested, I would be happy to provide her (or anyone else) with information about some of the major cantorial schools in the United States. Additionally, I would love to connect anyone with current students (although I only know current students at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America)
Good luck, friend!
PJ