abstract | - A hazzan or chazzan (Hebrew: חַזָּן ħazzān, Modern Hebrew hazan, Yiddish khazn) is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer. There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources. The Jewish prayer services have their own entry; the prayers in these services are collected in a prayerbook known as the siddur. The person leading the congregation in public prayers is called the shaliach tzibbur (Hebrew for "emissary of the congregation"). Traditional Jewish law restricts the role to Jewish males over the age of 13; the non-Orthodox Jewish movements allow women over the age of 12 to have this role as well. Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reconstructionist Judaism invest both men and women cantors as full clergy. See also: Cantor in Reform Judaism. In theory, any lay person can be a shaliach tzibbur; most synagogue attending Jews will serve in this role every now and again. In practice, those with the best voice and the most knowledge of the prayers serve much more often.
|