Senior Cantor/Hazzan 

Beth Tzedec Congregation is approaching its 70th Anniversary as a leading voice in Conservative Jewry in Canada and around the world.  We are enjoying unprecedented growth, particularly with our “under 40’s” congregants who now comprise nearly half of our total membership of 2400 family member units (5500+ individuals). Our Mission, adopted 3 years ago, is to Inspire and enable our members to live Meaningful Jewish Lives.  We embrace this across our Six Core Values: Pray, Connect, Learn, Celebrate, Care, and Give & Get.  To support this, our large and varied professional staff provide a broad range of spiritual and pastoral, educational, social, and cultural programs, and services. Prayer services and musical programs and events are central to the success of our Vision.  We seek to create and foster inclusive, uplifting, and engaging experiences that meet people’s needs within the framework of a dynamic and authentic Conservative Judaism.  Through Prayer, Music, Thought and Practice, we inspire and enable meaningful Jewish spiritual activity and provide a welcoming experience to individuals, families, and guests, through both in-person and virtual engagements. Beth Tzedec conducts a twice-Daily Minyan.  On Shabbat, Yom Tov and High Holy Days, the Congregation incorporates multiple service options for our members and guests to experience prayer, including our core main service (held either in the Sanctuary or Chapel), lay-led Little Minyan service, monthly family services, meditation, and other specialized services. The Senior Cantor primarily officiates in the main service. The Spiritual Leadership Team currently includes two Rabbis, a Cantor, a full-time Ritual Director, an Artist-in-Residence as well as additional professional member engagement, education, and programming resources.  We are now looking to hire a Senior Cantor to join this team.  The Senior Cantor position is full-time, and the primary roles are: Lead the congregation in prayer in accordance with our mission and mandate, Serve as a musical and spiritual leader within the synagogue community; and Provide leadership and direction in the development and delivery of all music programs. Areas of Responsibility: Ritual, Music Programmes and Events, Pastoral Care, Education & Community. Other related duties: Provide leadership to develop and execute musical programming within the congregation and the Jewish community; and Participate in specific planned giving (Foundation and Endowment) initiatives and congregational fund-raising events, Input, support, and participate in the leadership or implementation of other programs and events as requested and needed & Other duties that may develop from time to time. The Senior Cantor is hired by the Board of Directors of the Congregation and, in particular, will: Maintain their musical independence within the strategic vision of the Congregation.  As a member of the Spiritual Leadership Team, the Senior Cantor works in partnership with the Senior Rabbi, who is the Ma’ara D’atra, who has halakhic and religious authority in the Congregation, and who is responsible for the overall pastoral, religious, educational, and programmatic activities of the congregation and the Spiritual Leadership Team, Supervise the musical responsibilities of other musical professionals in matters of selection of repertoire, timing, and quality of performance, Provide direct supervision and performance reviews of the Cantor and other musical professionals and staff & Participate in the annual reviews of other Spiritual Leadership Team members. Qualifications: Vocal excellence, Professionally educated and trained as a Hazzan, Membership in the Cantors’ Assembly is preferred but not required, Committed to promote Beth Tzedec’s inclusivity practices in ritual and non-ritual matters, Respect for tradition with flexibility in practice, Shabbat-observant in accordance with Conservative halacha, Able to read and write music, Experience directing or singing with professional or volunteer choirs, Successful in developing congregational participation in ritual services, Successful in composing and arranging music for services and special occasions, Ability to teach members on topics of interests, Openness to receiving and generating new creative ideas, Team player, Ability to play a musical instrument preferred & Proven ability to produce concerts and other musical programs. Compensation is very competitive and commensurate with experience. Please send your cover letter, resume and music files to Corinne Promislow, Cantor Search Committee Co-Chair, at [email protected].  We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected to be interviewed will be contacted. Full-time with benefits. www.beth-tzedec.org. 

(12/17/24)