JTS Honors 20 Cantors for their Dedication and Commitment at 2018 Cantors Cantors Convocation
March 26, 2018
Contact: Beth Mayerowitz | bemayerowitz@jtsa.edu
NEW YORK, NY – The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) awarded honorary doctorates to 20 cantors at a convocation on March 12, 2018, for having served the Jewish community with distinction. All are members of the Cantors Assembly. Through the degrees conferred, JTS celebrated the achievements of these spiritual leaders and voiced appreciation for their manifold contributions to Jewish life.
The ceremony took place at Sutton Place Synagogue in New York City. It was presided over by JTS Executive Vice Chancellor / Chief Operating Officer Marc Gary. Professor Arnold M. Eisen, chancellor of JTS, conferred the degrees and delivered the convocation address. Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins, dean of the Division of Religious Leadership and Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School, and Hazzan Nancy Abramson, director of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music, sponsored the honorees. Rabbi Rachel Ain of Sutton Place Synagogue welcomed the assembled, and Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, president of the Cantors Assembly, delivered greetings on behalf of the CA. Hazzan Joel Caplan delivered remarks on behalf of the honorees. There were also several musical performances throughout the program.
This is the first time JTS is awarding honorary degrees to female cantors.
The 2018 honorees are:
Hazzan Nancy Abramson
Hazzan Neil Ben-Isvy
Hazzan Ira Simon Bigeleisen
Hazzan Baruch Blum
Hazzan Bruce D. Braun
Hazzan Norman F. Brody
Hazzan Joel Elliot Caplan
Hazzan Carey Cohen
Hazzan Steven W. Dress
Hazzan Stephen Freedman
Hazzan Bruce Halev
Hazzan Michael Stephen Krausman
Hazzan Mark H. Kula
Hazzan Bradlee Kurland
Hazzan Ivor Yitzchak Lichterman
Hazzan Bernard Lowe
Hazzan Jeffrey Stuart Myers
Hazzan Jeffrey Nadel
Hazzan Elaine Barbara Shapiro
Hazzan Linda Kolkin Shivers
By conferring these honorary degrees, we publicly acclaimed the long and distinguished careers of a select group of cantors who have left their mark on their communities. Each of the honorees has made an enduring contribution to the Cantors Assembly, the Conservative Movement and the Jewish people. Each has brought unique abilities, resources, and commitment to the sacred task of serving the Jewish community.
About | The Jewish Theological Seminary
JTS is a preeminent institution of Jewish higher education, training thoughtful, innovative leaders—rabbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and scholars—who strengthen our communities with a vision of Judaism that is deeply grounded in the Jewish past and thoroughly engaged with contemporary society. JTS also provides high-caliber lifelong learning and professional development to our alumni, adult learners, and Jewish communities throughout North America. Through its Library, JTS preserves and makes accessible to students and scholars throughout the world the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere.