Training plan
The training schedule:
Participation at the consultation days of
the specialization in cantor training (eight consultations per semester + one three-day
consultation preceding the High Holidays at the Synagogue of the Extended Training Camp of
Szarvas) is compulsory. Theory classes are 45 minutes in length.
The duration of practical training, conducted by cantors:
3x6 class hours per week throughout the 14 weeks of the semester.
Students of each class year take the theory classes together while practical training
classes are given in accordance with students’ individual schedules, in small groups and
under the supervision of a cantor.
The department provides opportunities for students to take individual voice classes to
ensure that they learn the large amount of required material.
Order of exams and colloquia:
Students take colloquial exams – following written exams – in each of the theory
classes, in accordance with the order of classes and the exam plan.
Students receive their degree once they have fulfilled the examination requirements of the
required classes of every semester, have completed their senior thesis as described by the
internal regulations and have obtained the final certificate.
Practical training includes the Meir Lau
(The laws of Jewish life), history of Jewish liturgical music and basic competence in the
Hebrew language. At the end of the training period students must have suitable knowledge
of voice formation, singing technique and tonic theory.
Cross training is possible between the
specializations in cantor training and liturgical history.
The subject groups of the
specialization:
- Ancient Jewish music
- The nomadic age
- The age of kings
- The I. Temple
- Musical forms and instruments of the ancient world
- Captivity in Babylon and return home
- The II. Temple
- The influence of the Diaspora on liturgical music
- The influence of Chasidism on liturgical music
- Enlightenment
- Reforms of the Chazan-composers of the ninetheenth century
- Musical liturgy of Friday night services, theory and practice
- Liturgy of Chanukkah, theory and practice
- Music of Saturday morning services, theory and practice
- Musical liturgy of night and morning services of the holidays of Passover and Shavuoth,
theory and practice
- Musical liturgy of the night and morning services of the New Year, theory and practice
- Musical liturgy of the service of the night before Yom Kippur and the morning of Yom
Kippur, theory and practice
- Musical liturgy and religious services of the Great Holiday and Simchat Torah, theory
and practice
- The musical liturgy and religious services of the three weeks of mourning, from the 17th
day of the month of Tammuz to the 9th of the month of Av and of Purim, theory
and practice
- Summary: from the practice of the liturgy of the holidays
of the entire yearly cycle.
Schedule of
studies
First Year:
The Laws of Jewish Life (Halachah)
The connections of prayers and philosophy
Hebrew prayer literature
The history of Jewish liturgical music and its practice in Hungary
Written and musical liturgy of the Sabbath
The language of Hebrew prayers
Second Year:
Introduction to Biblical and Talmudic literature
Significant chapters of the Pentateuch
The connections of prayers and philosophy
The cycles of Jewish life (from birth to death)
Written and musical liturgy of Rosh Hashanah
Hebrew language
Third Year:
Major events of Jewish history
Selections from prophetic literature
The cycles of Jewish life (Events of religious life)
Written and musical liturgy of Yom Kippur
Hebrew language
Fourth Year:
Jews of the world – Hungarian Jews
Organizing communities – building communities
Main chapters in the psychology of religion
Written and musical liturgy of the Pilgrim Festivals
Hebrew language
We provide basic training in music (tonal
theory, music theory, music history, voice technique) for all students of the
specialization in cantor training with the participation of professionals.
Students receive video recordings of the
religious services of weekdays, Sabbath and holidays to be studied individually.
The subjects taught in the specializations
in cantor training and liturgical history are identical. The crucial difference between
the two specializations is not one of form, rather it can be seen in the realization of
content. While the dominant element of the specialization in liturgical history is theory
and the study of the musical material is secondary, in the specialization for cantor
training the emphasis is on learning and interpreting the musical-liturgical material, the
nusah. A highly qualified cantor of course needs knowledge of the necessary
theoretical material as well in order to practice his profession.
The
proportion of class hours is therefore the following |
| theory classes |
336 |
| practical classes |
784 |
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Theory
training
Theory training can be can be divided into
four phases, each phase corresponding to one year of training.
Phase I.
Students are introduced to the religious
laws formulated in Biblical, Talmudic and post-Talmudic literature and unified from the
fifteenth century onwards: the basic units of the Halachah. Parallel to this students
learn about the interconnections of prayers and universal and Jewish religious philosphy.
They receive a basic introduction into the literary units of the religious services that
stem from different ages and were supplemented specifically by Jewish liturgical-musical
practices of Hungary, and those of Eastern European Jews generally. Jews interpret prayers
to the Almighty through the ancient language: Biblical or Mishnaic Hebrew. It is therefore
necessary for students to also know the precise Hungarian translation of the texts
formulated two millennia ago in the Holy Language. Acquisition of basic knowledge and
skills occurs in this phase.
Phase II.
We expand the Halachic knowledge of
students developed in the previous stage and supplemented with the religious-philosophical
interconnections of our prayers, thereby widening students’ horizons and deepening their
professional commitment. Students gain insight into Biblical and Talmudic literature in
such a way that they attain the ability to translate Biblical quotes in prayers and
Talmudic texts at a basic level. We place an especially strong emphasis on translating
prayers which are integral parts of everyday and Rosh Hashanah services.
Phase III.
Students complete their introduction to the
Halachah with a comprehensive exam. Understanding the language of Hebrew prayers at a
deeper, more philosophical level receives added emphasis, as well as the differences
between these prayers and prayer practices in Hungary, and the differences, and in some
cases harmony between the practices of different topographical units of the country. Units
of the literature of the Tanach which are the supplementary parts of our liturgy
constitute the final part of the study of various analyses of the ancient texts. Students
learn about the major events of the five millennia of Jewish history, helping to develop
and strengthening their sense of identity.
Phase IV.
Students become acquainted with the
interconnections of Hungarian Jewish liturgical music in such a way that they attain the
ability to artistically interpret subjective emotions with the ancient texts as well as to
translate the linguistically difficult Hebrew prayers. Students gain an insight into the
colorfulness of Hungarian Jewish religiosity, the different directions it has taken and
the way communities are built. Students’ preparation in pastoral psychology is an
important element of their mission as cantors.
Practical
training
The structure of practical training is
predicated on the importance of the cantor in the synagogue. Our planning has of course
been crucially determined by Hungarian religious needs and the lack of religious
functionaries. At least one form of Sabbath service in all significant Jewish communities
in the capital and in rural areas is celebrated. Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) and
Yom Kippur (the Long Day, the Pilgrim Festival) are celebrated in even more communities.
During the course of his training, a cantor
has to acquire a knowledge of all liturgical material and attain the ability to properly
interpret them in concordance with the classical traditions that form a part of the
Hungarian Jewish spiritual heritage. No requirement stipulates that the same cantor recite
all units of a given service but it is a fundamental objective that he be able to recite
all liturgical units.
First Year:
Friday evening
Saturday morning (Sacharit, Musaf) Mi sheberach
Saturday Mincha, Maariv, Havdalah, Kiddush levavah
Significant Saturdays: Rosh Hodesh
Complete weekday liturgy
Performing wedding, funeral and memorial service
Akdamuth
Second Year:
Rosh Hashanah evening
Rosh Hashanah Sacharit, Musaf, reading of the Torah, blowing the Shofar
Days of Slichot
Third Year:
Kol Nidrei
Yom Kippur Sacharit, Musaf, Mincha, Noilah reading of the Torah
Fourth Year:
Passover Sacharit, Musaf, Mincha, Maariv
Shavouth Sacharit, Musaf, Mincha, Maariv
Sukkoth Sacharit, Musaf, Mincha, Maariv
Reading of the Torah at all three holidays
Maarovetzes at all three holiday nights
Tal and Geshem benching at Passover and Sukkoth
Simchat Torah night and morning
Hallel prayer at the three holidays and at Simchat Torah
Taking into account that this specialization is training
for artists at the same time, it is also necessary that they receive the proper voice
training, training in tonal theory, singing technique and that they learn the norms of
examplary presentation and representation. Holders of our cantor degree thereby become
able to practice their profession either in Hungary or, in answer to a foreign invitation,
outside our borders, in orthodox, neologian or status-quo communities.
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