Timeline of women hazzans in the United States facts for kids

A hazzan (also known as a cantor) is a special leader in a Jewish synagogue. They lead the congregation in prayer and song. For a long time, only men could be hazzans. But over the years, many brave women have stepped up to take on this important role in America.

This article shares a timeline of amazing women who became hazzans in the United States, breaking barriers and inspiring others.

Women Cantors: A Timeline of Firsts

This timeline highlights the pioneering women who became cantors in America, marking important moments in history.

Early Trailblazers

• 1884: Julie Rosewald became America's very first female cantor! Her congregation in San Francisco even called her "Cantor Soprano." She served at Temple Emanu-El for almost ten years, from 1884 to 1893. Julie was born in Germany.
• 1955: Betty Robbins, who was born in Greece, became the first woman to serve as a cantor in the 20th century. She was hired at Temple Avodah in Oceanside, New York.

Breaking Barriers: The Modern Era

• 1975: A big moment happened when Barbara Ostfeld became the first woman to be officially recognized and trained (this is called "ordained") as a cantor in Reform Judaism.
• 1978: Mindy Jacobsen made history as the first blind woman to be ordained as a cantor.
• 1978: Linda Rich was the first female cantor to sing in a Conservative synagogue, Temple Beth Zion in Los Angeles. She was later officially ordained as a "Hazzan Minister" in 1996 by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
• 1987: Erica Lippitz and Marla Rosenfeld Barugel became the first female cantors in Conservative Judaism.
• 1993: Leslie Friedlander was the first female cantor to be ordained by the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York.

Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl

• 1999: Angela Warnick Buchdahl, who was born in South Korea, became the first Asian-American person to be ordained as a cantor. Angela later also became a Rabbi, which is another important religious leader.

New Millennium Milestones

• 2001: Deborah Davis became the first cantor in Humanistic Judaism. This was a first for both men and women in this branch of Judaism. However, Humanistic Judaism no longer trains cantors.
• 2002: Sharon Hordes became the first cantor in Reconstructionist Judaism. She was the first person, male or female, to hold this role in that movement.
• 2006: Susan Wehle became the first American female cantor in Jewish Renewal. Sadly, she passed away in 2009.
• 2009: Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar, who was born in Iran, became the first Persian woman to be ordained as a cantor in America.

These women have opened doors and shown that anyone, regardless of gender, can lead and inspire through music and prayer in Jewish communities.