Wednesday 4th December
 

2.30pm - 3.00 pm
Registration

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3.00pm – 3.20pm
Welcome and introduction to the programme  

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​3.25pm  – 4.00pm   

Session 1: Cantor Laszlo Fekete - The World of Hungarian Cantors 

 

4.00pm – 4.20pm   Break

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4.20pm - 4.55pm   
Session 2:  Judit Frigyesi - What is Jewish About The Nusach and Why Does It Matter?​

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5.00pm – 5.35pm   
Session 3: Cantor Sarah Myerson - Movement as Tefilah

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5.45pm - 6.45pm   
Creative Choral Ensemble #1
Three parallel workshops - deleg ates learned something guaranteed to connect their prayer leader to the community.  All delegates signed up for one group for all three sessions led by distinguished choir leaders, with a presentation to the group at the end to show what they had been learning.

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6.45pm – 7.45pm 
Dinner followed by Maariv

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8.00pm – 10.00pm
Official Opening and Orchestral Concert Tribute To Cantor Naftali Herstik ז"ל.

Opening Concert in Rumbach Synagogue commemorating Cantor Naftali Herstik and commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust in Hungary.

Distinguished guest cantors, plus an orchestral ensemble with soloists Cantors Shmuel Barzilai, Netanel Baram and Isidoro Abramowicz.

Honoured guests : Members of the Hungarian Jewish Community.

As well as old favourites, the concert presented some exciting new melodies, including by the award-winning synagogue music composer Michael Hunter Ochs. Also in the programme were songs from around the world sung by outstanding cantors who attended the convention from Germany, the UK, Israel, Canada and the USA.

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This concert commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust in Hungary, and also paid tribute to the great teacher and mentor to many cantors around the world Naftali Herstik, who was born in Hungary, and who passed away in 2024.   Supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum, Budapest

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Thursday 5 December   

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8.00am
Shacharit followed by breakfast  

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9.15am – 10.00am 
Session 4 : Judy Pinnolis - Female Voices Leading Prayer & Community in USA : A Half-Century Perspective
 

Spring 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the ordination of a woman as a cantor in the Reform Movement. Since then, the numbers of women as prayer leaders have continued to grow within the Reform, Conservative, Reconstructing Judaism, Renewal and other liberal or egalitarian movements in the US.

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This talk discussed women in the cantorate based on numerous personal interviews. It focused on the relationships of the Shilchat Tzibbur, a woman cantor, to her community. The talk touched on some of the rewards, as well as gender issues faced by women leading prayer.

Numerous obstacles and challenges to emotional and spiritual wellbeing, as well as minhag hamakom, had to be overcome for their acceptance. Work-life balance for cantors as working mothers also changed dynamics in synagogue life. Additionally, practical matters of voice and musical adaptation resulted in changes to davening, style and repertoire as this historic rise of women cantors also coincided with immense social, liturgical and overall musical change in the US.  

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Session 5 : Cantor Debbie Katchko-Gray - Sacred Sounds Reborn : A Nusach-based project ith composer and musician Beth Styles.    Unfortunately this session was cancelled due to illness.

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10:10am - 11.00am 
Session 6 : Cantor Zoe Jacobs - I’d Like To Teach My Shul To Sing
Traditionally, the cantor surrounded themselves with “m’shor’rim”; young singers who added harmony to prayer. Today, we find ourselves in a congregation, praying that the people in the room will sing along with us! So how do we engage a mixed congregation who don’t come every Shabbat? Is it possible to really build a community who can and will sing with us and each other? Together, delegates explored some tried and tested techniques to facilitate the singing we hope to hear.

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11.00am -11.30am 
Break

11.30am – 1.00pm 
Panel - Cantorial Training for Today: Opportunities & Challenges - recruitment and placement.

With participation from heads of schools in France, Germany, Hungary, and European-wide 

Cantor Lazlo Fekete (Jewish Theological Seminary-University of Jewish Studies OR-ZSE Budapest)  

* Alexandre Cerveux (École Rabbinique de Paris) 

* Jalda Rebling (EAJL European Academy for Jewish Liturgy )  

* Cantor Isidoro Abramowicz (Abraham Geiger Kolleg, Potsdam)
* Benjamin Villanyi (Hungarian Cantorial Institute)

Moderator : Cantor Matt Austerklein

1.00pm – 2.00pm
Lunch followed by Minchah  

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2.00pm – 2.55pm

Masterclass taken by Cantors Beny Maissner and Isidoro Abramowicz  

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2.55pm - 3.30pm
Session 7 : Cantor Abbie Strauss - Engage the Unengaged: Revitalize Your Music Culture​

Abbie delved into successful strategies aimed at increasing congregation participation in our shul music. This involves recognising ways to foster music communities across all age groups, facilitating collaborative experiences during davenning and prayer services, and enhancing the music culture to promote organic growth in both membership and musicianship.

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3.30pm – 4.00pm 
Break

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4.00pm – 4.35pm
Session 8 : Maestro Charles Heller - Nusach: Life or Death. The 1000-year-old tradition of synagogue chant that might soon disappear.
 

After 1000 years of steady development, the traditional synagogue chant in the Western world, nusach, is about to disappear, one of the world's great sacred musical traditions. What processes have maintained it in the past, and what forces threaten its extinction? There have always been forces for both innovation and conservation in our liturgy, but how is this balance achieved?

 

Who decides? How does the chazzan play a key role in these processes? What actually is nusach, what is its function, and why should it be maintained? Why do we go to the synagogue at all? We discussed how nusach unites the community through a shared awareness of time and place.

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​4.40pm - 5.15pm
Session 9 : Cantors Leah Frey-Rabine, Jalda Rebling and Matt Austerklein  - The music and legacy of inspiring cantor and teacher, Cantor Jack Kessler  ז"ל

5.30pm – 6.45pm
Exam Concert: End Of Semester Exam Concert for cantorial students and prayer leader students by students of Budapest OR-ZSE University of Jewish Studies Cantorial Program

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6.45pm –7.45 pm  

Dinner (joined by the students) followed by Maariv

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8.00pm-9.00pm

Creative Choral Ensemble #2

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9.00pm-10.00pm

Open Mic Jam

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Friday 6 December    

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8:00am
Shacharit  followed by breakfast 

9.15am – 10.45am

Keynote Panel : Connecting the Shaliach with the Tzibbur, the prayer leader with the community

 

What music moves my congregation most today? Speakers of different ages, denominations, roles etc in the synagogue and countries on what prayer music engages the congregation most keenly today in your synagogue? Who gets involved with deciding who leads the prayers and how they lead them? What music do they use?  With contributions from the floor.
 

Panellists:

* Rabbi Cantor Danny Bergson - Minister, St Anne's Hebrew Cong (Orthodox), St Anne's UK
* Cantor Sarah Myerson - Spiritual Leader of Roosevelt Island Jewish Cong., New York City 
* Cantor Zoë Jacobs - Principal Clergy, Finchley Reform Synagogue, London UK

* Michael Hunter Ochs - Leading composer of Jewish & Interfaith Worship Music, Chicago USA
* Eliah Sakakushev -  Artistic & Managing Director, Villa Seligmann; Hannover, Germany. 

Moderator : Russell Grossman

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10:45-11.15am - Break

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11.15am – 11.50am

Session 10  : Sylwia Jakubczyk-Ślęczka - Eliezer Goldberg, Cantor of Kraków in the interwar years.

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11.50am - 12.25pm

Session 11 : Dr Amalia Kedem - Liturgical  collections at the Israel National Library

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12.25pm -1.00pm
Session 12  : Malcolm Miller - Samuel Alman, The greatest 'English' Composer Of Shul Music 

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1.00pm – 2.00pm 

Lunch followed by Mincha

2.00pm– 5.30pm

Free time to prepare for Shabbat (also practice session for Male Shabbat Choir)  
Candle lighting 3.35pm

5.30pm – 6.30pm

Kabbalat Shabbat in Rumbach Synagogue.  Male Cantors, accompanied by Choir

6.45pm - 10.00pm

Friday Night Dinner and Kumzitz.  
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Shabbat 7 December - פרשת ויצא

  

9:00am
Breakfast 

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9.30am
Cantorial and Choral Shabbat Service - Rumbach Synagogue.  Male Cantors, accompanied by Choir 

The service featured Cantors Rabbi Danny Bergson, Nathan Goldman, Paul Heller, David Presler, Ira Grusscott and Beny Maissner.   Torah was read by Russell Grossman.

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1.00pm – 2.00pm 
Kiddush followed by Shabbat Lunch

2.00pm – 3.45pm 
Free time  

3.45pm
Shabbat Minchah followed by Shalosh Seudot as guests of the Dohany Synagogue, Budapest at the Heroes' synagogue

4.45pm
Havdalah and Maariv

7.00pm - 7.45pm
Creative Choral Ensemble #3 

8.00pm - 8.45pm
Presentation and performances from Creative Ensemble workshops and Group Photo

followed by Open Mic  

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Sunday 8 December  

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8.00am 

Shacharit followed by Breakfast
 

9.15am – 9.50am

Session 13 : Cantor David Presler - The Nusach Of Noach Schall

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9.50am – 10.25am
Session 14 : Cantor Dr Paul Heller - The History Of Thr Synagogue Organ

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​10.25am – 11.00am 
Session 15 : Cantor Beny Maissner - Turning An Unengaged Congregation Into A Singing One

11.00am – 11.30am  - Break

11.30am – 12.05pm
Session 16 : Benjámin Villányi - Reconnecting To Our Musical Tradition–Teaching Torah Reading in Hungary

12.05pm – 12.40pm
Session 17 : Agnes Kory : Eighty years after the Holocaust: remembering the struggle and loss of Hungarian Jewish musicians

1.00 pm – 2.00pm
Lunch followed by Minchah 

2.00pm - 3.10pm
Session 18 : Composer Michael Hunter Ochs - Creating A Song Connecting Shaliach with Tzibbur

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followed by free time and rehearsals for gala concert

6.45pm- 7.45pm 

Dinner for delegates followed by Maariv

8:00pm – 10.00pm

Gala Concert at Rumbach Synagogue 

Commemorating the Holocaust in Hungary featuring  the Kecskemet Singing Circle, Hungarian Chamber Choir conductor, Peter Erdei.

 

Featuring two pieces by Composer Max Stern, composer and professor emeritus from Ariel University, Israel : 'Song of the Partisans' from Holocaust Cantata and 'Out of the Whirlwind' and 'Prayer for Israel; 

 

Also featuring Maestro Charles Heller's songs for viola, voice and piano from his forthcoming CD '1000 Years of Jewish Devotional Music' 

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plus cantors and choirs from the European Cantors Convention, and featuring Cantor Abbie Strauss singing October Rain by Avi Ohayon, Keren Peles, and Stav Beger.​​

END OF CONVENTION

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Monday 9 December   

8.30am

Shacharit   

Breakfast for those going on the tour 

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9:30am – 11.00am

Walking Tour of Jewish Budapest  

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Programme Directors, Matthew Austerklein and Russell Grossman
Programme Co-Ordinator Geraldine Auerbach, MBE