Announcing our all new Online JSLI Cantorial School

At a time when fewer professional Cantors are being trained by mainstream Jewish Seminaries, JSLI offers an exciting response to the need to prepare Cantors for the future of Judaism.

Our approach is relevant. Two students meet online bi-monthly (every other week) “Hevruta style” with their teacher ( an experienced Cantor) during which they explore the correct and appropriate nusach as well as it’s practical application.

Our approach is meaningful. We embrace both traditional nusach and the music of our modern communities and strive to harmonize the two. In addition, we encourage the use of musical instrument accompaniment if appropriate for your community and will help you arrange selections with chordal accompaniments.

Our approach is cost-sensitive. The full course of study (four total “Modules” and Life Cycle Master Classes) leading to Ordination as “Cantor and Spiritual Leader” costs a fraction of the amount that would be spent in a mainstream Seminary.

“I just wanted to share with you what our Rabbi told the Congregation last night during our evening service. He said that in just this past week, three different families called him to thank him for our Zoom services. Moreover, they all told him they especially look forward to singing the Mi Shebeirach prayer for healing with me, and believe this truly helped the loved ones they prayed for to heal (from very serious illnesses, in fact), and he thanked me. I was very moved by that. Thank you for your wonderful teaching, and JSLI. ”                 –  “Happy to be a Cantor” Marianne

Why Choose JSLI’s Online Cantorial School?

JSLI’s Online Cantorial School offers a rare opportunity: professional-level cantorial training in a fully flexible, online format, led by an experienced Cantor who guides students through the classical and contemporary traditions of Jewish liturgical music. At a time when fewer professional Cantors are being trained by mainstream Jewish seminaries, JSLI provides a meaningful, accessible, and cost-effective path to ordination as a Hazzan and Spiritual Leader.

Whether you are a community volunteer who has been leading services informally for years, a musician seeking to formalize your Jewish liturgical knowledge, or someone who feels a deep calling to serve a congregation through the power of song and prayer, JSLI’s cantorial program is designed for you. Our graduates are serving Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox communities, leading High Holiday services, officiating at life-cycle events, and enriching Jewish communal life across North America and beyond.

What You Will Learn in JSLI’s Cantorial Program

The JSLI Cantorial School curriculum is built around the four major musical modules that form the foundation of Jewish liturgical practice, as well as a broad set of life-cycle and pastoral skills that prepare graduates to serve as complete Jewish spiritual leaders — not just singers, but educators, counselors, and community builders.

The Four Musical Modules

Students progress through four essential modules, each focused on mastering the traditional nusach (musical tradition) for a distinct season of the Jewish year. The modules are High Holidays, Shabbat, Weekdays, and Festivals. Each module’s nusach is drawn from the cantorial textbooks of renowned Hazzanim, newly recorded to correspond with the notated music, so students can hear and internalize authentic melodic traditions as they learn to reproduce them.

The curriculum focuses on Reform liturgy, specifically the prayerbooks Mishkan T’filah and Mishkan Hanefesh, which are widely used in Reform congregations across North America. Students learn the correct and appropriate nusach for each service while also developing the flexibility to meet the musical needs of diverse communities.

Modern Musical Approaches and Instrumentation

JSLI embraces both traditional nusach and the contemporary music of modern Jewish communities. Students learn to harmonize classic cantorial tradition with modern congregational singing styles, and are encouraged to incorporate musical instrument accompaniment where appropriate for their community. For students who play guitar, piano, or other instruments, JSLI helps arrange selections with chordal accompaniments, making services more accessible and engaging for congregants.

Life-Cycle Courses and Pastoral Training

Cantorial students at JSLI join JSLI’s rabbinical students in master classes covering the full range of Jewish life-cycle events: officiating at Jewish and interfaith weddings, funerals, B’nai Mitzvah services, and baby namings. Students also participate in pastoral counseling training, developing the interpersonal skills needed to support congregants through life’s most significant moments. This cross-disciplinary training ensures that JSLI-ordained Cantors are equipped to serve as true spiritual leaders, not just worship leaders.

Program Structure: How JSLI’s Cantorial Training Works

JSLI’s cantorial program is a two-year course of study that culminates in ordination as Hazzan/Cantor, fully qualifying graduates to officiate at all Jewish and interfaith holidays and life-cycle events. Classes are conducted in an intimate bi-monthly (every other week) Hevruta-style format, in which two students meet online with their teacher — an experienced, practicing Cantor — to explore nusach and its practical application in a low-pressure, high-value environment.

Sessions run from September through June, giving students a natural rhythm that mirrors the Jewish liturgical year. Each class provides opportunities to sing, receive individualized feedback, and demonstrate progress. Because the format is one-to-one mentorship rather than large-group instruction, students receive focused attention that is rarely available in traditional seminary settings. The curriculum is designed to be accessible whether or not students can play a musical instrument, though basic music notation reading ability is required.

Enrollment Requirements for Cantorial School

Prospective cantorial students should have a lovely singing voice and the ability to read simple music notation. The ability to read Hebrew in a Siddur and Machzor is also a prerequisite. JSLI’s admissions process includes a personal interview with Rabbi Steven Blane to ensure the program is the right fit. Students who are not yet ready may receive guidance on how to prepare before enrolling.

The Cost of Cantorial Training at JSLI

One of JSLI’s most important distinctions is its commitment to making cantorial education accessible. The full course of study — four modules plus Life Cycle Master Classes — leading to ordination as Cantor and Spiritual Leader costs a fraction of what a mainstream seminary would charge for comparable training. Payment plans are available for those who need them. This commitment to affordability reflects JSLI’s broader mission: to ensure that the communities who need qualified cantors are not priced out of accessing trained leadership.

What JSLI Cantorial Graduates Say

Cantor Becky Bar-Lev Henning described the two-year cantorial program as “everything I was looking for,” noting that Rabbi Blane’s teaching gave her “the knowledge to learn any service needed in the future.” The testimonial from Marianne — now serving her congregation as cantor and leading the Mi Shebeirach prayer for healing via Zoom services — reflects the real-world impact that JSLI-trained cantors are having in their communities today.

A Response to a Real Need in Jewish Communities

The cantorate is one of the oldest and most sacred roles in Jewish communal life. Yet the number of formally trained Cantors is declining as mainstream seminaries reduce or restructure their cantorial programs. Synagogues and Jewish communities — especially smaller, independent, and interfaith congregations — are struggling to find qualified cantorial leadership for High Holiday services, Shabbat, and life-cycle events. JSLI’s online cantorial school is a direct response to this need, training a new generation of Hazzanim who bring classical tradition, modern sensibility, and genuine community commitment to their roles.

To learn more about the cantorial program or to begin your application, visit our Apply Online page or contact us to speak with a member of the JSLI team.