Alumni Spotlight: A Conversation with Cantor Shani Cohen ’21 on Music, Community, and Connection

Q: What moments or mentors at Hebrew Union College shaped your journey into cantorial music?

Cantor Shani Cohen: I was deeply inspired by Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller, Professor of Cantorial Arts and Merry Arian, Professor of Practice in Liturgical Arts and Music Education, as well as Rabbi Kim Geringer, M.S.W., Clinical Instructor in Clergy Professional Development. Their guidance helped shape my understanding of the cantorate, particularly in the pastoral realm. I majored in both psychology and music during my undergraduate years, so I was naturally drawn to discussions about the relationship between cantors and congregants. My thesis focused on the dynamic between rabbis and cantors, a topic I explored extensively in Rabbi Geringer’s class and in conversations with my mentors. Additionally, Joyce Rosenzweig’s M.S., Professor of Practice in Jewish Music and Performance, class on Jewish art songs has been invaluable in my work today.

Q: What advice do you have for students currently on their cantorial journey?

SC: Many future cantors have backgrounds as song leaders or know from a young age that they want to pursue this path, but I entered from a general musical background with little prior knowledge of the cantorate. This openness allowed me to absorb as much as possible without fixed expectations. My biggest piece of advice is to embrace who you are; each cantor’s work is shaped by their unique personality and passions. Don’t be afraid to bring yourself fully into your role.

Q: How does music build community and create meaningful connections in Jewish life?

SC: Music is a fundamental way for people to connect with each other and with spirituality, even if they don’t resonate with other aspects of synagogue life. But they can connect through music, and I think it’s important to have that option for some people. I try to have a variety of music and be in dialogue with people about what musical styles they find meaningful. It’s always a balance of what I think they will get the most out of versus what people tell you that they like, a balance of the familiar and the new. I’m always trying to walk that line.

Q: How has your experience leading Jewish rituals, especially through the pandemic and recent global events, shaped your perspective on the resilience of Jewish practice?

SC: It has been incredibly moving to see people reconnect with Judaism and synagogue life, even if it’s been prompted by difficult times. In Vancouver, where the Jewish community is smaller and more geographically isolated, there has been a real desire to come together. Interestingly, we had one of our largest conversion classes this past year. Many participants were partners of Jewish individuals who felt strongly about affirming their connection to the Jewish people, especially following recent events. Others were students or individuals who deeply resonated with Judaism and decided to make it their own.

Q: You’ve taken your music beyond the synagogue walls, what inspired you to do that?

SC: I looked for opportunities to do some classical singing and ended up auditioning for this small local opera company, Opera Liricia. They were the ones that invited me to do a concert last fall as part of their Heritage Salon Social concert series. Each singer created a concert based on their own cultural heritage. It was an amazing opportunity to bring together my Jewish life and the broader music community in Vancouver to celebrate Jewish music.

For the repertoire of that concert, I basically used everything that I’d learned in Professor Rosenzweig’s class. I really wanted to push myself not to just do the standard repertoire. I looked through the songs from Joyce’s class, “Yiddish and Hebrew Art Songs,” including some Yiddish theater songs like Oy, Mama, Bin Ich Farlibt and Abi Gezunt. It was very meaningful sharing these pieces with people who potentially didn’t know anything about Jewish music.

 

Q: Are there any other projects or initiatives you’re currently working on?

SC: One cool one that I’m working on right now is organizing a cantorial concert at Temple Sholom with an organization headed by Cantor David Rosen ’03 (Cantor at Holy Blossom in Toronto) along with Cantor Meara Lebovitz ’20, (Cantor at Temple Sinai in Toronto), myself, and a couple of other cantors and cantorial soloists. We’re called the “Reform Cantors and Cantorial Soloists of Canada” aka the RCCC. We wanted to create more of a sense of community and camaraderie between the cantors, because there are fewer Reform synagogues in Canada. Our goal is to continue doing concerts, have professional development opportunities, and maybe get more Canadian song leaders or other people involved in the cantorate.