For those of us who do the work of engaging community through cantorial arts, I think it is nearly impossible to describe the delicate balancing act that goes on within our bodies and our spirits in order to produce what a group hears. Each time I prepare myself to chant, to speak, or to pray, it is a reflection of years of discipline, of personal sacrifice, of rejection, of self examination, of training, and of hours spent alone thinking about life, relationships, poetry, history, and as one of my mentors says, spiritual alchemy. It also reflects the effort of many teachers, powerful thinkers, standard bearers for arts in our world, philosophers, and those who comfort others, who invested their time into bringing me to where I am. That’s just to get to what you hear.
Ultimately, though, it is community, being in relation to others, that brings my spiritual artistry alive. When I’m in leadership as a cantor, the relationship between my voice and the will of the group is the guiding principle of every interaction. My sensitivity in guiding that group is what allows me, if I am very lucky, to have the privilege of drawing them forward from wherever they are to a place where our interaction changes them, if only just a little bit. Each time I have that experience, it changes me. It deepens my commitment to the work that I do, which I see as vitally important to the future of Jewish communal life as a whole, but also to the individual who may need a catalyst to find their own voice.
These days if you look at the job description for a cantor, you may read something about leading religious school, managing employees, communicating with board members, teaching B’nai mitzvah students, leading family programs, High Holiday services and weekly Shabbat services, life cycle ceremonies, sick visits, and more. All of these roles are important, but the fundamental underpinning of all of them. in my view, is the heart of a singer, and that vital relationship that exists between the singer, and those for whom we sing. Having room in my process for spiritual artistry, for me, means absolute commitment to voice as a discipline, and remaining actively engaged in the development of my technique, my ability with language, my understanding of narrative, and of text. This fuels my growth, but ultimately it brings me and the communities I serve a bit closer in relationship to one another, and to the larger world.
Jessica Leash is the founder and cantor of Silicon Valley Jewish Meetup, a brand new community serving the San Francisco South Bay. She will be ordained by Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal Ordination program in January of 2018. If you would like to support her cantorial ordination fund, please visit her GoFundMe campaign at: https://www.gofundme.com/jessicas-cantorial-ordination
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