This is a timeline of women

hazzan A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this pr ...

s (also called cantors) in America. * 1884:

Julie Rosewald Julie Rosewald (1847–1906), called “Cantor Soprano” by her congregation, was America's first unofficial (due to the fact that she was female and not ordained) cantor, serving San Francisco's Temple Emanu-El from 1884 until 1893. Biography ...

, called “Cantor Soprano” by her congregation, became America's first female cantor, serving San Francisco's Temple Emanu-El from 1884 until 1893, although she was not ordained. She was born in Germany. * 1955:

Betty Robbins Betty Robbins (born Berta Abramson, April 9, 1924 – February 19, 2004) was a notable cantor. She was one of the first female cantors. She was the first woman appointed as a cantor in the 20th century. Career Robbins began singing while in 193 ...

, born in Greece, became the first female cantor to serve in the twentieth century (although she was not ordained) when she was hired at Temple Avodah in Oceanside, New York. * 1975:

Barbara Ostfeld Barbara Jean Ostfeld, formerly known as Barbara Ostfeld-Horowitz, is the first ordained female cantor in Jewish history, and an American feminist, mental health advocate, and author. Early life and education Barbara Jean Ostfeld was born in ...

became the first female cantor to be ordained in Reform Judaism in 1975. * 1978:

Mindy Jacobsen Mindy Jacobsen (born Miami, Florida) is the first blind woman to be ordained as a hazzan (also called a cantor) in the history of Judaism; she was ordained in 1978 by Hebrew Union College. She has been blind since birth as a result of retinopathy ...

became the first blind woman to be ordained as a cantor. * 1978: Linda Rich became the first female cantor to sing in a Conservative synagogue (specifically Temple Beth Zion in Los Angeles) in 1978, although she was not ordained until 1996 when she finally received her ordination of "Hazzan Minister" from the "Jewish Theological Seminary" in New York. * 1987:

Erica Lippitz Erica Jan (Riki) Lippitz and Marla Rosenfeld Barugel were the first two female hazzans (also called cantors) ordained in Conservative Judaism. Their ordination was held in 1987, two years after the first woman was ordained a Conservative rabbi. L ...

and

Marla Rosenfeld Barugel Marla Rosenfeld Barugel (born 1956) is, along with Erica Lippitz, one of the first two female hazzans (also called cantors) ordained in Conservative Judaism. Barugel and Lippitz were ordained in 1987 by the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theologic ...

became the first female cantors in Conservative Judaism. * 1993:

Leslie Friedlander Leslie Friedlander was the first female cantor ordained by the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York, which occurred in 1993. She served eight years as Cantor of Temple Emanuel in New Hyde Park and eleven years as Cantor of Riverdale Temple in t ...

became the first female cantor ordained by the Academy for Jewish Religion (New York). Cantor Angela Warnick Buchdahl (8575188810) (cropped)

* 1999: Angela Warnick Buchdahl, born in South Korea, became the first

Asian-American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

person to be ordained as a cantor."Our Clergy: Angela Warnick Buchdahl, Senior Cantor"
Central Synagogue Web site Buchdahl was later ordained as a

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

as well. * 2001: Deborah Davis became the first cantor of either sex (and therefore, since she was female, the first female cantor) in Humanistic Judaism; however, Humanistic Judaism has since stopped graduating cantors. * 2002:

Sharon Hordes Sharon Hordes was ordained as Reconstructionist Judaism's first cantor in 2002. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music co ...

became the first cantor of either sex (and therefore, since she was female, the first female cantor) in Reconstructionist Judaism. * 2006: Susan Wehle became the first American female cantor in Jewish Renewal in 2006; she died in 2009. * 2009:

Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar Tannoz Bahremand Foruzanfar became the first Persian woman to be ordained as a cantor in the United States in 2009. Foruzanfar was born in Tehran and moved to the United States when she was two. She now works at Stephen S. Wise Temple in Californi ...

, who was born in Iran, became the first

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

woman to be ordained as a cantor in America.

References

{{Reflist * Hazzans Hazzans in the United States

Women hazzans A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

Jewish-American history Women hazzans in the United States