Marla Rosenfeld Barugel (born 1956) is, along with

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 ...

, one of the first two female

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 ...

s (also called cantors) ordained in Conservative Judaism. Barugel and Lippitz were ordained in 1987 by the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. In addition to her cantorial education, Barugel earned a BA in French and Spanish and an MS in Secondary Education from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

. Prior to her work as a cantor, she worked as a Spanish teacher and a banker. From 1987 until June 2013 she was Cantor of Congregation B'nai Israel in

Rumson, New Jersey Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough’s population was 7,343, reflecting a 3.1% increase from the 7,122 enumera ...

. As a cantor, she was a leading force in the struggle for women to be allowed to join the

Cantors Assembly Cantors Assembly (CA) is the international association of hazzanim (cantors) affiliated with Conservative Judaism. Cantors Assembly was founded in 1947 to develop the profession of the hazzan, to foster the fellowship and welfare of hazzanim, and t ...

, the professional organization of cantors in Conservative Judaism; women were first allowed to join the

in 1990. She debuted as a soloist in June 1994 in Milwaukee at the Cantors Assembly Convention, and has been a member of the New Jersey Cantors Concert Ensemble since 1987. She has also served on the Executive Council of the

. Barugel is a founding member of the

Cantors Institute Alumni Association A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

. In 2000 she released a CD titled ''From Darkness to Light''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barugel, Marla Rosenfeld 1956 births Women hazzans Living people University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education alumni 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews