A hazzan, chazzan or khazn (
Hebrew for "cantor," "עברית: "חזן) is a
Jewish musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the synagogue in songful
prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources. The
Jewish prayer services have their own entry; the prayers in these services are collected in a prayerbook known as the
siddur.The person leading the congregation in public
prayers is called the shaliach tzibbur (
Hebrew for "emissary of the congregation"). Traditional
Jewish law restricts the role to Jewish males over the age of 13; the non-
Orthodox Jewish movements allow women over the age of 12 to have this role as well.
Reform Judaism,
Conservative Judaism, and
Reconstructionist Judaism invest both men and
women cantors as full clergy.
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