# My brother's going to become a cantor! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243 "2006-01-23T14:04:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/1 "2006-01-23T14:04:38Z")
**ScubaBigBro** has been a singer all his life (and longer). He’s had a gig for 9 of the past 10 years as a High Holiday cantorial soloist. Now he is going to become a professional Jewish cantor in the Conservative movement! He’s been accepted to the Jewish Theological Seminary for the five year cantorial program starting this fall, beginning with a year in Israel. Right now he’s applying for various scholarships to help with the financing. I’m so proud of my brother for figuring out what his dream job is, and for pursuing it. 🙂 🙂 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/2 "2006-01-23T14:35:26Z")
Mazel tov! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/3 "2006-01-23T14:42:01Z")
Yay for the **Scuba** family! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/4 "2006-01-23T17:58:29Z")
Excellent. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/5 "2006-01-23T18:04:22Z")
That’s awesome. Congratulations to him. Perfect pitch helps in this sort of thing, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/6 "2006-01-23T22:46:30Z")
Mazel tov! ;j ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/7 "2006-01-23T23:51:04Z")
Very cool! ^5! ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/8 "2006-01-24T00:17:19Z")
Another hearty mazel tov! ;j ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/9 "2006-01-24T00:58:15Z")
excellent! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/10 "2006-01-24T01:48:01Z")
Hey, when he chucks it all to sing pop music and breaks your father’s heart, tell him not to let Neil Diamond play him in the movie… Oh, and good job **ScubaBro**! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/11 "2006-01-24T01:48:34Z")
That’s so cool! Five years! My goodness, I had no idea it took so much study to become a cantor. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/12 "2006-01-24T03:13:18Z")
Tell him this one(cribbed from Leo Rosten): In small rural towns the cantor would rotate his schedule to visit the congregations on a monthly basis. When he got sick one night and couldn’t make it, the Rabbi asked the congregation if anyone could fill in as a cantor. No one repsonded. He asked again. Nothing. Finally he begged. A guy in the back row said his dog could do it. (The dog was sleeping at his feet. Hey! I told you this was rural). The Rabbi politely scoffed and said that while he appreciated it, he doubted a dog could fill in for the cantor. But the dog’'s owner said he could. So, the Rabbi relented and told the guy to let the dog proceed. And proceed he did. The dog got up in front of the congregation and proceded to shame all the cantors that had preceded him. The audience had never heard such a sound. It was from God. After finishing, the dog went back and lay down at his owner’s feet and fell asleep. After the service ended, the Rabbi approached the man and asked if the dog could become the permanent cantor. The owner said no. The rabbi asked “why?” The owner said, “because he wants to be a doctor.” **rimshot**. I’ll be here all week, or not. Tip your server. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/13 "2006-01-24T14:09:32Z")
Thanks, everybody. I’ll pass your sentiments on to my brother. **Ginger** , as it happens, my brother has _absolute_ perfect pitch, which I understand is pretty rare even for people with perfect pitch. **samclem** , thanks for the joke. (Though I’ve heard it before.) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/14 "2006-01-24T16:12:41Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > Thanks, everybody. I’ll pass your sentiments on to my brother. > > **Ginger** , as it happens, my brother has _absolute_ perfect pitch, which I understand is pretty rare even for people with perfect pitch. > > **samclem** , thanks for the joke. (Though I’ve heard it before.) Yes, I’m aware. Your mom told me about studies he’d taken part of, the poor guinea pig! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brothers-going-to-become-a-cantor/341243/15 "2006-01-24T19:04:08Z")
Nuts. I misread the title and thought your brother was going to become a centaur. I’m sure being a cantor is nice and all; I’m just a little disappointed. Sailboat