Where would you expect to find a cantor?

If you’re like most people, you would likely respond, "on the bimah," leading the religious services as the sheliach tzibbur (messenger of the congregation) who is especially devoted to the art of prayer.

But today a cantor (chazzan) can also be found in many places other than "on the bimah." Cantors are now training B’nai Mitzvah, conducting the synagogue or community choir, initiating interfaith programming, visiting the sick, teaching in schools, giving recitals or lectures, promoting social justice… and going to summer camp.

At Camp Ramah in Wisconsin – the flagship camp of the Conservative movement, founded over 50 years ago – the Hazzan-in-Residence Program has become an integral part of the camp routine. It is a valued element that helps create the environment desired by the camp’s leaders, and ultimately the campers themselves.

For years, I had annual conversations with Camp Ramah Director Rabbi David Soloff.

"We should have you come to camp," he’d say.

To which I’d give my standard response, "You’re right, I should go to camp," but never did.

… Until three years ago, when my son Benjy was at Ramah for the summer, I finally packed myself up and went off to camp for an extended visit.

What I found at Ramah, in addition to the relaxed, sunny atmosphere intrinsic of all summer camps, was an unparalleled opportunity to share my vision of Jewish life and culture and to learn from the greatest judges in the world – kids. The Hazzan-in-Residence program, which began two years ago, has evolved into an annual summer program, which adds new dimensions each year to the role of the chazzan in camp. The program’s goal is to involve young people in the act of prayer in a deep and beautiful way. Achieving this goal is not easy, nor does it happen overnight, but with the enthusiastic attention of Rabbi Soloff, key members of the camp staff, and a growing number of colleagues, we are moving in the right direction.

This year, Camp Ramah has had the opportunity to host distinguished cantors on a rotating basis for most of the summer. Some chazzanim use their vacation time, others account for the time as job-related. And all work hard – from sunup to after sundown, with many activities crammed into each day.

Part of the chazzan program is a target nusach – a plan for clarifying elements of tefillot (prayers). In an attempt to strengthen the tefillah experience for everyone, this year we produced a daily newsletter each non-Shabbat day of camp entitled "Hayom Batefilah" (Today in Prayer), which includes a daily goal and a Prayer of the Day. This helps to keep the prayer experience in focus, build the concept that the way we pray is important, and that we should continuously strive to do it as best as possible. We also met with camp staff weekly to try to coordinate our efforts.

So for two weeks this July, I was back at Camp Ramah with the whole family. I taught campers about prayers, prepared individuals to lead the camp-wide service on Erev Shabbat, played piano for the Solelim’s (entering seventh graders) presentation of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, played basketball, softball and tennis – in other words, had the time of my life.

So did my colleagues Alan Sokoloff of Des Moines, Larry Goller of Chicago, and Michael Hurwitz of Omaha, each of whom will have spent two weeks in camp, along with Henry Rosenblum, dean of the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Robert Lieberman of St. Louis, who both came for shorter visits. In fact, there was a day or two when there were four chazzanim in camp – surely a record! And, across the country, other colleagues brought their skills and enthusiasm to various camps and programs.

In the long run, we hope that campers will learn to love their davening a bit more, will come to appreciate being led by an outstanding singer or davener, and will value the opportunity to sing zemirot and other songs even more than they currently do.

We also hope that a few of them will be drawn to our profession. As cantors, we love what we do, value its significance in the Jewish community, and know that we must develop this appreciation in the next generation. We can do this at camp – whether it’s Ramah in Wisconsin, another Ramah camp elsewhere in the country, or any other summer experience. And this makes camp the place to be, for both campers and cantors!

Cantor Jack Chomsky has served Congregation Tifereth Israel since 1982. He is treasurer of the Cantors Assembly.

Reprinted from the Ohio Jewish Chronicle, August 31, 2000.