Two Cantors Walk into a Bar
Two Cantors Walk into a Bar
Matt Axelrod
Hang out with Cantor Matt and Cantor Penny as they enjoy a couple of drinks and chat about current issues facing clergy and their roles as Jewish community leaders. They joke and banter in a spontaneous and unscripted discussion. Pull up a barstool and join the conversation!
Episode 27: Jew in the Pew
Matt & Penny discuss what it's like attending synagogue as "regular people" and what services feel like when you're participating along with everyone else.
Mar 5, 2024
30 min
Episode 26: A Pioneer in the Field
Matt & Penny sit down with Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, the first woman to be ordained as a cantor in Jewish history, and talk about her experiences and journey that led her to be a pioneer in our profession.
May 19, 2022
40 min
Episode 25: Using Language to be More Inclusive
Matt & Penny discuss how to make familiar prayers and blessings more inclusive for everyone, and how gender roles can serve become an obstacle.
Mar 15, 2022
31 min
Episode 24: The South American President
Matt & Penny return to the bar and sit down with Cantor/Rabbi Luis Cattan, the current president of the Cantors Assembly. Together they talk about the challenges of his coming to this country and his experiences that prepared him to take on the presidency.
Jan 11, 2022
35 min
Episode 23: Training Your Cantor
Matt & Penny talk with Cantor Nancy Abramson, the director of the Cantorial School at JTS, about the state of modern cantorial education and how things have changed over the years.
Oct 14, 2021
44 min
Episode 22: Changing the Way We Look at B‘nai Mitzvah
Matt & Penny shamelessly plug Matt's latest book while talking about why the b'nei mitzvah process has remained unchanged for generations and what could be changed.
Oct 7, 2021
44 min
Episode 21: Emerging from the Pandemic
Matt & Penny talk about taking their first steps out of the pandemic and what changes from the past year that they'd like to keep.
Jun 2, 2021
33 min
Episode 20: Meet the Spouses!
Matt & Penny welcome their spouses Dr. Tali Axelrod and Dr. Bennett Myers who share their experiences of what it's like being married to a cantor. Also available as a video episode HERE.
Jan 24, 2021
32 min
Episode 19: A Tale of Two Titles
Matt & Penny talk with Rabbi/Cantor Hillary Chorny about the increasingly common trend of colleagues earning both rabbinical and cantorial degrees. Also available as a video episode HERE.
Jan 17, 2021
32 min
Episode 18: New Year's Resolutions
Matt & Penny talk about their New Year's resolutions and how best to continue their professional lives while dealing with the pandemic. Also available as a video episode HERE.
Jan 11, 2021
28 min
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