Rockville Centre's Congregation B'nai Sholom-Beth David hires first female cantor

Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David in Rockville Centre experienced leadership changes over the summer, including the hiring of a new cantor. Alexandra Weiser joined the temple on Aug. 15 and has the distinction of being its first female cantor.

For Weiser, 30, the position is a continuation of her life’s work and extensive training.

“I was born with a profound love of music,” Weiser said.

She began taking voice lessons at age 7 and became involved in local theater productions as a child. While growing up, she did not foresee this as a career path.

“I always thought I would become a doctor — despite the fact that I get queasy at the sight of blood — even though I invested so much time and energy in music and theater,” Weiser said. “I always saw it as a passion, and took the talent for granted. I never thought it could become a career.”

By college, however, her study of music grew deeper, as did her knowledge of Hebrew. The classically trained soprano attended Brandeis University, where she studied classical music, theater and Hebrew as a second language. Weiser trained at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and the Metropolitan Opera’s Bel Canto Institute, where she was selected to train in Florence, Italy, as one of 20 emerging vocalists globally. After graduating college, she said she always gravitated toward the Jewish community as a place of employment.

For Weiser, becoming a cantor “happened serendipitously” several years ago, after she mentioned her interest to the cantor of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan. Within a week, he contacted her with the news that his sister-in-law, also a cantor, was expecting a baby around the High Holy Days. A connection was made and she became Weiser’s mentor. Weiser learned how to lead the services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and after that tremendously positive experience, went on to learn all holidays and festivals.

The role of a cantor, she said, involves studying the relationship between the music and the text, and then leading the congregation in a meaningful way. “The cantor is the spiritual, musical voice of the congregation,” she said.

A resident of New York City, Weiser performs at concerts and fundraisers throughout the metropolitan area and is a featured vocalist with Mozart for Munchkins, an organization that “realizes the all-important mission of nurturing music appreciation and creative expression” from infanthood.

She described her relationship with Rabbi David Lerner, who also joined the temple in mid-August, as “very collaborative” and said their philosophies are “aligned.”

At Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David, she leads the weekly Shabbat service on Saturdays, as well as all holidays and festivals. “The beauty is that the liturgy and music remains the same not only at CBS-BD, but everywhere in the world,” Weiser said. “Anyone can join any service anywhere and it’s an inclusive, joyful, and communal experience. While the repetition allows for a deeper spiritual experience, there’s always something to be learned because every week there is a new Torah portion and discussion where new interpretation brings light and meaning to age-old ideas and wisdom.”

She said that she and Lerner are enjoying getting to know the community and deepening relationships. She noted that it has been especially meaningful learning that Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s father-in-law was a founding member of this synagogue and that the family has continued to be involved for generations. Because of Ginsburg’s legacy around the world, this synagogue has also been influenced to become an egalitarian platform, giving women a voice on the pulpit.

“I am humbled to be given the opportunity to use her voice as [the temple’s] first female leader,” Weiser said.