2008 Woodie Awards
Belz Celebrates Jubilee
Gadi Dotz
Issue date: 3/29/05 Section: Features
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For many Yeshiva students taking a Jewish music course might just be a convenient way to fulfill college credit requirements. But according to Cantor Bernard Beer, the school's Director, the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music is much more.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Belz School of Jewish Music, but a music program existed at Yeshiva even before 1954. In 1945, Dr. Karl Adler founded a music department at the college. His music program began small, but before long its enrollment increased and its classes expanded to include courses in nusach haTefilah and chazanut.
In 1954, the school was founded as the Cantorial Training Institute. In 1983, it was renamed after Philip and Sarah Belz, who gave a generous endowment to the school. Today the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music boasts an annual enrollment of over 150 students.
The Belz School of Jewish Music offers approximately 60 courses on a wide variety of topics. One can take classes in chazanut voice training, nusach haTefilah, liturgy, music history, Shofar blowing, Biblical cantillation, and even Safrut. For the Sephardic population, the school offers courses in Sephardic chazanut. Each of the courses is taught on an academic level and is worth one college credit.
So who exactly is enrolled in Belz? According to Cantor Beer, the majority of the Belz students are already enrolled in a division of Yeshiva University (the high school, undergraduate program, or RIETS). These students can take courses in Belz for free and have the credits count toward whatever program they are in. They can also take Belz courses without credit if they are so inclined. Enrollment is not just limited to Yeshiva students, however. There are some people from outside the university who are interested in learning chazanut and davening skills, and can enroll in a Belz School course by paying a separate tuition fee.
According to Cantor Beer, Yeshiva students should avail themselves to the courses at Belz. They have a tremendous opportunity to study every aspect of Jewish music and learn skills like laining the Torah that they can use throughout their lives. Though the school already has 150 students, Cantor Beer hopes more college students will take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Belz School of Jewish Music, but a music program existed at Yeshiva even before 1954. In 1945, Dr. Karl Adler founded a music department at the college. His music program began small, but before long its enrollment increased and its classes expanded to include courses in nusach haTefilah and chazanut.
In 1954, the school was founded as the Cantorial Training Institute. In 1983, it was renamed after Philip and Sarah Belz, who gave a generous endowment to the school. Today the Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music boasts an annual enrollment of over 150 students.
The Belz School of Jewish Music offers approximately 60 courses on a wide variety of topics. One can take classes in chazanut voice training, nusach haTefilah, liturgy, music history, Shofar blowing, Biblical cantillation, and even Safrut. For the Sephardic population, the school offers courses in Sephardic chazanut. Each of the courses is taught on an academic level and is worth one college credit.
So who exactly is enrolled in Belz? According to Cantor Beer, the majority of the Belz students are already enrolled in a division of Yeshiva University (the high school, undergraduate program, or RIETS). These students can take courses in Belz for free and have the credits count toward whatever program they are in. They can also take Belz courses without credit if they are so inclined. Enrollment is not just limited to Yeshiva students, however. There are some people from outside the university who are interested in learning chazanut and davening skills, and can enroll in a Belz School course by paying a separate tuition fee.
According to Cantor Beer, Yeshiva students should avail themselves to the courses at Belz. They have a tremendous opportunity to study every aspect of Jewish music and learn skills like laining the Torah that they can use throughout their lives. Though the school already has 150 students, Cantor Beer hopes more college students will take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.