Curious About Becoming an ACC Cantor?

The ACC has always had a special relationship with the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform Movement’s home address for cantorial education and Jewish musical innovation. The community of HUC-JIR is uniquely well-suited for the development of collaborative relationships between cantors, rabbis, educators and other Jewish leaders, and its campus in New York welcomes the influence of every strand of Jewish music, prayer and learning. Upon ordination, DFSSM students automatically become full-fledged members of the ACC.

For interested parties who are not ordained cantors from HUC-JIR, DFSSM, the policy below contains the information you will need to apply to test into membership with the ACC as an ordained cantor and graduate of one of our recognized seminaries. Applicants who pass the membership exam become Associate Members of the ACC. Associate members are expected to pay membership dues at the associate member level and rules for entering ACC Placement are governed by the Joint Cantorial Placement Commission. Associate Members do not become eligible for placement until 60 days after the date of earliest eligibility that DFSSM Ordination and Certification candidates may enter the placement process. The current date of earliest eligibility for DFSSM Ordination and Certification candidates is on or about February 1, and thus for Associate Members on or about April 1.

The process may be offered at least once a year, usually in January or February, in both New York and Los Angeles/Orange County. Additional dates and locations may be added if there are more applicants than can be accommodated during our winter exams. Each location can only accommodate five or six testing candidates. Seats for the exam are on a first come, first served basis. You are not considered registered until all of your documentation and application fee is received by the office.

American Conference of Cantors Admissions Guidelines

OUR MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

OUR PROCESS

CONCLUSION