Cantor Janece Cohen of Congregation Or Chadash in Tucson is receiving a doctorate of sacred music, honoris causa, from Hebrew Union College on May 9 at Music of the Night, a dinner dance being held in her honor. Bestowed in recognition of her 25 years of service as a congregational cantor, the award is a tribute to the contributions Janece has made at Or Chadash, as well as throughout the Tucson Jewish community.
Born in Tuba City, AZ, on a Navajo reservation (“My father was in public health, ” she explains), Janece and her family moved to Tucson when she was about 4 and were members of Congregation Anshei Israel, a Conservative shul. Her love of ritual and liturgical music began at an early age with support from her parents.
Janece began as a cantorial soloist at Temple Emanu-El while still working on her bachelor of music education degree at the University of Arizona. After completing her ordination at the Hebrew Union College in New York, and serving as a cantor in several locales, she returned to Tucson in 1999 and was hired full time at Or Chadash in 2000.
“I knew Tucson was the place I wanted to raise my son,” she says. “I love the Jewish community here. It’s relatively small and very cohesive – I feel like I know everyone!”
Her son, Zachary, is now a first-year law student at the U of A, having completed his bachelor’s degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia. You can hear the pride in her voice when she speaks of Zachary. “He was my star soprano in youth choir and our best Hebrew tutor while in high school. In college he was voted the best master (president) of all the AEPi chapters in the country. I’m thrilled that Or Chadash has asked him to be the master of ceremonies at my dinner!”
Her many duties at Or Chadash include coordinating all the bar and bat mitzvahs, teaching prayers and music in Sunday School, teaching chanting and music to adults, and officiating at weddings and funerals. Janece also serves as staff liaison on several committees at the congregation and, of course, provides music for all religious services.
Her favorite part of being a cantor? “I so enjoy helping people fall in love with Jewish music and prayers,” she says. “I like working with adults because they want so much to learn, but I also like working with the children and inspiring them to want to learn. I put my efforts forth to pull the best out of every child.”
She went on to give just a few examples of the hundreds of children whose lives she has touched.
“I had a bat mitzvah student who wasn’t trying as hard as I thought she could. I talked to her and said that I knew she wanted to make everyone proud and that at the end of the ceremony, when folks would shake her hand and say ‘Great job,’ that she would feel satisfied only if she knew people really meant it – that she actually deserved the praise. Evidently, something in what I said took hold. She began trying harder and really did a lovely job at the ceremony. After it was over, she came over to me and said, ‘Did I deserve it?’ She went on to be one of the best teacher’s aides we’ve had.”
Though most children can be taught to sing or chant, Janece has had one or two who were actually monotone. “It’s a physical trait that occurs only occasionally,” she explains. When she had one boy who simply could not master the trope, she instead had him read a line in Hebrew, then translate it to English, line by line, throughout his entire passage. Instead of appearing as a child who couldn’t sing, he shone as a young man showing off his brilliance.
“I think my greatest point of pride is seeing how the kids I have mentored have become successful in all walks of life,” she says.
Music of the Night is being held at Skyline Country Club, 5200 E St. Andrews Dr. in Tucson, beginning at 6 pm with a cocktail hour and a classical guitarist, followed at 7 pm with dinner, tributes, a silent auction and music by a jazz trio. For information and to order tickets at $100, call 520-512-8500 or e-mail [email protected]. All proceeds benefit Congregation Or Chadash.
