It’s February, which means the first High Holy Day inquiries have begun.
Over the next few months, we’ll receive requests from congregations across Southern California looking for singers for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We don’t contract these services or take a fee — we simply connect temples with singers who are likely to be a strong fit. We’ve matched hundreds of singers over the years, and we’re beginning that process again for 2026.
So this is not a job listing, but an explanation for those with questions about the elusive “temple job”.
A little clarity
First, this is not a church gig sung in Hebrew.
The High Holy Days are long, musically dense, emotionally significant services, and the repertoire is vast. You may be handed three or more large binders of music. You will have to learn music, language, and cues quickly. The choir will probably rehearse only a handful of times before services begin. There is repertoire overlap from temple to temple, but no two music directors use exactly the same collection of pieces. Strong sight-reading, language facility, stamina, and solid ensemble skills are essential.
Experience matters here, which is why these positions are so competitive. Once a singer establishes a good relationship with a congregation, both sides tend to stay put.
Structural realities
Some congregations — particularly Conservative or Orthodox — require singers to be Jewish. That is legal and within their rights. Reform congregations often have different expectations, but they will vary.
We are not placing cantors or cantorial soloists. In Jewish tradition, cantors tend to be ordained clergy, and are deeply trained within the faith. High Holy Day choir singers are professional vocalists serving the worship experience — not leading it.
There are also practical considerations: attire requirements, scheduling limitations, parking, restrictions around food or other activities during the holiday. Every congregation will handle these details differently. Flexibility and respect are non-negotiable. This is sacred work. If this is “just another paycheck” for you, it’s probably not the right fit.
The best part
For those who invest in learning the tradition and serving it well, this can be some of the most meaningful work you’ll ever do. Congregations are deeply appreciative. Music is central to the experience. The temples that continue to budget for professional singers deserve our respect — and many lifelong friendships have grown out of this work.
For the record, I am not Jewish myself. But I’ve never regretted the decades I spent serving in this space. If you are willing to learn, prepare carefully, and approach the work with humility, it can be extraordinarily rewarding.
How to apply
We are currently compiling a list of experienced High Holy Day singers in Southern California for 2026. Rehearsals typically begin in early to mid-summer, though every congregation sets its own timeline. Later in the season, we may open inquiries to singers who are newer to this repertoire.
If this work feels like a fit for you, I look forward to hearing from you. Submit your availability and details here:
If you represent a SoCal congregation that could use some help with your search, please contact us, and Lauri will be in touch.
I think your description of this kind of work is accurate and useful. I’ve done years of this and now am a cantorial soloist in SoCal and on the east coast. I think you could advise singers not versed in this repertoire and singing in Hebrew to start by practicing the Chichester Psalms by Bernstein. There’s a nice variety of hebrew language in there and the piece is very available to practice with on recording and video,
That’s a good tip – thanks, Elliot. Even singers who come from Jewish families will be on a spectrum of knowledge and familiarity with the language and the liturgy, and a piece like this is widely available. We all have to start somewhere, and the Bernstein is indeed kind of a “gateway drug” into the way the language sits on the tongue. Find a **reputable** recording, and give it a few listens. For any language that is new to you, both listening and practicing wrapping your mouth and breath around the words will get you to competence much more quickly that winging it and trying to learn on the job. (You’ll gain far more respect, too.) You can do this!