A Cantor's Tale (NR)

synopsis

"A Cantor's Tale" is a portrait of Brooklyn cantor Jacob Mendelson, who is fighting hard to keep traditional Jewish cantor music alive. "Jackie," as he is affectionately called by everyone, explores the American roots of "hazzanut" (Jewish liturgical music) while taking us on a musical voyage that spans the Atlantic, originating in his birthplace of Boro Park, Brooklyn, and reaching all the way to Jerusalem. There's music in the air, everywhere. The experience of hearing the world's most renowned cantors in the synagogue was part of a lifestyle that provided American Jewry with a rich cultural heirloom. It is Cantor Mendelson's mission to insure that this legacy is passed on to this and the next generation and generations to come, in a way that is both true to its origins and relevant to the modern world.