Limmud Toronto 2021

Why would an awkward little suburban girl of the 50's decide to become a cantor? In Girl Cantor, the answer is explored. Barbara Ostfeld will talk about following the sound of her own voice as its high pitch shattered a stained glass ceiling. "Little Barbi" could imagine being on the bima, wearing a black robe and singing in Hebrew, but she didn't anticipate the different kinds of ridicule that "Cantor Ostfeld" would encounter. Never would Barbara have guessed that, 40 years after her lonely ordination, female cantors would be commonplace in North American liberal synagoges. If you've ever struggled to find your voice, if you've ever dared to mouth off, Barbara's story will ring true.