Two Cantors Walk into a Bar

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Hang out with Cantor Matt and Cantor Penny as they enjoy a couple of drinks and chat about current issues facing clergy and their roles as Jewish community leaders. They joke and banter in a spontaneous and unscripted discussion. Pull up a barstool and join the conversation.

Matt Axelrod


    • Mar 5, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 27 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Two Cantors Walk into a Bar

    Episode 27: Jew in the Pew

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 30:36


    Matt & Penny discuss what it's like attending synagogue as "regular people" and what services feel like when you're participating along with everyone else.

    Episode 26: A Pioneer in the Field

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2022 40:12


    Matt & Penny sit down with Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, the first woman to be ordained as a cantor in Jewish history, and talk about her experiences and journey that led her to be a pioneer in our profession.

    Episode 25: Using Language to be More Inclusive

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2022 31:30


    Matt & Penny discuss how to make familiar prayers and blessings more inclusive for everyone, and how gender roles can serve become an obstacle.

    Episode 24: The South American President

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2022 35:16


    Matt & Penny return to the bar and sit down with Cantor/Rabbi Luis Cattan, the current president of the Cantors Assembly. Together they talk about the challenges of his coming to this country and his experiences that prepared him to take on the presidency.

    Episode 23: Training Your Cantor

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2021 44:40


    Matt & Penny talk with Cantor Nancy Abramson, the director of the Cantorial School at JTS, about the state of modern cantorial education and how things have changed over the years.

    Episode 22: Changing the Way We Look at B‘nai Mitzvah

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 44:40


    Matt & Penny shamelessly plug Matt's latest book while talking about why the b'nei mitzvah process has remained unchanged for generations and what could be changed.

    Episode 21: Emerging from the Pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2021 33:19


    Matt & Penny talk about taking their first steps out of the pandemic and what changes from the past year that they'd like to keep.

    Episode 20: Meet the Spouses!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2021 32:35


    Matt & Penny welcome their spouses Dr. Tali Axelrod and Dr. Bennett Myers who share their experiences of what it's like being married to a cantor. Also available as a video episode HERE.

    Episode 19: A Tale of Two Titles

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2021 32:51


    Matt & Penny talk with Rabbi/Cantor Hillary Chorny about the increasingly common trend of colleagues earning both rabbinical and cantorial degrees. Also available as a video episode HERE.

    Episode 18: New Year's Resolutions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2021 28:14


    Matt & Penny talk about their New Year's resolutions and how best to continue their professional lives while dealing with the pandemic. Also available as a video episode HERE.

    Episode 17: Making an Impression with Jim Meskimen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2020 34:31


    Matt & Penny sit down with master impressionist Jim Meskimen for some hilarious takes on synagogue life. Also available as a video episode HERE.

    Episode 16: B'nei Mitzvah in the Age of Pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2020 25:12


    Matt & Penny continue their social distancing and enjoy drinks remotely as they talk about how their congregations' bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies have adapted and evolved under the new situation. Also posted as a video episode here.

    Episode 15: Quarantined!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 35:56


    Matt & Penny are forced to share a drink remotely as they talk about how the "new normal" has affected their congregations. Also posted as a video episode here.

    Episode 14: Cool Things That We've Done

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2020 33:43


    Matt & Penny talk about all the interesting, cool, and exciting things they've gotten to do just because they're cantors.

    Episode 13: Where Are We Headed?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2019 29:35


    Matt & Penny talk about the future of the cantorate and where they see the profession going.

    Episode 12: Imposter Syndrome

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2019 31:18


    Matt & Penny talk about what it's like to sometimes feel as if they're not able to fully fill their roles as clergy and community leaders.  

    Episode 11: The Interview with Jeffrey Myers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2019 53:56


    Matt & Penny have drinks with the inspirational Rabbi/Cantor Jeff Myers and discuss how he's dealing with the immense changes one year after the tragic events at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. 

    Episode 10: Interfaith Issues for Cantors

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2019 29:56


    Matt & Penny talk about their feelings towards interfaith marriage and how it affects their relationship with their congregants.

    interfaith cantors
    Episode 9: Things People Call Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2019 24:00


    Matt & Penny talk about all the different and sometimes questionable ways that congregants refer to them.

    people call
    Episode 8: Things We Fear!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2019 27:27


    Matt & Penny talk about the things that happen during services that make them nervous or freak them out.

    Episode 7: Cantorial Pet Peeves

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2019 29:19


    Matt & Penny share some things that irk, irritate, and otherwise bug them in their professional lives. 

    Episode 6: Keeping Things Fresh

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2019 26:04


    Matt & Penny talk about how to keep things fresh for themselves and their congregants while having to lead services and teach kids for so many years.

    Episode 5: The Blooper Reel

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2019 25:46


    Matt & Penny share some of their most embarrassing cantorial bloopers from throughout their careers.

    Episode 4: Female Clergy with Special Guest Interview

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2019 27:16


    Matt & Penny discuss the unique challenges faced by women in our profession with Cantors Assembly president Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro.

    Episode 3: Should We Use Social Media?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2019 24:44


    Matt & Penny talk about how they use social media, along with its benefits and potential problems with their congregations.

    Episode 2: Self Care for Cantors

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2019 25:07


    Matt & Penny discuss how hard it can be for clergy to receive the necessary care they need for themselves.

    self care cantors
    Episode 1: Real Life for Cantors

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2019 23:28


    Matt & Penny talk about their lives as cantors and how it was different than what they expected.

    real life cantors

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