The Chicago Board of Rabbis revived today the controversy over cantors officiating at weddings with a statement that “the proper officiant at all Jewish wedding ceremonies should be only a duly ordained rabbi.”
The board said it had issued the statement because of “recent discussions in the community concerning the officiants at the wedding ritual.” The statement held that a couple “embarking upon the sacred responsibilities of marriage,” should have the “spiritual guidance, counsel and inspiration of a rabbi,” The cantor could properly participate in the ceremony by chanting appropriate portions of the service only with the rabbi, the statement said.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
