Cantors choose new leader

Joseph Gole will be installed as president of the International Cantors Assembly during the organization’s convention in Los Angeles. Other highlights of the May 6-10 gathering will be a public concert May 7. Guest performers will include Theodore Bikel and Mike Burstyn, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Israel Air Force Memorial and Heritage Project.”Cantorial music has always reflected the world around it, and while retaining the traditional chants is today strongly influenced by pop and folk music,” said Gole, cantor of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.The Cantors Assembly’s 450 members represent mainly Conservative synagogues, but include every Jewish denomination. More than 250 cantors from the United States, Canada and Israel are expected to attend the assembly’s 60th convention.Gole, 59, was 18 when he first led a congregation in prayer as a cantor. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and American Youth Symphony, as well as numerous opera companies in the United States and Europe.