Jonathan Angress
Cantor
Temple Beth Torah Sha’aray Tzedek
Tamarac, Florida
Age: 27
Nominated by: Himself
Song: “Chad Gadya,” Moishe Oysher
When I was 6 years old I began playing the violin because I saw the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” My experience with the violin eventually led to me singing in my synagogue’s choir, which eventually led to me becoming a cantor. Jewish music is my way of combining the best of both the Jewish world and the professional music world. Becoming a cantor means I can Jewishly inspire my community through music every day. —_ Jonathan Angress_
INFLUENCES: My musical influences range from the Golden Age hazanim, such as Moishe Oysher, Dovid Roitman and the Koussevitskys. Additionally, I am influenced by Shlomo Carlebach and anything upbeat.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30