Programs of Study
The Belz School offers courses leading up to:
- Cantorial diploma
- Associate cantorial certificate
The philosophy of the Belz School emphasizes synagogue service and community activities as a whole. Its curriculum includes preparation for leadership in synagogue prayer, music education and other educational endeavors that help meet vital Jewish communal needs.
The Belz program serves to counter the serious shortage of professionally educated cantors, ba'alei tefillah and music teachers. Courses are offered in nusach hatefilah [prayer-chants], cantillation, voice, piano, music theory, history of Jewish music and liturgy, safrut [Hebrew calligraphy] and Sephardic chazzanut [cantorial]. Study takes place in the Schottenstein Center on YU's Wilf Campus in Washington Heights. The professional facility includes classrooms, soundproof practice rooms, pianos and a library of cantorial, liturgical, educational, Israeli, Hasidic and general music.
Courses are open to the general public as well as to Yeshiva College undergraduate students with an interest in Jewish music. Preparatory Jewish music courses are also available as electives to qualified high school students.
