Congregation Beth Torah will welcome Cantor Jacqueline Marx, an acclaimed cantor, columnist, and friend of Rabbi Javier Cattapan, for Shabbat on Aug. 5, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.
Cantor Marx and Beth Torah’s Senior Rabbi Cattapan met when starting their studies at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 1993. Rabbi Cattapan said that he and Cantor Marx loved singing together in Israel.
Following their year in Israel, Rabbi Cattapan visited New York City for the first time, where Cantor Marx completed her studies at Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Cattapan was roaming the streets of the Upper West Side when he heard someone calling his name. He then realized it was Cantor Marx.
Cantor Jacqueline Marx has served Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge, Tennessee (jcortn.org), as Interim Sole Spiritual Leader since fall of 2021. She studies online at Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary (Post-Denominational) and plans to be ordained as a Rabbi in December.
In May of 2022, she received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion after 25 years in the cantorate. HUC-JIR ordained her as Cantor the same year she earned a Master of Sacred Music with a thesis and recital on Shirei ha-Ma’alot (Songs of Ascent): Psalms 120-134.
Cantor Marx’s columns on local performance events have appeared in the now-defunct New Jersey newspaper The Jewish State (loc.gov/item/2005222924/) for which she also wrote “Diary of an Infertile Mother,” a series of columns on infertility and adoption in the Jewish community. She has published several articles in the Union for Reform Judaism’s “Ten Minutes of Torah” online commentary (reformjudaism.org/author/cantor-jacqueline-l-marx).
Her short story “The Cantor’s Cat” was published in “Chicken Soup for the Cat- and Dog-Lover’s Soul.” She also appears as the fictitious Governor of Kansas in “Steal Away Home,” Lois Ruby’s historical novel for young people about the Underground Railroad.
Cantor Marx happily shares her home with her two adult children, Harry and Miriam, and cats Elijah, Argento, and Molly.
Those interested can call the Beth Torah Office (913-498-2212) to learn more about this Shabbat with Cantor Jacqueline Marx. There are no RSVPs or costs to attend.