As a pioneering woman in her field, Cantor Riki Lippitz appreciated that change could be unsettling. When she first arrived at New Jersey’s Oheb Shalom Congregation as its first female cantor, some congregants were uncertain about what her presence might mean for the music they loved and the traditions they held dear. Lippitz met those fears with grace and understanding—showing that she could add to what people cherished without taking anything away. That openness and warmth helped expand what Jewish worship could sound and feel like, while preserving its familiar soul.
In our new Voices of Change interview, Cantor Lippitz describes her path as part of a broader story of strength and purpose:
“I have carried myself for a lifetime, as did my grandmother, knowing that everything I did and said, and the way I presented myself, and every element of my professional life would represent women everywhere ... It has been the greatest privilege of my lifetime to represent more than myself.”
But it is through her own voice—filled with spirit and humanity—that this legacy truly sings.
Read the full interview and listen to her recordings to discover Cantor Lippitz’s journey and voice for yourself.
Exactly What I Was Seeking: An Interview with Riki Lippitz
Kantigas Ulvidadas (Forgotten Songs), a song cycle by Ofer Ben-Amots, features three original settings of Ladino poems in which the composer uses the piano to artfully mimic the oud and the accordion. The poems explore themes of love, desire, and painful nostalgia.
Alex Weiser and Ben Kaplan tell the story of a Yiddish dictionary that never came to fruition in their new chamber opera. (Photo courtesy of YIVO)
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