Wonder, Winding Roads, and Song: Cantor Vera Broekhuysen's Journey

A cross‑country road trip, the loss of her parents, a visit to a church, and a moment of spontaneous prayer. Although the trail had already been blazed by women cantors before her, for Vera Broekhuysen, the journey to becoming a cantor was far from predestined.

Today, the Cambridge‑raised musician serves Congregation Beth El of the Sudbury River Valley with a fusion of traditional nusaḥ and the global folk harmonies she honed while touring internationally and studying ethnomusicology. Her rich musical journey was rooted in a childhood surrounded by classical piano and folk records, and was deepened through experiences of communal singing and profound encounters with spiritual expression. These elements combined to serve Cantor Broekhuysen's discovered calling: to make the world more beautiful at the intersection of Judaism and music.

“Music is where our history lives, where our language lives, where our hopes live… and where so much of what is precious and empathetic and good in our lives is located. Our songs help reinforce and share and teach all of that.”

Discover Cantor Broekhuysen's journey, and how she keeps working to make the world more beautiful.

An Interview with Vera Broekhuysen

Voices of Change: A Look Back and What's Ahead

We are over halfway through our celebration of women who have helped expand and advance the American cantorate. Revisit the Voices of Change series to discover the trailblazers who made it possible for women like Cantor Broekhuysen to find their calling in the cantorate. Explore the stories of pioneers like Barbara Ostfeld, Deborah Katchko-Gray, and Nancy Abramson, among others, who changed hearts, minds, and traditions. And, stay tuned to this space for our final two interviews with Erica "Riki" Lippitz and Linda Rich, and an article by Rachel Adelstein exploring the role of gender in the modern cantorate.

Voices of Change Series Guide

Recovered Voices: Preserving the work of persecuted Jewish composers

Jon Kalish interviews New York pianist Jeanne Golan about her effort to record the music of Viktor Ulmann and Mieczyslaw Weinberg.