chazan

Edit

Pronunciations

chazan (khah-ZAHN) listen
chazan (KHAH-zin) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • n. The official at a synagogue who leads the congregation in prayer and song.

Example Sentences

  • "The hazzan began the prayer and the rest of the congregation joined in."

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH חזן khazán > Y חזן kházn

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
      • View More

      Alternative Spellings

      hazzan, chazzan, khazan, hazan, hazzen, chazzen

Notes

  • More often used by non-Orthodox Jews, as non-Orthodox synagogues are more likely to have a professional cantor.

Edit     Something missing from this entry? Inaccurate? Feel free to suggest an edit.