91�첥

When Cantor Jonathan Comisar ’00 sits down to compose, he’s not just writing music, he’s documenting the emotional and spiritual landscape of the Jewish people in real time. A celebrated composer, performer, and 91�첥 faculty member where he teaches, Comisar blends Jewish tradition, personal storytelling, and contemporary artistry to create works that respond to the world around us. Through his compositions and mentorship of emerging cantors, he is helping shape a musical legacy that speaks to both ancient truths and urgent modern questions.

Reflecting on his role as both teacher and artist, Cantor Jill Abramson ‘02, Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music says, “Equally at home in the classroom or composing in the studio, Cantor Comisar nourishes the growth of his students, encouraging them to express sacred words with a diversity of sonic textures.”

Currently, Comisar is composing across a wide spectrum of genres, from classical choral works to musical theater. One of his most recent pieces, Chalom (Dream), is a choral and chamber work that wrestles with the dream of Israel. The prelude to the piece, which Comisar composed after October 7th, begins with a chorus crying. Built on melodic fragments from Hatikvah and inspired by creative midrash, the piece features a chorus that cries out in lament while angels and prophets observe the birth of the Jewish state from above. It is an emotional and spiritual reflection on dreams and their blind spots.

He’s also preparing to record and film many of his original compositions in a forthcoming project called MAGID, meaning storyteller, and developing a musical theater-style work that shares the stories of Jewish communities across the United States, some historical, some contemporary. Ultimately, he says, his spiritual calling is to tell the story of the Jewish People through the canvas of his musical composition, this includes asking the difficult questions of our time. “We are living through a turbulent and consequential time as a Jewish people,” he says. “I want to be an artistic witness to what is happening in our time.”

This desire to bear witness through music has led Comisar to embrace genre-blending as a defining aspect of his creative voice. “We live in a post-post-modern multicultural world where genres crisscross,” he explains. He cites Leonard Bernstein as a guiding influence, “my rebbe,” for the way Bernstein seamlessly moved between classical, theater, and Jewish musical expressions. For Comisar, regardless of the genre or setting, one principle anchors his work: “The words must be rendered clearly and honored for their meaning and nuances,” he says. “They come first.”

That reverence for language and meaning is clear in To Bigotry No Sanction, a cantata Comisar composed based on George Washington’s 1790 letter to the Jews of Newport, RI. Opening with French horns echoing haftarah, it builds to the prophet Micah’s words sung in Hebrew, then intoned in a cacophony of 18 different languages. That cacophony represents the mosaic of cultures and languages that would seek refuge on our shores. The work holds a chiaroscuro of “light and dark, hopeful and reflective tones,” says Comisar. Its final words “If we have wisdom…” offer a haunting warning. “Today, as we live through the darkest time in American history, I ponder if we Americans have the wisdom to uphold our democratic institutions, ” Comisar reflects. “And the question lingers with the last chimes of the bells.”

Behind-the-scenes filming of To Bigotry No Sanction in Philadelphia with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Comisar’s artistic sensibilities were shaped in profound ways during his time as a student. “The totality of the 91�첥 experience provided me with important insights into the vast treasure house and eclecticism of Jewish music,” he says. He credits Cantors Jack Mendelson ’70 and Israel Goldstein ’59, ��”l, with teaching him the emotional depth of the cantor’s voice in prayer, his studies with Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller ’87 with opening his ears to the soundscape of contemporary Reform synagogue repertoire and Professor Joyce Rosenzweig’s class showed him the rich world of Yiddish, Sephardic, and Israeli art songs. But it was during his Year-In-Israel, under the guidance of Cantor Eliyahu Schleifer, Ph.D., that he first understood the layered complexity of Jewish music, these “worlds within worlds,” as he called them. “All of these mentors and 91�첥 experiences propelled me toward my life’s work of telling the story of the Jewish people through music composition.”

Cantor Comisar with fellow faculty composer Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller ’87

For today’s cantorial students, Comisar offers this advice, “Learn to see the ocean beyond the waves.” Amid the demands of study and pulpit life, he encourages students to take time to dream and begin shaping their own cantorial vision. Whether it’s music programming, interfaith work, youth engagement, or something else he says, “The cantors who are doing the most dynamic work in the field are those who follow their dreams.”

Ultimately, Comisar believes music is more than an art form; it’s a sacred tool for connection and healing. He recalls leading a Shabbat service while feeling ill and having a congregant thank him afterward for lifting her spirits on the yahrzeit of her son. “It was a real lesson not to forget the sacred work we do through music and song,” he says. Especially in moments of despair, Comisar sees music as a lifeline. “Music is often the one thing that helps. It powerfully touches that underlying yearning for faith, for peace, for sanity.”

As a composer, performer, and teacher, Comisar continues to inspire others to use music as a force for good. His message to the next generation of cantor-composers is clear: honor the sacred power of words, follow your dreams boldly, and use your music to help your community discover hope and meaning. And above all, don’t be afraid to say something new. Now more than ever, we need voices of courage.

Cantor Comisar receives an honorary doctorate recognizing his 25+ years of service.