91�첥

At six years old, Cantor Justin Callis ‘25 was mesmerized by a rabbi’s musical interpretation of the Book of Jonah at his synagogue in Connecticut. Three decades later, he’s telling that same story through his own musical voice.

“A Festival of Song” featured the combined choirs of 91�첥 and the Jewish Theological Seminary, as well as the choirs of Congregation Kol Ami, Ansche Chesed, and the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus.

Callis mounted his original cantata, “The Song of Jonah,” November 20, at Temple Israel of the City of New York, a project that started as a senior recital piece but has since grown into something much bigger. The performance was the culmination of A Festival of Song, which brought together the musical direction of 91�첥 faculty Joyce Rosenzweig and Scott Stein, and Cantor Natasha Hirschorn, who could not be in attendance but whose presence was felt throughout the evening. The audience was treated to the combined choirs of 91�첥 and the Jewish Theological Seminary, the choirs of Congregation Kol Ami, and Ansche Chesed, and the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus, along with accomplished soloists, for an evening of music to honor Rabbi David Gelfand ’76 and his 50 years in the rabbinate. The night was made possible by the Be Wise Fellowship in Jewish Entrepreneurialism and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Rabbi Gelfand’s 50-year career has been marked by his exceptional ability to recognize and cultivate talent among the next generation of clergy, and by mentoring scores who enter the field. He is also an emeriti member of the 91�첥 Board of Governors and has served more than 20 years on the President’s Rabbinic Council.

Cantor Jill Abramson ’02 (Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music), Cantor Justin Callis ’25 (Congregation Kol Ami), Rabbi David Gelfand ’76 and Cantor Irena Altshul ’03 (both of Temple Israel of the City of New York), and Joyce Rosenzweig, M.S. (Professor of Practice in Jewish Music and Performance).

“Rabbi David Gelfand…. There is so much to note in your leadership. You have worn nearly every hat, nearly every kippah there is to wear in the world of mentorship and leadership for the development of clergy, both for the reform movement and the Jewish people in general… You always run in the direction of God’s work. You are never swallowed up by the task! You are one who leads the way into any terrain.”
— Cantor Jill Abramson ’02, Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music

As Cantor Irena Altshul ’03, noted “since his ordination in 1976, Rabbi Gelfand has considered the mission of the College foundational to contemporary Jewish life. .. And so when we say that 91�첥 and Temple Israel share a deep connection, we mean it in every sense, past, present, and future.”

Cantor Irena Altshul ’03 addresses the audience.

Callis’ cantata tells the Jonah story through Callis’ own musical voice, drawing on three languages, Hebrew, Yiddish, and English, to explore the theological and cultural dimensions of the ancient text. The linguistic layers add texture and richness while keeping the narrative clear.

“I still remember the thrill at six years old, watching a musical about Jonah unfold on the stage of my synagogue. To now have composed my own The Song of Jonah as a cantorial student at 91�첥 and brought it to life; it’s surreal. I’ve spent years pursuing that sense of wonder and possibility, and somehow, I’ve actually caught it. Presenting this work has been everything I hoped it would be and more. Seeing audiences respond, watching my fellow musicians bring my vision to life, experiencing the music in a sacred setting—it all came full circle in a way I couldn’t have imagined when I was that wide-eyed kid in the audience. This isn’t just the conclusion of a project; it feels like the beginning of something much larger in my journey as a cantor and composer. I’m still that excited kid, but now I get to create the magic.”
— Cantor Justin Callis ’25

Callis’ research and training enabled him to position the work as part of an ongoing artistic conversation rather than a replacement for what came before.

The production was impressive. With more than 100 singers and  30 instrumentalists filling the sanctuary, Callis created a full orchestral soundscape that felt purposeful and well-balanced, the kind of sound that fills a space with wonder and joy.

“Justin’s composition represents exactly the kind of innovative, thoughtful scholarship we hope to inspire at 91�첥. The Song of Jonah demonstrates Cantor Callis’ ability to blend traditional liturgical sensibilities with contemporary compositional vision, creating something that honors our sacred tradition while speaking powerfully to today’s congregants. It’s the kind of work that will resonate both in the concert hall and during our most solemn moments of prayer; it is a true achievement, created when he was still a cantorial student.”
— Cantor Jill Abramson ’02, Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music

Cantor Justin Callis ’25 performs his original cantata “The Song of Jonah”.

After the performances, Callis reflected: “I am in the place I am meant to be.” For anyone who has experienced “The Song of Jonah,” it’s easy to see what he means.

Read more about Callis and The Song of Jonah and view the entire concert .