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Cantor Raphael Frieder, High Holiday Cantor

Cantor Raphael Frieder started his professional career as a music teacher, choral conductor, and High Holiday Cantor. He was also asked to come back to the Aliyah Music Teachers’ College where he earned his teaching degree in Biblical cantilation, only two years after graduation. After pursuing classical music singing at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music, he started his career in singing classical music and opera, as well as leading High Holiday Services. As a very young singer, he was selected by Leonard Bernstein to perform the world premiere of one of Bernstein's last compositions, "Arias and Barcarolles." He also performed at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, as well as many concert halls and Synagogues in Israel, Europe and the US. Being raised as an observant Jew, Cantor Frieder also brought his talent to the Synagogue, following a few years of private studies with leading Cantors in Israel and in London, he held a few High Holiday positions before taking a position in London. At a certain point he decided to focus on Hazzanut and took the full time position at Temple Israel of Great Neck. Cantor Frieder led the Temple Israel community into the 21st century, making the services packed with vibrant congregational tunes, many of which were composed by him. He has also encouraged and taught members to participate in services by reading Torah and leading parts of the services. These efforts led to annual member-led Shabbatot, with 50 to 70 participants, and months of T'filah learning before each of these Shabbatot. Cantor Frieder has also conducted children, teens and adult choirs and singing groups. Cantor Frieder ran the Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutoring program at Temple Israel, and developed a successful teaching approach that included teaching the trope and creating a cadre of students who learned the skills of chanting Torah and Haftarah. Cantor Frieder has also composed many tunes for the Synagogue, and is in the middle of transcribing Nusach Hat'filah (the mode of prayer) for Shabbat and Holiday T'filot. He also became a "movie star" when he played the role of the Hazzan in the hit movie Keeping The Faith. He recently played the Hazzan in the series Hunters, which was released in February 2020 by Amazon.