Women Cantors Network

Women Cantors Network is an international outreach support group for female cantors, which works for the nationwide recognition and employment of qualified female cantors.[1] It was founded in 1982 by Cantor Deborah Katchko-Zimmerman, who was the granddaughter of a prominent cantor (Adolph Katchko), and who was trained privately by her father, also a cantor.[1][2][3] At the first meeting of what became the Women Cantors Network, only twelve women attended.[4] In 1983 the Women Cantors Network began regularly publishing a newspaper, in 1993 its constitution and bylaws were written, in 1997 it began to commission new Jewish music, and in 1998 it created an online list-serve network.[3]

In 2011 the Women Cantors' Network had a piece commissioned for them honoring the Liberty Bell, which they performed at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[5] It was composed by cantor Lori Sumberg of Tucson, Arizona, and was called “Song of the Bell.”[5]