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Glite Dictionary
hazzan

hazzan

9.9
A person who leads singing and prayers in a Jewish synagogue
  • noun
  • /hɑːˈzɑːn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : jazán
  • The hazzan led the congregation in song during the Passover service.

Examples

  • During the Yom Kippur service, the hazzan chanted prayers that resonated through the synagogue.

  • Know the name of the hazzan?

    Fiction book (1997)

  • I heard it on a record a long time ago, a scratchy old record—a hazzan who wrote his own music singing in a haunting, moving kind of way.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • As the hazzan began to sing, the attendees joined in, creating a beautiful harmony.

Synonyms

cantor
vshazzan
69 7.7

Person who leads singing in a synagogue or church during services

is specific to synagogues and adds wider religious duties
hazan
vshazzan
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A person who leads songs and prayers in a synagogue, often singing alone

is a synagogue leader who also performs wider religious duties
chazan
vshazzan
9.9

A person who leads the singing of prayers in a synagogue

is similar but includes additional religious duties beyond singing
chazzan
vshazzan
9.9

A person who leads prayers and sings in a synagogue

focuses on synagogue role and also involves other ritual duties

How Senior

hazzan
  • Specialized
9.9
chorister
2 7.5

Surface Forms

hazzan singular
hazzanim plural

Etymology

Hazzan comes from the Hebrew and Aramaic word chazzan/ḥazzān, meaning 'overseer' or 'leader'. A helpful image is a leader who guides the prayers and leads the singing and chanting in the synagogue, which is why today a hazzan is the person who leads the congregation's songs and prayers.