Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter Janis Ian Joins Celebration of Cantor F. Hochman

How do you say, “Thank you,” to a person who has given 36 years to thousands of individuals as a spiritual leader of a synagogue? How do the clergy, lay leaders and membership of Congregation M’kor Shalom communicate such tremendous gratitude to Cantor Anita Hochman for the positive impact she has made on so many lives? Their answer was to invite the Cantor’s musical inspiration as the special guest at a dinner in her honor. And, that is exactly what is happening when Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Janis Ianis the special guest at Congregation M’kor Shalom on Sunday, June 4, 2017 from 5 to 9 p.m. when Cantor Anita Hochman will be presented the Marylee and Stuart Alperin M’kor Or (Source of Light) Leadership Award. Ian will perform during the program at M’kor Shalom, located at 850 Evesham Road, Cherry Hill, NJ.

For Cantor Hochman, this is beyond her expectations. She said, “I just can’t believe Janis Ian is going to be here! I love all her songs – they are ingrained in me. When I was a teenager, I would sing in coffeehouses and it was always her songs that I sang.” She always appreciated Janis’ blues, folk and jazz style and her “amazing” talent as a lyricist. She also noticed their similarities. Hochman added with a smile, “I even sang in her key. And, we looked alike!”

This milestone event will top off Cantor Hochman’s retirement celebrations but she will never be far from M’kor Shalom as her role will continue as Cantor Emerita, performing various roles for the synagogue. Arriving at M’kor Shalom in November 1981, she has served as spiritual leader, music director and educator, making music a fundamental part of the identity of the congregation, providing a thread of continuity and source of strength throughout all the years she’s been part of the M’kor Shalom family.

Chairs of the dinner, David and Susan Olinsky and Gary and Marlene Dworkin, look at the evening as a celebration for everyone whose lives have been touched by Cantor Hochman. Susan Olinsky, past president of M’kor Shalom, said, “We know there are thousands of people who have benefited in some way by knowing the Cantor, whether they were directly taught by her, were members of our congregation or guests at a ceremony or service. We hope many people from her present life and past will join us. In fact, we recommend people respond quickly because this could easily be a sold-out event.”

For Cantor Hochman, there have been so many highlights of her experiences at M’kor Shalom, topped by the honor of being part of families from generation to generation. She said, “Training children of parents I once trained for Bar and Bat Mitzvah is my greatest honor. Most people in their work life don’t have this kind of fulfillment. It is truly L’dor vador …. from generation to generation. One example is the Molotsky family – I have trained 11 members of their family. And, then there is Andrea and Jeremy Fau, both members of M’kor Shalom when they were children. I even named Andrea, trained them both for their B’nai Mitzvah, married them and, now, I will participate in the naming of their new-born son, Zachary. These moments are among the very best aspects of being with our M’kor Shalom family all these years.

The June 4th dinner celebration includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert and is open to the community. For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit: mkorshalom.org or call 856-424-4220.

About Cantor Anita F. Hochman:

Cantor Hochman’s infectious love for Jewish choral music has inspired both singers and listeners of all ages. As conductor of M’kor Shalom’s renowned 45-member volunteer choir, the Cantor and choir recorded, SHIREI MAKOR – Songs of Our Source and together they have performed in Israel, at Carnegie Hall, with the New Jersey Opera company at Symphony Hall and at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. In addition, The Unity Choir that she has helped to form through a partnership with Dr. Beverly Collins, Evelyn Thomas and Donavon Soumas is a source of great excitement and pride and every Martin Luther King, Jr weekend draws attendance of 1,000 people from the community and beyond. Cantor Hochman, a Cherry Hill resident who grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, holds a BS in Music Education from West Chester University, and an MA in Jewish Music from Gratz College. She served as president of the Woman Cantors' Network for five years.

About Janis Ian:

Janis Ian is an American singer/songwriter whose worldwide career has garnered more than two dozen platinum records. Most widely recognized for “At Seventeen” in North America, she’s also had multiple #1 records in countries as diverse as Japan and the Netherlands.

Born in 1951 in New York, Ian had her first song published at the age of thirteen, and began her recording career a year later. “Discovered” by Leonard Bernstein, she was featured by him in a prime time television special, where he castigated radio stations for their cowardice in refusing to play her first record, “Society’s Child”. The next day, many of them apologized, and a hit was born.

Ian’s career is nothing if not diverse; her ten Grammy nominations include Best Jazz Duet (with Mel Torme), Best Album (Between the Lines), Song of the Year (“At Seventeen”), spoken word (Patience & Sarah) among others. She won Grammys for best female vocalist (“At Seventeen”), best spoken word (Society’s Child: My Autobiography), and best engineered album (an ancillary award for Between the Lines.) A staff columnist at Performing Songwriter and The Advocate for many years, she is also a contributor to The Huffington Post. Of late, she’s turned her hand to writing science fiction stories, and using her years of study under Stella Adler to act in several television shows.

Janis and her wife Patricia are the founders of The Pearl Foundation (named after her mother), an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charitable foundation, launched in 1998. It was formed to fund college scholarships for returning students as a tribute to Pearl, who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis, and was given a new lease on life because of her time at Goddard College's program for returning students. The Pearl Foundation is funded solely through merchandise purchases and donations at shows and Janis’ website. By the end of 2016, more than $983,000 had been disbursed in scholarship funds. http://www.thepearlfoundation.org/

For more information about Janis Ian, visit www.janisian.com.