Tifani Katof
Temple Ohav Shalom’s music department has recently been enhanced by a grant from the Snow Family Foundation, and has grown over the past six years to include a music ensemble as well as the opportunity to hire a cantorial intern for services and special events.
Ms. Tifani Katof is a cantorial student from the Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music, hired to serve as our cantorial intern for the year. Tifany visits Pittsburgh every other weekend to lead services, coordinate musical features of Sunday school, and lead us in music for special events.
Elaine Rose, former Temple Ohav Shalom president and chair of the search committee, said of Katof, “She just bubbled and had lots of energy and spirit. She’s just a real gem and it is a privilege to have her teach us, be a part of what we’ve been developing, and to take us to the next level.”
Katof appealed to the committee in part because she is young and has experience with b’nai mitzvoth students. Rose said that Temple Ohav Shalom is a young congregation with an eye toward building up the youth program. Rose added, “It didn’t hurt that she was a Pittsburgh native. She didn’t see it as a foreign country; she has a connection here.”
The feeling was mutual. Katof, who grew up in the South Hills and attended Temple Emanuel, said she felt an immediate connection to Donsky and the other committee members when she met them at the audition. “The three of them were so friendly and so excited and enthusiastic. I felt their energy and how much they wanted a student. I felt like they would really use me to my fullest level.”
She also added, “I was mostly impressed by how many musicians and soloists there are in the temple community that sing and create music in a prayer atmosphere. It’s a musically friendly environment.”
Katof knew she wanted to be a cantor at her bat mitzvah, and since then, has followed a path that ultimately led her to her studies at the School of Sacred Music, including being a song leader for her NFTY region.
After high school, Katof attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where she majored in Jewish Studies and minored in vocal performance. She was also quite active in Hillel. She also accumulated a good deal of intense musical theater background, and she plays guitar and piano.
Katof has completed two years of cantorial training and has another three years before she becomes an invested cantor. Katof served as a cantorial intern for another, larger synagogue in Long Island last year as part of her training requirement, assisting the resident cantor. There she coached about 100 B’nai Mitzvot students.
Donsky explained that to obtain a cantorial intern, the synagogue has to either be a large synagogue with a need for a second cantor, or be a smaller synagogue with under 300 membership units. Temple Ohav Shalom falls in the latter category.
Donsky said he sees Katof in the role of helping with both family and adult services, as well as being available for special programming and family music concerts. In addition, she will teach and lead services in the religious school, assist with the teen chorus, and offer workshops for volunteer soloists.
Katof has a number of ideas for musical programming at the temple, but she is going to play it by ear. “Whatever the congregation needs from me, I’m going to do my best to find the answer and bring it to them. I feel like I have to come in the door, see what people want and build from there.”
Donsky said, “I think it’ll be great to pick up where Julie left off. Tifani also has some additional skills in teen song leading; she plays guitar so she can work with them. She has a nice repertoire of music so it’s both an opportunity for us to continue to grow our music program and an opportunity for us to mentor someone.”
