If your DH is a chazzan for the yomim noraim....how much $

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Sep 05 2023, 8:13 pm

My husband learned sefardi chazzanut from yeshiva in e"y and every week leads a local minyan (without pay). They keep saying they will pay him but havent, but he views it as his contribution to the shul. So he isnt really sure whats accepted here in America.

He loves laining and has a lovely voice- sefardi havara. Someone from a different (wealthy) community called and wants to offer DH a job for RH and yom kippur. They want to pay $1000 for all 3 days, my husband said he wanted more and asked how much they could give. They came back with $1800.

Is this the going rate? What can my husband ask for?

It would include the full davening including selichot

amother

Midnight

Tue, Sep 05 2023, 9:04 pm

That's very low.
DH has been a chazzan for ten years unpaid. This year for his first paying job in America he is getting paid $7500 for just rosh Hashanah (maariv and mussaf both days. They asked if he would do shacharis also and dh said only if they pay more).
He was offered another job $5000 for rosh Hashanah and yom Kippur and he turned it down because it's too little.
We are Ashkenazi though, maybe for sefardic davening there's a different going rate.

amother

Cerise

Tue, Sep 05 2023, 11:03 pm

amother Heather wrote:

Wow and I thought they did it for free.

Depends on the shul.

But if someone not from your kehila is davening they are likely getting paid. They are leaving their shul and its a strenuous job they need to practice for.

amother

Dandelion

Tue, Sep 05 2023, 11:04 pm

amother Heather wrote:

Wow and I thought they did it for free.

My husband did it as a volunteer for a number of years. It’s not an easy job. It takes hours of practice before and a lot of strenuous effort during without being able to drink etc...

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Sep 05 2023, 11:48 pm

thank you all. they said they can do $1800 plus a bonus... my husband wasnt really sure what that meant. is the bonus another $50? another $100?

He has experience being a chazzan on shabbat, but not for rosh hashana. he will be prepping a lot this week and next. It includes shacharit, mussaf, mincha, arvit. Not for kriat hatorah though, even though he can. They have someone else for that.

My husband on the one hand wants to accept it because anyway he has to daven he might as well get paid, and he hasnt had any offers. But he still thinks its low. this person has a shul in his home and he usually flies someone in from e"y so theyre for sure for sure paying tons more than $1800...

wwyd?

amother

↑ Silver ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:04 am

amother OP wrote:

My husband has been doing only shacharis for years and will be doing mussaf this year. It’s a LOT of prep. Doing all tefillas is obviously a lot lot more. I honestly think 1800 is very low pay, but if he doesn’t mind it, has the time for prep and will be gaining the experience so he can find a shul that pays more next year it may be worth it for him.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:07 am

amother Silver wrote:

Does he have other offers?
My husband has been doing only shacharis for years and will be doing mussaf this year. It’s a LOT of prep. Doing all tefillas is obviously a lot lot more. I honestly think 1800 is very low pay, but if he doesn’t mind it, has the time for prep and will be gaining the experience so he can find a shul that pays more next year it may be worth it for him.

nope, mentioned in my previous comment he hasnt had any offers. hes starting out I guess. but he does shabbat davening which is so different.
can I ask how much ur dh is getting for shacharit and mussaf? ashkenaz?

btw this is in NY in a very affluent neighborhood

amother

↑ Silver ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:12 am

amother OP wrote:

Yes, I went back to edit my post because I reread my response and I’m like wait, you just mentioned he doesn’t have other offers!
He’s getting a lot more for mussaf and shofer blowing this year, yes ashkenaz, chasidish.
Th shachris was in a different place and shachris is less pay than mussaf.

P.s., side point, don’t know what the Sephardi minhag is in general, but as a bal tefila my husband wears his kittel on R’H. So just mentioning in case it applies to you because the first couple of years it was a scramble for us the last min when we remembered to prepare his kittel.

Eta, if it’s an affluent neighborhood and your husband has a good voice and is a good bal tefila, then there is really no need to be so stingy... unless it’s literally a 10 men minyan.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:14 am

amother Silver wrote:

Yes, I went back to edit my post because I reread my response and I’m like wait, you just mentioned he doesn’t have other offfers!
He’s getting a lot more for mussaf and shofer blowing this year, yes ashkenaz, chasidish.
Th shachris was in a different place and shachris is less pay than mussaf.

P.s., side point, don’t know what the Sephardi minhag is in general, but as a bal tefila my husband wears his kittel on R’H. So just mentioning in case it applies to you because the first couple of years it was a scramble for us the last min when we remembered to prepare his kittel.

ah got it

do u think my dh should just accept it? should he push for more? how much more can he push for?

and nope we dont wear or own a kittel but thanks for the heads up and reminder to whoever may be reading this post!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:14 am

whoops silver just saw u added an ETA. I believe its more than 10 men. its in his house (big big house). should DH ask how many men will be joining? bh my husband has a beautiful voice and is ehrlich and frum, the perfect combo for a chazzan! its really a huge achrayis to hire s/o who is a yirei shamayim as well and my husband is

amother

↑ Silver ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:19 am

amother OP wrote:

ah got it

I really can’t answer for you! For sure try to push for more, because hey, why not! (Maybe he should ask around the community what the going rate is. Maybe the pay scale is completely different where we live?)
I could just tell you, listening to my husband prepping hours every night, taking away time from his regular job (he usually works or learns evenings) that it’s quite a lot involved. Maybe the Sephardi nusach is less intricate? I don’t know! Maybe more complicated lol! Point is, as I mentioned above, if he feels he can do it and feels like he won’t be losing out- then what has he got to lose? He’ll only gain experience and have chances for a better paying position for Yom Kippur and for next year.

amother

↑ Silver ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 12:22 am

amother OP wrote:

Absolutely! And a huge huge zechus! (Bonus, you really get to be in the R’H mode in advance, and if you’re like me, with not much time to be in shul on R’H due to kids b’H, you get to be warmed up and can sing to self on R’H because it’s humming in your brain all week anyway:))
What I meant about the amount of men was in regards to who is paying. The more members, usually a better pay can be pooled.
He should definitely check the acoustics there 😉