John Kaplan is an American cantor. [1] [2] He was Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Appeals of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) and was Secretary of the ACC Executive Board. [2] In 2010, the ACC named him Volunteer of the Year. [2] In 1981, he became Cantor of Temple Israel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he served as clergy liaison to its committee on congregational caring, God’s Unfinished Business. [2] In 2014, he became spiritual leader of CongregationB'nai Israel in Jackson, a position similar to that of a pastor, which had traditionally been held by a rabbi. [1]
Education
Kaplan attended University of North Texas, then obtained a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Memphis Theological Seminary. [2] His Cantorial Certification and Investiture was from the HUC-JIR School of Sacred Music in New York. [2] He trained under Cantor Joseph Cycowski in Palm Springs, California, then trained under Cantor William Sharlin of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, California. [2]