A musician’s craft.A philosopher’s curiosity.A cantor’s calling.

Meet Cantor Jake

Tradition is a conversation, not a museum.

Cantor Jake Harris is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and spiritual leader whose work brings Jewish tradition into conversation with the present.

Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cantor Jake began learning guitar at a neighborhood music store and developed his musical instincts by listening to and imitating classic rock recordings. At the same time, the cantorial music he heard in synagogue was quietly shaping his understanding of melody, prayer, and spiritual expression. He later studied voice, piano, and composition at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, building formal craft around the musical curiosity that had guided him since childhood.

In 2022, Cantor Jake entered the Cantorial Intern Program of the Cantors Assembly, a course of study designed to provide working spiritual leaders with the education and preparation required to serve the Jewish people as cantors. After completing the program and passing its required examinations, he was admitted as a full member of the Cantors Assembly on February 9, 2024.

Cantor Jake believes music can bring people together, deepen prayer, and help individuals discover their own paths toward spiritual meaning. His family connection to the great synagogue composer Louis Lewandowski continues to inform his relationship with Jewish sacred music. Whether leading worship, performing, teaching, composing, or collaborating with a community, Cantor Jake strives to create music that honors tradition while remaining emotionally alive and accessible.

Outside of his cantorial work, Cantor Jake enjoys cooking, playing piano, and writing music. He and his wife, Cantor Rachel Slusky Harris, are building a beautiful life together, filled with music, laughter, and a shared love of family and community.