MOLLY D. MAY
hchk kdh h, jyc lsxjc hbtu hkg knd hf wvk vrhat l, guahc
But as for me, I have trusted in Your kindness; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord, for the Lord has been good to me.
~ Psalm 13:6
My journey toward the cantorate was through music and through education. I became an educator in order to help people to feel seen and heard, becoming their best selves through the study of music. Teaching music was secondary to teaching people, be they kindergarteners with drums or congregational singers ranging in age from twenty-two through ninety-two.
I am fortunate to have strong roots— a loving family, rich Jewish traditions throughout my life, and musical direction from a young age. In high school I began playing the double bass in addition to singing, and the bass became my primary instrument at the University of Michigan School of Music. The bass gave me a reason to stand tall and opened the doors to my becoming a music educator for several years. I met my husband, also a music educator at the time, and we had our first child in 2007. Less than a year later, he was diagnosed with cancer, which caused us to change course in every conceivable way.
Nearly six years after that initial meeting, I am honored to be ordained as a cantor and teacher in Israel. I am grateful to my husband Chuck for his steadfast support. We are so blessed by our sons David, Jesse, and Andy, and because of David, we believe in miracles. I am also thankful for my parents, Linda and Alan Doernberg. I hope to always embrace and share their values of education and curiosity, as well as hospitality and accessibility. My gratitude also extends to teachers, mentors, colleagues, friends, and family.
As I take my place in the Jewish clergy community, I look forward to continuing the work of drawing on wisdom and tradition in order to forge authentic connections. Whether my medium is music, sacred text, or clinical chaplaincy, I will seek holiness in my work and see holiness in those whom I serve.
After our son’ s long but successful treatment, I fell into the world of synagogue music, gradually becoming a cantorial soloist in a large congregation. I engaged in thoughtful worship planning, I taught music and Hebrew in the religious school, and I initiated and directed the temple choir. I later became the director of the Pittsburgh chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. It was because of HaZamir that I attended the North American Jewish Choral Festival, where I was introduced to Cantor Gladys Gruenwald z” l, representing The Academy for Jewish Religion.
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