- April 3, 2025
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The cantor tradition hasn't always been inclusive of women motivated to express their faith through this time-honored musical practice. The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the first female cantor, Barbara Ostfeld.
Local cantor Riselle Bain shared in an interview her appreciation for how the field has changed, providing an avenue for her to celebrate her beliefs through song.
"It means so much to me to be part of that change," she said. "When I was growing up, women were not cantors."
Bain recently joined the women of Temple Beth Israel's congregation as the ordained cantor leading a special Passover service on March 25. Last year was the first time the temple hosted a service specifically for the community's women.
She earned her cantor certification through the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music and the American Conference of Cantors, the same institution where Ostfeld earned her title.
"It's definitely a commitment of time and energy and study," Bain said.
From a young age, Bain felt motivated to express herself through music and acting. The Los Angeles-born starlet found one of her biggest roles as Miriam, Moses' young sister, in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments."
She holds the memories of the experience dear, right from the beginning, when the associate director asked her to pull her sweater over her head as a scarf during auditions. After gaining his approval for the character's look, Bain faced one final task — impressing DeMille.
She recited poetry by William Wordsworth, and with that, secured her place in cinematic history.
Bain also played the role of Hodel in a Sacramento-based performance of "Fiddler on the Roof" and the title role of Eva Peron in the First National Tour of "Evita."
Beyond the roles Bain said what she most enjoyed from her acting career were the people she grew to know, fondly remembering the dance classes she took with Liza Minelli in Manhattan.
Her career as a cantor and actress have intertwined as interesting points. For example, she titled the Haggadah for the Longboat service "Following in Miriam's Footsteps."
"I feel as if she put the seed there for me, as a little girl, to become a cantor," Bain said.
She has held notable titles, including past president and founding member of the Bay Area Cantorial Association, a member of the Sarasota Manatee Rabbinical Association, and a committee member with the American Conference of Cantors.
However, it wasn't enough to become an expert cantor. She wanted to contribute her own creation to the field she loves.
Bain crafted the original composition, "Tikkun Olam — A Song for Equality and Social Justice" in 2010. The piece served as the opening spiritual anthem for an Israeli Embassy function, recognizing countries that helped Holocaust victims.
"'Tikkun Olam' means 'repairing the world,'" she explained.
Now, one of her focuses is bringing together community members at the Sebring-based Temple Israel of Highlands County, where she has been the spiritual leader since 2015.
She hopes to continue offering her services to uplift Longboaters at the annual gathering.
"To share the Haggadah, and to every now and then infuse some of the things that are a part of me, is a great joy, an honor, something that fills my soul," she said. "I feel like Miriam is with me."
