HAMILTON — Eyal Bitton remembers sitting at the seder table as a child with all of his cousins itching to get away and watch television.
Eyal Bitton
“I didn’t understand. I would never want it to end. I kept singing until I was hoarse. I want others to share that feeling.”
That’s why the Montreal-born Bitton became a cantor.
A composer and lyricist who has penned several musicals and oratorios, Bitton was musical director of Beth Tikvah Synagogue’s choir in Toronto for six years when he decided to become a cantor.
“I was sculpting the services behind the scenes, but it was being expressed by the cantor’s voice. I felt I could have more of an impact if I could do it myself,” he said.
Bitton took cantorial lessons, and two months later, he applied to an opening at Hamilton’s Beth Jacob Synagogue. He started there last September.
Talk about a big debut: Bitton began during the High Holidays.
But because he loves the music of the High Holidays so much, he said his nervousness just fell away.
“They say as a new cantor, you shouldn’t change the melodies. I changed dozens, but I felt it worked. The congregation was able to sing along immediately.”
Never formally taught music, Bitton, now 40, joined his synagogue choir as a boy. As he got older, he loved pop metal and the rock band Kiss and learned to play the guitar. He started writing songs as a teenager.
“I love pop music because of its energy and simplicity. You hear a new song and you can sing along right away,” he said.
This is what Bitton tries to do in his services. He performs a mix of traditional Ashkenazi and Moroccan melodies, along with his own pieces. Once a month, he does a theme service, such as using tunes from Beatles songs or last month’s Hollywood theme, which featured songs from television and movies.
“I don’t see the cantor as a performer, but as a song and prayer leader. I want to make sure the congregation is participating in the prayers.”
Bitton is married to actress-singer Michele Tredger. The two met when she auditioned for him in 1997. They became friends, and five years later, began dating.
Bitton has written the music and lyrics to musicals performed in Toronto, Montreal and Hong Kong. His choral compositions and arrangements have been performed in Ottawa, New York, California and Israel.
In Montreal, he has conducted choirs for the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Adath Israel Poale Zedek, Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools and La Chorale Kinor of the Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québec.
Bitton is also education director at Beth Jacob. In addition to the Hebrew program, Glee and Theatrix are new ways of reaching students. Through the Glee club, children learn and perform the music of the Sabbath service. Once a month, in Theatrix, they learn a Bible story and perform a scene.
“It’s about instilling passion when they are young, so as an adult, they will thirst for more and seek it out,” he said.
Beth Jacob Rabbi Dan Selsberg said Bitton brings a clear sense of energy, focus and drive to his roles as cantor and educator. “His ability to engage the congregation in song is unique among cantors working within a halachic framework,” Rabbi Selsberg said.
