Cantor Claire Franco

A chance encounter with a religious school educator, some music teaching and a Friday night service led her to her calling and more literally to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) first in Jerusalem and then in New York. It was there that she realized that this profession would allow her to combine all of the things that she loved: music, teaching, and bringing people closer to Judaism and to God.

While at HUC-JIR in New York, Cantor Franco served as the student cantor at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Manhattan. Upon her ordination in 1996, she went to Temple B'nai Shalom in East Brunswick, New Jersey where she served as the cantor for 7 years. Cantor Franco joined the clergy team of The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, NY in 2003.

Cantor Franco currently serves as the President of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC).  She was elected after serving as a vice president for nine years with three different portfolios.  From 2015-2019, she was responsible for the acquisition and oversight of Transcontinental Music Publications; the largest Jewish music publishing company in the world. She is a past president of the Alumni Association of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music; the institution from which she received her Masters in Sacred Music and her ordination as Cantor in 1996.

She has authored articles for the Union for Reform Judaism and can be heard on many of their recordings. In November of 2010, Cantor Franco performed in concert at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli dei Martiri in Rome. This concert was featured in a documentary "To God's Ears” released the same year.

But her proudest and most important accomplishments are her 25 years of happy marriage to Alan and their three girls; Lael, Eden and Emory.

Click here to contact Cantor Franco.