REGISTRATION 

Barbara Ostfeld didn’t become obsessed by singing until she was two. At age 17 she cracked through a ‘stained glass ceiling’ and was admitted to Hebrew Union College’s School of Sacred Music. At age By 22 she became the first woman ordained as a cantor in 3,000 years of Jewish history. She served for more than 27 years as cantor of congregations in New Jersey and New York, and then for ten years as the placement director of the American Conference of Cantors.

In addition to writing articles and essays, Cantor Ostfeld’s very personal book, Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim, tells the story of an insightful, opinionated eight-year-old growing up plump, nerdy and Jewish in a Chicago suburb. Three things make her happy: singing, reading books, and going to Temple. Ridicule makes her afraid to open her mouth…but her love of singing propels her. Overcoming her own crises and the challenges of finding her way in a male profession, Barbara Ostfeld shows us that we are all brave pioneers at becoming our true selves.

Follow this link to purchase Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim