Linda Rich

Who is Linda Rich?

Linda Rich is a hazzan who in February of 1978, while only in her teens, became the first female cantor to daven in a Conservative synagogue, although she was not ordained until 1996 when she finally received her ordination of "Hazzan Minister" from the "Jewish Theological Seminary" in New York. That same year she became a member of the "Cantors Assembly of America". The 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles, and Rich was chosen as their official cantor; she also sang at the "1984 World Chassidic Festival" in Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. An album entitled "World Chassidic Festival" was later released, containing among other songs her recording of "Barcheynu Avinu." In January of 2008, Cantor Linda received a Commendation from the "City of Los Angeles" for her "extraordinary talent and accomplishments". Rich is a fifth-generation cantor from an Orthodox Jewish family. Her father was well-known Cantor Israel Reich of New York and Los Angeles, and both of her brothers, Barry and Brian, are cantors as well in the Bay Area.