In Jewish life the role joins music, prayer, and ritual leadership.
A cantor leads liturgical prayer in song
Britannica defines the cantor, or hazzan, as the Jewish official who directs liturgical prayer in the synagogue and leads the chanting.
That is the center of the job. The cantor is responsible for how the congregation moves through sung prayer.
The role has been broader than music alone
Britannica notes that in earlier times the hazzan could also care for the synagogue, supervise children's religious education, and look after the needy.
That older range matters because it shows the cantor as more than a performer. The role grew inside communal service.
Cantors shape the emotional sound of prayer
Even where a rabbi leads the institution, the cantor often shapes how a service is felt. Melody, pacing, repetition, and chant can determine whether prayer feels formal, intimate, mournful, or triumphant.
Why the role still matters
The cantor still matters because Jewish prayer is textual, but not silent. A congregation often learns devotion through voice before it learns it through analysis.
The shortest accurate answer
A cantor is the Jewish liturgical leader who directs prayer and chant in the synagogue and helps shape the communal sound of worship.