Siskin, Cantor Pamela

Cantor Pamela Siskin, died Wednesday, March 7, 2024, with family by her side. Born in England to Minna (z’l) and John (z”l) Reed. She studied music and opera in England and became a member of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She joined the Israel National Opera in Tel Aviv as Principal Mezzo-soprano where she lived for over a year. Upon returning to England, her friend, Cantor Bruce Halev, who was studying at the Hebrew Union College in NYC, persuaded her to pursue her Jewish studies and she became an ordained cantor in 1989.

She was privileged to serve the Jewish people for 30 years. Twenty of those years were spent with her beloved Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, CT. She retired in 2016 and came to live in St. Petersburg, FL, where she became involved with yet another beloved congregation, Temple Beth-el.

She is survived by her husband, Jerrold A. Siskin and their two children, Eve-alice and Joel-meyer as well as her brother, Malcolm, and marvelous cousins with whom she spent her youth and beyond.

A funeral will be graveside, with Rabbi Michael Pincus officiating, on Sunday, March 10, at 12:30pm, at the Beth Israel Cemetery, corner of Ward and Affleck St. (119 Affleck St.) Hartford. The funeral service will be livestreamed at the Beth Israel for those unable to attend the graveside service. Following interment, the family will receive friends, with a meal of condolence, at Congregation Beth Israel, 701 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. The family will return to Florida for shiva observance.

Donations can be made to Temple Beth-el, 400 Pasadena Avenue S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33707 or Congregation Beth Israel, 701 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06119 or Empath Suncoast Hospice, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33760. Funeral arrangements provided by Hebrew Funeral Association, Inc., West Hartford.