The 53-year-old, of Notting Hill, west London, will undertake 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £500 compensation and sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
Lawson pleaded guilty to seven charges of making indecent photographs of children and a further three charges of distributing the images.
When he was arrested, police officers discovered more than 270 images of children, including more than 75 rated at the two highest levels of depravity under the Crown Prosecution Service’s sentencing guidelines.
The cantor was well-known on London’s Jewish choral circuit and had in the past been praised by Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks for his performances at New West End.