By Eileen Wingard in San Diego
“Did this experience bring you closer to your community?”
That question was part of the JFest survey following the Ohad Moskowitz program. It prompted me to recall all the wonderful people in our San Diego Jewish Community I encountered that evening, people who make our Jewish Community so special, people who support Jewish culture, Jewish peoplehood and our JFest.
In the lobby, I saw Linda Bennett, who travels to Jerusalem regularly to serve on the Hebrew University Board; at the ticket desk was Todd Salovey, JFest Director for 33 years; in the aisle, I spoke to July Galper, who goes to the America-Israel Cultural Foundation auditions in Israel and brings young Israeli artists to San Diego.
I was with my neighbor Shelley Druskin, retired student counselor from UCSD, who was seated on my right and Edna Yedid, beloved Hebrew teacher who served at the Jewish Academy for 40 years, who was seated on my left; behind me was Alma Geiger, retired JCC Preschool Director and Director of the JCC Day Camp.
I saw Sari Esserman, who last Thursday was my guest for the Music for Yom Yerushalayim program at the JCC, where she described her experiences as a child during the Six Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem. Sylvia Roth, South African-born sculptress and retired preschool teacher, stopped to chat as did retired nurse, Wendy Abraham, whose past includes volunteering at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem; and I smiled at Jeff Myers, now the board president of JFest and his wife, Perla Myers, executive director of the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at USC and parents of JFest Managing Director, Becca Myers. The sanctuary of Congregation Beth Israel was completely full.
The program was dedicated to the memory of Rhoda Gaylis, South African-born pianist, vocal coach and choir director who died this past Shavuot at age 96.
She was the founding director, 28 years ago, of the San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir. The choir, under the direction of their current director, Ruth Weber, recently returned from successful performances on the East Coast highlighted by their sold-out concert in Carnegie Hall.
They opened the program with selections from their repertoire, beginning with the Yiddish, Alle Brider and ending with a rousing medley of familiar Israeli songs.
Ohad Moskowitz, featured vocalist on the program, has a beautiful, versatile voice and chose selections from the liturgy and from Israeli songs. He ended with those with pop music influence. In fact, the conclusion of the concert had large segments of the audience standing, enthusiastically waving their illuminated iPhones as if they were at a rock concert.
One of the beautiful moments was when Moskowitz intoned the Kol Nidre prayer from the Yom Kippur service. This, he did a cappella and without the microphone, reveling his remarkable unadorned tenor.
South African-born Chazzan, Colin Schachat, one of Gaylis’s students, joined Moskowitz in a duet and then sang a Yiddish medley of songs dedicated to his teacher’s memory, songs about Mame, including A Brievele Der Mame, Oy Mame, Bin Ich Ferliebt and ending with a stirring rendition of Mayn Yiddishe Mame. His beautiful baritone is scheduled to be featured in Wednesday evening’s program at Congregation Adat Yeshurun, “From Joburg to La Jolla: The South African Jewish Community.”
Another highlight of this evening dedicated to Rhoda Gayliswas when Becca Myers, who is a writer and actress in the Women of Valor productions, read a portion of Gaylis’ own words from the script with which she was once honored.
“Hashem gave me a gift: a brain filled with music and perfect pitch.” She used her gift to bring joy to the world.
What a beautiful program in memory of a great lady, Rhoda Gaylis, featuring the Belgium-born Israeli vocalist, Ohad Moskowitz with South African-born Chazzan Colin Schachat and opening with the San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir which Rhoda Gaylis founded.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.