Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z”l

Cantor Sheldon Merel

Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel of San Diego.

His CDs, available on Amazon, include:

‘A Walk in the Woods,’ old but current

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel SOLANA BEACH, California — A Walk in The Woods at the North Coast Rep is engaging, informative and entertaining with a fine script and superb acting. The history of the play goes back the Cold War when Russia controlled Eastern Europe, half of Germany, and half of Berlin, while the […]

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

‘A Walk in the Woods’ stopped before it started

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel SOLANA BEACH, California — My daughter Judith and I had tickets for the North Coast Rep on Sunday afternoon to see A Walk in the Woods with David Ellenstein, and J.Todd Adams. We arrived at the theater in plenty of time to pick up our tickets , get seated and

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

On Memorial Day, don’t forget the U.S. Merchant Marine

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — The U.S. Merchant Marine were the men and their ships who brought soldiers, food, airplanes, oil and every essential item to our troops all over the world during World War II. Merchant ships and crews were on the front lines and suffered staggering losses from Nazi submarines

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, USA

Family, clergy, extol Cantor Merel on his 95th birthday

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Family members and three fellow clergy saluted Cantor Emeritus Shelly Foster Merel of Congregation Beth Israel  on his 95th birthday  during a dinner gathering Saturday night, May 18, at the Bay Club Hotel and Marina on Shelter Island.  There were so many speakers that the presentations went on

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Students worry about apathy about Poway shootings

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California —  At the last minute on the afternoon of  Wednesday, May 1, I received an invitation from Genine, my vivacious friend, to  attend a program at the Hive.  I had  a long day of activities, and was ready to relax after dinner, but since the Leichtag campus is

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Music and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

Downtown library 6-years-old, but new to me

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel SAN DIEGO — It seemed  I walked into the future  last Thursday with five friends for our first visit to the “ new” downtown San Diego Library!  Its  stunning  outside  and inside structures are an architect’s dream project.  Curved aluminum  metal rods  circle around the building and its beautiful dome

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

The mysterious Gabriel at North Coast Rep

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel SOLANA BEACH, California — Last December  I reviewed the movie Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society on this website.  It  took place on England’s Guernsey and Channel  islands just off  the coast of France during World War II .   I learned then that Winston Churchill considered these  islands  indefensible and removed

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Jewish music’ program thrills at UC San Diego

Story by Eileen Wingard, Photos by Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel LA JOLLA, California — The venerable UCSD pianist, Cecil Lytle, chooses a different theme each year for the annual Lytle Scholarship Concert, raising funds for UC San Diego’s Preuss High School. The theme for this year’s 23rd concert was “Jewish Music, from Bessarabia to Broadway.”

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Eileen Wingard, Music and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Three directors of Jewish agencies introduced

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — The Leichtag Foundation welcomed  three new directors of  Jewish agencies in San Diego at a reception at the Hive on Thursday, January 10.  The honorees were Rabbi Gary Oren of Hillel,  Betzy Lynch of the Jewish Community Center, and  Michael Jeser of the Jewish Federation.  Charlene Seidle of the

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, San Diego County

‘Green Book’ wins Golden Globe best movie award

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — In my original review of The Green Book, I wrote “There may be several screen awards lurking in the future especially for Viggo Mortensen..” Whoopee, last Sunday evening at the Golden Globe Awards I watched my prediction came true. The Green Book won three awards! Here is the announcement

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society ~ The Movie

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — This unusual film title on Netflix promptly caught my attention. I had no idea what it meant. Netflix gave it high star ratings , but I double checked with the “Rotten Tomatoes “ site. To understand the geographical setting where Guernsey is located in the story I

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Movie Review: ‘The Green Book’

By Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — I just saw the movie The Green Book and was captivated watching the changing relationship between the two main characters and their encounter with blatant racism in their journey through the south during the 1960s. Black people in the south at that time were restricted from using the same

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Theatre, Film & Broadcast