Fwd: Rockin Rebbetzin

[OrPnimi <OrPnimi...>]

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I thought the chevra would find this article in yesterdays Staten Island 
Advance interesting. Shevua tov.Michele. PS. Tune in to the Show on the web. 
www.wsia.csi.cuny.edu.

Title: 'Rockin' Rebbitzen' finds her place on the air

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'Rockin' Rebbitzen' finds her place on the air Friday morning radio show features blues from the rabbi and women's voices from his wife December 17, 1999 By LESLIE PALMA-SIMONCEK ADVANCE RELIGION EDITOR Get more religion stories Michelle Garner had no plans to become the "Rockin' Rebbitzen," but there she is in the chair, headphones on, Web camera staring silently down at her as she fiddles with some dials and gets the next song started. The singer is a woman named Shoshannah and as her song fills the room, the Kol Isha Show on the College of Staten Island's radio station, WSIA, has begun another segment. "I'm a very shy person, so speaking into a microphone to a potential 2.4 million people, it's mind boggling," said Mrs. Garner, a Willowbrook resident who shares a three-hour, Friday morning time slot with her husband, Rabbi Eliezer Garner. Her portion of the show is devoted to women's music. The story of how Mrs. Garner wound up on the air at 88.9 FM goes something like this: The rabbi and rebbitzen were friends and students of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, whose mission was to reconnect Jews to Judaism. "Since Shlomo died, we have this commitment to ourselves to continue his legacy," Mrs. Garner said. When she was on the CSI campus hanging some fliers for an event sponsored by the Or P'nimi Center for Spiritual Judaism, which was founded by Rabbi Garner, she came across the station. She and the rabbi investigated and learned that community volunteers were being accepted for a pilot program to give the public access to the airwaves. Rabbi Garner, who said Jewish music is in short supply on the radio, was interested in going through the training necessary to become a disc jockey. "He said I should take the training, too, so I could help him on the show," Mrs. Garner said. "So I took the training." As part of the requirements, she had to make a demo tape of her own. "I thought, maybe I should do something that's my own thing," she said. "I called myself the Rockin' Rebbitzen and decided I was going to play women singing." The Kol Isha Show was born. According to Jewish law, men cannot listen to women singers, so before going on the air the Garners sought the counsel of Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, a respected authority on halakha who lives in Rockland County. "He told me exactly what I have to say on the air, that it's a show of women singing, so people who are listening have the opportunity to change the station," Mrs. Garner said. "And he gave us a brocha for success." "For women, this is great," she said. "They can listen after they get the kids off to school as they start cooking for Shabbos." The show begins at 7 a.m. with Rabbi Garner and his "Happy Chevra" show. "I play real upbeat music on the rock side, the blues side," the rabbi said after introducing a song called "Blues for Kabbalah" by an Illinois-based band named The Way Jews Rock. "I like to play a lot of new artists, artists who haven't been heard a lot. It's sort of like a mitzvah with me and they're always very appreciative." He said he tailors the show to appeal to Jewish youth "and at the same time, give them over some Torah." The wisdom of Reb Nachman of Breslov is often shared on the show, as it was during the Torah thought of the day on a recent show: "Always wear a smile. The gift of life will then be yours to give." The rabbi, a musician himself, says he is undaunted by the potential size of the listening audience or with the fact that he can be heard and seen on the Web by anyone on-line. Turning off his microphone as "Yemenite Fever" was playing, the rabbi said "The most ground-breaking thing, the original thing, is Orthodox Jewish women singing. A lot of women haven't been given a voice. Michelle's the original thing here." The artists whose music she plays are in total agreement. "She fills a very, very important need in the community, especially for Jewish women," said Manhattan singer/songwriter Shoshannah. "She supplies an avenue for women who don't have any other avenue to express their creativity. I'm very grateful to her." Sharie Sofair, a resident of New Hempstead, N.Y., said she admires Mrs. Garner's "determination and inspiration." "She's bringing a lot of music to the world, and a lot of light to the world," said Mrs. Sofair. "Michelle is doing it and I'm very proud of her." Mrs. Garner takes over the microphone each week at 8:45 a.m. "Good morning. Good Shabbos. This is Michelle, your Rockin' Rebbitzen," she announces on a recent morning. "This is the kol isha part of the show, featuring female Jewish vocalists. I hope you'll stay tuned and enjoy the show." Because of the station's Web connection, Mrs. Garner has gained a following halfway across the world. When she and her husband travel to Israel next month, she will be interviewed by the Jerusalem Post. But she's just as happy to be known in her own hometown. "The show is doing very well," she said. "When I walk on Shabbos and people come up to me and say hello and they like the show, sometimes I feel like a celebrity."

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