Mission of the choir

1 Share its love of Jewish music with the greater Jewish Community and ensure that this genre of music is kept alive for future generations.
2 Enhance the spirituality of Jewish simchas such as Bar/Bat Mitzvas, weddings & other special occasions contribute to the spirituality and meaningfulness of Shabbat services.
3 Bring Jewish music to our older generation at senior centers, participate in community events such as Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Jewish music festivals, and other functions.
4 Grow our repertoire to include all genres of Jewish music while focusing on majestic liturgical pieces.

Artistic Director

ruth weber

Ruth Weber (Lopez-Yanez) received her Bachelor of Music degree from San Diego State University and her Masters of Music degree from California State University Northridge.
She has performed internationally, accompanying singers and instrumentalists in Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Poland and Switzerland, as well as in many cities in the United States.

Ms.Weber has been the staff accompanist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, The San Fernando Valley Men’s Choir, Opera Aguascalientes, and several universities.  She was the pianist on the Music-Minus-One CD’s put out by the Marantz piano-corder company.

Presently Ms.Weber is an adjunct faculty member at Palomar College, Miramar College and Cuyamaca College, in addition to directing two local choral groups and maintaining her private teaching studio.

Director Emeritus

Rhoda

Rhoda Gaylis was born in Heilbron, Orange Free State, South Africa.
She graduated with a B.Mus.(Honors) in piano at the University of the Witwatersrand, and read for the degree U.P.L.M. with Honors in Voice at the University of South Africa.
Rhoda is a respected concert pianist and sang Opera and Lieder in South Africa for 30 years. She founded and directed several choral groups including the Ladies JNF Choir which performed internationally and competed in the Zimrah Choral Festival in Israel.
Rhoda taught voice for many years and was honored with an international scholarship at the Royal Academy in London in 1961.Her passion was Jewish music and chazanut, and she tutored internationally acclaimed cantors such as Moshe Stern and Yossi Malovaney when they served the South African Jewish community.
After emigrating to San Diego in 1994, with the encouragement of Dr. Basil Abramowitz, she formed the San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir which she directed for 12  years until her retirement.
For her unstinting and invaluable contribution to the choir, she was honored and serves as Director Emeritus.
Rhoda now works with the Beth-El Sisterhood Shirah Ladies Choir, and continues to teach voice in San Diego. She is a legend in her own time.