Michele Garner of Willowbrook doesn’t consider what she is doing particularly offensive, but some might find a female disc jockey broadcasting spiritual selections performed by Israeli and Jewish Orthodox women halachically unsound. “In the Orthodox world, the role of the Jewish woman is very defined by men on how to express their spirituality,” says Garner, who recently joined the on-air family at WSIA (88.9 FM), the College of Staten Island’s radio station and the only station on Staten Island. “My radio show serves as a vehicle for Jewish women to express themselves spiritually, and that’s very important.” Before each show, Garner says, she specifically details who she is and what types of music she will play. “If someone finds my show offensive, they have the opportunity to change stations,” she says. But so far Garner — who calls herself the “Rockin’ Rebbetzin” — has received only positive feedback about her Friday-morning show. In fact, the response from female performers has been tremendous. “Initially I didn’t have enough material to play, but once the word got out about the show, a lot of Jewish female vocalists sought me out via e-mail or by phone,” she says. Now when she enters the studios, she finds her mailbox full of new CDs for her play list. Shoshannah, a composer and pianist, says Garner’s show is filling a need in the Jewish community. “Women are not being heard because of the kol isha [rabbinical injunction against men hearing women sing] and it becomes difficult for women’s music to get out in the general public,” says the Upper West Side recording artist. “Michelle is serving a need for women’s voices to be heard.” Sharie Yasgur Sofair, a composer and vocalist from New Hempstead, agrees that the Rockin’ Rebbetzin is making a positive difference in the lives of the female performers and all listeners. “There’s a lot of music that should be brought out into the world as much as possible,” she says. Garner’s radio broadcast “is helping get spiritual and uplifting music to others and connecting people.” Shoshannah and Sofair are among the show’s featured musicians, as are Susan Kates, Neshama Carlebach, Tirtza Singer and Ruthy Muller.“I think the women are excited about the show,” Garner says. “It gives them [the singers and the listeners] an opportunity to express themselves and their love for God.” As a professional social worker for nearly 30 years, Garner never thought about expanding her professional repertoire and becoming a DJ. But with her husband, Rabbi Eliezer Garner, the founder of the Or P’nimi Center for Spiritual Judaism in Willowbrook, her on-air personality blossomed rather quickly. A few years back, the Garners often chauffeured Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach to a radio station near the Outerbridge Crossing on Saturday evenings after Shabbat. During those shows, Reb Shlomo answered questions, performed his music and professed his message. When the rabbi died in 1994, Rabbi Garner suggested to his wife that he continue Reb Shlomo’s tradition on that station. After much research and many trips to the borough’s South Shore, the Garners discovered that the radio station had ceased broadcasting. “It was really my husband who had the desire to have a radio station play Shlomo’s music and bring Shlomo’s message to the world,” Garner says. “I was supportive, but not the one who wanted to be in the limelight.” A few months later, while Garner was on the College of Staten Island’s campus in Willowbrook participating in a Hillel event, she noticed the college radio station. Garner then began to investigate the possibility of her husband becoming a DJ there. Like many college stations, WSAI was known for its commitment to playing new, non-commercial and eclectic music not showcased typically on commercial stations. It belongs to the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System and is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. When the College of Staten Island relocated to its current site in 1993, WSAI also moved. The station expanded into new state-of-the-art facilities featuring a digital signal and 64-track recording studios. Rabbi Garner began discussing his show ideas with the general manager, Greg Adamo, one of only two full-time professionals at the station. Adamo advised Rabbi Garner of the station’s recently initiated pilot program for non-student community volunteers. While preparing for a rigorous interview process, Rabbi Garner convinced his wife to join him in his radio venture. The husband-and-wife team was accepted as community volunteers and immediately began to familiarize themselves with the equipment, WSAI guidelines and FCC regulations. The duo also spent many hours shadowing the student DJs to master the art of broadcasting. “We thought it would be interesting and a way to reach out to the community,” said Adamo of the community volunteer program. “While the community volunteers have to understand that the students come first, Michele has really fit in here. I see her learning and growing, and her stint so far has been beneficial both to her and to the station.” The Garners — sometimes joined by their 62-year-old daughter, Nechama — share airtime on Friday mornings. From 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Rabbi Garner broadcasts “The Happy Chevra Radio Show,” then goes off to work as a health care consultant in New Jersey. His wife continues broadcasting until 10 a.m. “Shlomo has always been a major influence in our lives,” Garner says. “While we didn’t grow up in religious families, through Shlomo we became religious. And we feel a strong commitment to continue Shlomo’s legacy; to give people a taste of Judaism and spread Shlomo’s message.” And that is exactly what the Garners are doing — reaching out to hundreds of people in the area. Although WSAI only broadcasts at 10 watts (WCBS-AM transmits 50,000 watts), the station’s antenna is located on Todt Hill, the tallest point on the East Coast, providing a broad transmission range. According to Adamo, the station can be heard throughout most of Staten Island, parts of Brooklyn and Queens, Lower Manhattan, and Bayonne and Elizabeth in New Jersey. “Because we are a non-commercial station, we have no specific way of monitoring how many people listen to our shows,” he says. “However, we have a potential audience of 2.5 million.” In addition to the radio transmission, the station’s programs and DJs can be heard and seen on the Internet at www.wsai.csi.cuny.edu. Despite any initial nervousness, Garner says she is enjoying her weekly stint on the air. She likes to schmooze with her audience, telling anecdotes and making various social announcements, such as upcoming b’nai mitzvot or other occasions. Garner often dedicates her shows to those who led fruitful lives but died young. For example, a recent show was dedicated to a 20-year-old woman who, after being married for only three months, died of cancer. “Through this show, I am able to be more involved with the community,” Garner says. “It’s another way to make a difference and reach people; it’s a vehicle to touch people or give a link or a message. “Like Reb Shlomo would say, ‘How could you not?’ ”
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