Jane Galler’s most impactful life

Steve McCloskey, President

About six months ago, our beloved Jane Galler lost her battle with the ravages of her final illness. Her indomitable will and irrepressible spirit strengthened her until the very end. The Greater Naples Jewish community has lost one of the finest goodwill ambassadors for Judaism ever in our midst.

Galler exemplified the best of Judaism. She was a fierce advocate for justice and equality for all. Her heart and soul were brimming over with grace and compassion for others, always striving to better the lives of those she touched. She was imbued with a quiet humility, always evident in her interactions with others.

Galler and I shared the common bond of becoming Jews by choice in our adulthood. Galler totally immersed herself in Judaism. She joined the choir of a temple, where she met Alla Gorelik, NJC’s music and choir director and accompanist. Gorelik, recognizing Galler’s talent and unbridled enthusiasm for all things Jewish, taught Galler to be a cantorial soloist. Galler joyfully and lovingly served as our cantorial soloist for over 25 years. She often led our Shabbat services when Rabbi Herman was not scheduled, leading us in prayer and song while always delivering a thoughtful and engaging message.

Galler played and performed all over the Greater Naples area. She was literally everywhere you went, doing something to generously spread her love for Judaism. She advanced knowledge of Judaism by teaching Hebrew school and nursery school, and she had an uncanny knack for befriending everyone she touched on a very personal level. In a world full of incandescent bulbs, Galler was a LED strobe light, shining her radiance and warmth all over Greater Naples. She was a luminous presence who lit up every room with her vivacious personality.

Unconditionally upbeat, Galler had an insatiable zest for life. She was an unabashed and unapologetic feminist, always advocating for the female voice. She was fearless, whether fighting her illness or taking on something she had never done before. Effervescence and unfailing kindness were the key ingredients of Galler’s “secret sauce.” She was endowed with a life force multiplier that we do not see very often. We could feel her loving embrace in all that she did. To know Galler was to love her.

Everyone who is a cantor or cantorial soloist brings something unique to her or his role. Galler’s special abilities when leading NJC in song were twofold. First was her r’uach and her range of emotion that she brought to the bima. Whether playfully belting out “L’cha Dodi” to her own arrangement or singing her searingly soulful rendition of Janowski’s “Avinu Malkeinu,” she was in her element. Second, Galler always showcased her brand of joyful Judaism, seeking to engage our congregation in uplifting music.

Leonard Cohen had a famous quote: “There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” Galler was our light who invariably found a way to help us with our cracks. Although small in stature, she was huge of heart, and she was an indispensable part of our “small congregation with the big heart.”

We know that it is impossible to replace such a singularly beloved Jewish voice. What we have done is found an accomplished retired rabbi cantor, a talented cantorial soloist and a wonderful cantor to lead us in song this coming year, all of which will be detailed in the June issue of Federation Star.

Let us honor Jane Galler’s legacy by living our lives as she did, with love in our hearts and with grace and compassion to lift others up.