Cantor Susan Wehle, z"l
Alan Sisselman writes to the Jewish Music list on Friday:
I was saddened to learn that Cantor Susan Wehle of Temple Beth Am, Amherst NY was listed as a passenger on the Continental Airlines flight out of Newark that crashed in Clarence, NY near Buffalo last night.
She produced a CD entitled "Songs of Healing and Hope" inspired by her visits to the sick and dying. She had beautiful voice, performed at many community functions and was very active in the interfaith community. I am sure that an appropriate and complete summary of her accomplishments will be published. She will be greatly missed by many in the Buffalo community as well as Jewish music circles throughout the world.
It is truly amazing to see the human cost of this mishap as it has taken from us people who have influenced many facets of life ranging from music to human rights in Rwanda to keeping the memories of 9/11 victims alive. There may have been other artists lost but I don't have adequate information to verify anything further.
Alan Rubin adds this information from CNN:
CNN is reporting that Cantor Susan Wehle of Temple Beth Am (Williamsville, NY) was among the 50 people killed in last night's plane crash in Buffalo—www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/13/plane.crash.victims
Alan Sisselman notes this lovely memorial in the Jewish Week:
A Voice For Healing, by by Rabbi Irwin A. Tanenbaum, Feb 18, 2009