Meet Our Instructors
Meryl Baer
Merryl is currently President of the FELS Board, and Program Coordinator for the pastfew years. She has lived in Ventnor since 2011. Previous to moving to the shore she worked in the financial industry. She earned a BA in history, an MA in American Studies from Penn State, and an MSBA from Robert Morris College. She recently moderated a Historical Fiction course, combining her love of history, writing, and books.
Paul Foer
Paul Foer founded SPLIT (Somers Point Laughter Improv and Theatricks). He
has trained and performed with five Improv troupes in Washington, D.C., Annapolis, MD,
and New Jersey. Paul earned a BA from Hampshire College and an MA in journalism
from the University of Maryland. He has been a newspaper columnist, radio host, stand-up- comic, and tour boat captain. Paul was an adjunct professor at Rutgers University Boustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He will be teaching Comedy Improv in summer 2025.
Shirley Belitsky
Shirley majored in education at Temple University, and began her art training at the
University of the Arts. She has taken art classes and exhibited her work at a number of art shows, and has won first prizes in oil, pastels, watercolor, and clay sculptures.
Shirley worked for the Art Goes to School program for over 20 years, and enjoyed
giving Art Appreciation presentations to various groups in her community. She currentlyteaches Art Appreciation and History courses for FELS.
Barbara Giorgio
Barbara Coleman Giorgio graduated from Atlantic City High School. She received a BA
in Literature from the University of Delaware, and an MA in Literature and a certificate in educational leadership from Villanova University. Her career as a teacher of English/Supervisor of Humanities was in Pennsylvania, where she retired from the Lower Merion School District. Then she worked as a consultant, training teachers to be effective reading and writing instructors. Ventnor is now her primary residence. She has thoroughly enjoyed teaching Book and Film for FELS since 2021.
Tom Chin
Tom began his writing/acting career after retiring from UPS. His first full-length play was performed at local venues, including Beth El synagogue, where he was invited back to do more shows. He has also had plays performed at the Haddon Heights Short Play Festival, and has performed at Dante Hall, the Walnut Street Theater, Studio 5, and the Jersey Fringe Festival He is a member of the South Jersey Players, which has produced several of his plays. His work has been professionally premiered at the South Camden Waterfront Theater and the Brigantine Lighthouse Players. For the last eight years Tom has presented classes on British Films and Theater, and Documentaries and Performance for FELS.
Rabbi Michael Feshbach
Rabbi Michael Feshbach is the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Northfield, NJ. He arrived in 2022, after serving as Rabbi of the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas, VI. He has also served as Rabbi in many cities along the Eastern Seaboard. He is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem, Israel. He has worked with teachers and colleagues from all streams of Jewish life, and participated in and written articles in publications on a variety of topics: development of online outreach,
‘Ask a Rabbi’ responses for the Union for Reform Judaism, Moment Magazine, and in the early days of America Online. He currently teaches topics for FELS concerning the history, customs, ethics, and general topics of concern to Jewish people.
Steve Baer
Steve Baer has over 50 years international business experience in manufacturing,
management, and environmental consulting. Previously adjunct professor at Universityof Pennsylvania, Steve moderates the Great Decision course.
Elaine Geller
Elaine taught the younger generation for decades and nowadays brings her expertise, experience, and humor to book discussion groups. She will be discussing Erik Larson and a selection of his best works for FELS summer 2025.
Howard Butler
Howard, a member of the FELS Board, is the organization’s Treasurer. He is also a film buff, and will moderate two courses summer 2025: Israeli films, and Sit Coms, an overview of the American TV genre over the past half a century.
Arlene Halpern
Arlene graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in English. She
claims her love of novels was due to outstanding UP professors. She has had a diverse career, working in a law office, for PA Representative Marjorie Margolis Mezvinsky, and for a radio station. She now researches and teaches film classes for FELS that inspire lively discussions. Her favorite film era is the Golden Age of Hollywood. Arlene is also a member of the FELS Board.
Sharon Harris-Zlotnick
Local journalist Sharon Harris-Zlotnick launched her Hooray for Hollywood course for FELS in October 2016. The class includes information, film clips, and musicals that have covered film history from the late 1880’s through almost modern day. Also through the years, she has given special programs with interesting guest speakers. Sharon is also a member of the FELS Board.
Sarah Holt
Sarah Holt is an educator and library associate at the Margate Library, with a deep love for books, movies, and music. An alumnus of Stockton University’s Literature program, she specializes in American and women’s literature. She has taught a Banned Book course, and in summer 2025, will teach a course titled Censorship in American Cinema.
Andy Kahn
Andy is committed to preserving “The Great American Songbook”. He has spent
decades researching popular standard songs, which evolved into Swing and Jazz –
America’s enduring contribution to the Arts. He will teach his first course for FELS
summer 2025, focusing on 20th-century composers.
Sondra Mandel
Sondra Mandel graduated college with a major in Psychology and a minor in English.
Over the years, she has taught many FELS classes involving film and literature. She
has written short plays that have been produced by the South Jersey players. One of her one-minute plays was performed Off Broadway. Sondra is Vice President of the
FELS Board.
Rabbi Jacqueline Menaker
Rabbi Menaker is a spiritual leader and the Rabbi of the Reform congregation of Shirat
Hayam in Ventnor, NJ, and is an ordained Cantor as well as an ordained Rabbi. She
has a unique background in theater and music, reaching back to professional acting
experience as a child. She will be teaching the course Live from the London Stage: Survey British Musical Theatre for FELS summer 2025.
Meryl Rodgers
Meryl has been teaching a variety of books, short stories, and flash fiction discussion
courses for FELS for several years.
Burt Rose
A new FELS instructor, Burt will be teaching a course on World War II, focusing on the
Pacific and European theaters.
Elaine Wisler
Instructor Elaine Wisler is an award-winning artist specializing in pastels and oils. Drawing has always been an important first step in her artistic process.
William Subin
Will is a long-time, interactive FELS discussion leader, and a former Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Stockton University. He is a retired attorney, former assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, assistant prosecutor in Atlantic and Camden counties, and Atlantic County Police Legal Advisor. Bill is a graduate of Atlantic City High School, Dartmouth College, and Columbia Law School.