SYNAGOGUE TRENDS A NEWSLETTER FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF ORTHODOX UNION MEMBER SYNAGOGUES VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 SPRING/SUMMER 1999 Come for the Sunshine, Stay for the Torah The Orthodox Union Member Boca Raton Synagogue in Southern Florida insti- tuted a kollel through Mandell I. Ganchrow, M.D. Yeshiva University and President, Orthodox Union Yeshivat Shaalavim. Marcel Weber The kollel is its own Chairman, Board of Directors entity, and has its Dr. Marcos Katz own Board of Chairman, Board of Governors Directors - which Rabbi Raphael B. Butler Executive Vice President includes members of other synagogues in Stephen J. Savitsky “Our purpose is to create a kollel the community - but the kollel and Chairman, Synagogue Services Commission which will include fellows, already the synagogue are deeply Michael C. Wimpfheimer having attained semichah, who Chairman, Synagogue Membership Committee enmeshed. The kollel’s Vision intellectually represent and can Statement as presented at its intro- Rabbi Moshe D. Krupka communicate intelligently National Director, Synagogue Services ductory board meeting explained: (continued on page 2) Dr. David J. Schnall Chairman, Editorial Committee Frank Buchweitz Editor’s Message Director, Special Projects Shimon the Righteous is quoted provided their views on Rabbi Mayer Waxman in the second Mishnah in Pirkei synagogue Services and ways Program Coordinator Avot as saying: “The world to improve them. And two Synagogue Trends stands on three things: Torah, synagogues have contributed Published by the Orthodox Union Avodah (the service to God) insightful articles regarding Department of Synagogue Services. and G’milut Chasadim (acts of their innovative, effective 333 Seventh Avenue kindness)”. This issue of Synagogue chesed programs. New York, NY 10001 (212) 613-8225 • Fax (212) 564-9058 Trends is intended to represent a As always we hope the articles in microcosm of these three things as Synagogue Trends will provide ideas they provide the legs on which the to help your synagogue and synagogue stands. For Torah we community grow and excel. Your provide the models of two successful feedback, suggestions, and articles synagogue-based kollel programs. are important to assure that In a future issue we will further Synagogue Trends continues to For more information about OU describe details of establishing a meet the needs and interests of ONLINE and what it can mean for kollel to strengthen your synagogue. you and your community, please Orthodox Union synagogues. For Avodah we have enlisted the visit our website Rabbi Mayer Waxman http://www.ou.org expertise of chazanim from the Belz or E-mail: [email protected] School of Jewish Music who have Editor a commitment to Torat Yisrael. FROM THE DESK OF These kollel fellows must also be committed to Eretz Yisrael within the framework of Medinat Yisrael RABBI MOSHE D.KRUPKA and view their affiliation with this National Director, Synagogue Services kollel as not only an opportunity for self-growth, but as an opportunity Welcome to another edition of to influence the condition of Am Synagogue Trends. With this Yisrael, in Palm Beach County, through active positive involve- issue, Synagogue Trends truly ment.” enters the realm that this publication was envisioned to The Board presentation included a section outlining the goals of the occupy. Every article in this Boca Raton Judaic Fellows edition is written by synagogue Program. This section included leaders - lay and professional. some goals specifically regarding These leaders are using these the Boca Raton Synagogue: “To pages to share their proven- continue to create an atmosphere effective synagogue programs, of spirituality within the synagogue. their experiences, and their This will be greatly enhanced by visions with their peers across the Fellows Program studying and being affiliated with the syna- the continent. This sharing of gogue” ideas, networking of “To strengthen Boca Raton synagogues and communities, Synagogue’s reputation as the cen- this show of unity, epitomizes ter of Jewish learning in [Broward the role and importance of our and] Palm Beach County.” Orthodox Union. The kollel, has met and far exceed- I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the leadership of OU ed these goals. The program now synagogues, for your continued trust in the OU Department of reaches some five hundred people Synagogue Services. The three years since the inception of Synagogue a week. The kollel members offer Trends have been marked by the proactive nature that Synagogue shiurim in Daf Yomi and in depth Services has adopted. We have upgraded our repertoire of Gemara, Halachah, Parshah, Nach, Jewish philosophy and history, and programming and continuously offer our membership new and introductions to Judaism. Many of innovative initiatives. the kollel’s activities are based in the A great deal of the success of Synagogue Trends is due to our editor synagogue; they use the Boca Rabbi Mayer Waxman. As a program coordinator, Rabbi Waxman has, Raton Synagogue’s Beit Midrash for along with his colleagues in the Department of Synagogue services, their study hall and classroom. But both fielded your synagogue-concern calls, and proactively reached out this kollel is unique in its goal of to synagogues and synagogue leadership through mailings, phone calls, and personal visitations. This direct interaction with synagogue leadership has helped to focus this publication on relevant and practical The previous edition of synagogue interests and needs. Synagogue Trends focused on I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our Chairman grant proposal writing. of the Synagogue Trends Editorial Committee. Rabbi Dr. David Schnall’s The featured authors were scholarship has served as the core of Synagogue Trends for two and a students of Dr. David Schnall half years. Dr. Schnall’s erudition has been affirmed by his recent receipt at the LEAD Rabbinic of a prestigious Fulbright Foreign Scholarship to Israel, where he will be Fellowship program. spending a year as Professor and Senior Scholar at Hebrew University’s The LEAD Fellowship is Baerwald School of Social Work. We wish Dr. Schnall a Mazal-Tov and sponsored by the Rabbinical continued success in this and future endeavors. We look forward to Council of America, the Rabbi presenting more of his wisdom in the future. Isaac Elchonon Theological Enjoy Synagogue Trends, success to your synagogues, and we look Seminary, the Orthodox Caucus, and the New York forward to hearing from you soon. Perhaps next issue will highlight Jewish Federation. your synagogue’s trends. 2 outreach. One day a week the ues to grow kollel uses the local Jewish with young Federation building as a Beit families - has Midrash. There the kollel members complicated teach, and study with the matters. Federation staff. Throughout the Growth and week the kollel members hold expansion lunch-’n-learn programs at local law takes its toll firms, hospitals, banks and office on the coffers buildings. The kollel members of a commu- teach at the local Conservative and nity. Reform Temples. The Rabbis in the Furthermore, kollel were specifically selected for young fami- their worldliness and their ability to lies with chil- communicate with unaffiliated Jews dren have who have little or no backgrounds limited funds. in Judaica. Of course all This is a model from which every the growth is community can learn. For a com- a wonderful thing, however it munity to imitate the means that we program, however, must be creative in The Rabbis in the kollel the community finding sources to were specifically selected would require cer- fund the kollel. for their worldliness and tain prerequisites. The kollel was ini- their ability to communicate The success of this tially partially fund- with unaffiliated Jews who program is based on ed by grants from have little or no the large amount of Mike and Pauline backgrounds in Judaica. Jews — affiliated Sender’s Off- and unaffiliated — Campus Lecture who are in the neighborhood. Series Fund of the Rabbi Issac Much of the synagogue’s erstwhile Elchanan Theological Seminary of success has been due to the exem- Yeshiva University, from the Jewish Rabbi Kenneth Brander plar positive rapport the synagogue Federation of South Palm Beach Raton Synagogue, Rabbi Joshua fostered with the community at County, and from the Daniel S. Fass originally joined the Boca com- large. This had been cultivated Abraham and Dr. Edward Steinberg munity as a member of the kollel. through years of public service Endowment of a Kollel Fellow Now, between the kollel’s proven work, including the kashering of Chair. The success of this kollel will success, Boca Raton’s influx of the 100 acre Federation campus by only be maintained if the Boca Jewish young professionals and Rabbi Brander, the Rabbinic community realizes that the kollel businessmen, and the retirement founder of the kollel; suffice it to empowers all the other local Jewish community with money to invest in say, the Boca grounds were fertile institutions. The kollel achieves this a strong Jewish future, Boca has for a successful outreach minded by teaching in the local syna- been able to support an excellent kollel. gogue, being a resource for the kollel. In turn, this The Boca Raton community has Rabbeim/teachers in kollel has added the yeshiva high built a reputation within the last Much of the synagogue’s immeasurably to school and the local decade as an outstanding environ- success has been due the general facade day school and ment in which to live as an to the positive rapport and spirit of the through regular in- Orthodox family. The Boca Raton the synagogue has Boca Raton com- services for the com- community is an ever expanding fostered with munity. munity’s educational Jewish epicenter. Boca’s burgeon- the community at large. ing vitality practically called out for staff. Also, the Rabbi Kenneth a kollel. Counter-intuitively, the wives of the kollel Brander is the Rabbi remarkable growth and expansion families have played strong roles within the community.