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Our own Paul Sharpe is presented with the
"Child Abuse Prevention Advocacy" award.
The End Abuse Long Beach President (our own Paula Cohen, left) looks on as Long Beach City Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga gives Paul Sharpe (our Shul's Webmaster) a Certificate of Recognition.
12/13/07 - At the Alpert JCC, the EndAbuseLB.org presented our own Paul Sharpe the "Child Abuse Prevention Advocacy" award. The award was for:
- His commitment as a Long Beach Child Protection volunteer:
- Taught over 2,000 children child abuse prevention (Long Beach ALIVE);
- Abused kids advocate (Child Abuse Response Team);
- Handyman (Women Shelter of Long Beach);
- Webmaster for six Long Beach Domestic Violence organizations.
- Dedicated member of the End Abuse Long Beach Board
In Paul's keynote speech, he thanked Rabbi Abba Perelmuter for giving him two lessons in life.
- First - be thankful for what you have. Paul's wife survived cancer this year and they are thankful she did - there are others who didn't.
- Second - look for the silver lining in every cloud. During his wife's chemo therapy, she was weak and had to stay home. Besides enjoying each other's company during that time, they found out that they could easily live together when they retire.
Paul's biggest fulfillment is teaching kids in Long Beach 4th and 5th grades what child abuse is and how they can "Break the Silence" by telling someone.
Paul and his wife Marianne have a 12 year old daughter Jessica, who attends the Shul Hebrew School.
In addition to the city councilmember, a certificate was presented from the office of State Assembly Member Betty Karnette and State Senator Alan Lowenthal.
Our Principal at Shul By The Shore Hebrew SchoolShul by the Shore is pleased to announce an exciting addition to our education team. Rochie Popack joins us as principal of our Hebrew School effective Aug.1, 2007.
Rochie brings over 10 years of experience in teaching and curriculum development. She has taught Hebrew reading and general studies in Queens, New York. Since moving to California, Rochie has had positions at the Hebrew Academy and Shul by the Shore Hebrew School.
Rochie offers a great deal of knowledge & experience, and is sure to have a major impact in the ongoing development of the Hebrew School. Her exceptional leadership skills will help drive the Hebrew School to achieve its lofty goals. “We are privileged to have Rochie on board and look forward to a long and successful relationship”, said Rabbi Abba Perelmuter, Rabbi at Shul by the Shore. Rochie and her husband, Rabbi Avremie Popack are the proud parents of 4 beautiful girls and live in Long Beach.
Contact Rochie Popack at 562-621-9828 or Rochie@ShulByTheShore.org
Hebrew Academy’s Chanie Perelmuter Named Outstanding ECE Program Director -
Chanie Perelmuter has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding ECE Program Director Award from the Orange
County Association for the Education of Young Children. Chanie, originally form New York, has been the Director of the
Hebrew Academy Pre-School, serving the Long Beach and Orange county communities, for the past 8 years. She started as a
teacher in the school in 1988. She has been responsible for the rapid growth in the pre-school and for the tremendous
curriculum. She also serves as an educator and mentor to many of the parents in the pre-school. Chanie was given a
plaque in her honor at a special luncheon in May. OCAEYC is the largest association of its kind in Orange County. The
Hebrew Academy Pre-School is located in Huntington Beach on a beautiful 11 acre campus with swimming facilities and
state of the art classroom and playground amenities for the children. Children form Long Beach to San Clemente attend
the pre-school and the upper school as well. For more information please see our website at
www.HebrewAcdemyHB.com or
call 714-898-0051 x204.
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO CHANIE PERELMUTER!!!!
We are delighted to let the entire Hebrew Academy staff and parent body know that Chanie has just been selected as a recipient of the award for Outstanding Early Childhood Education Program Director from the Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children. OCAEYC is the largest association for early childhood professionals in Orange County. She was nominated for this outstanding award by Sue Schwartz.
Kudos to Chanie for her ongoing devotion and dedication to our preschool. We are so proud of her.
Dear Members of the Shul
Bill and I wanted to share our news with all of you. Our son Andrew has made a very important decision in his life. On April 23rd he is leaving for Boot camp for three months and then G-D willing he will have 10 days off before reporting to Camp Pendleton as a Marine.
We ask for everyone's prayers to keep him from harms way and to bring him home safely
Melody & Bill Stein
Melissa Valencia
DAVID SCHENKER, TUBA PLAYER, ACCEPTED INTO 2007 HONOR BAND
Shul member David Schenker has been accepted into the 2007 Southern California High School Honor Band.
David will be performing with the honor band on Sunday, January 28, 2007 at 2:00 pm at the Carpenter Center for
Performing Arts on the Cal State Long Beach campus. The public is invited to attend.
The High School Honor Band is sponsored by the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association which encompasses all schools from San Diego to Santa Barbara Counties. Participating high schools send their best musicians to audition in hopes they are selected.
David is a graduate of the Shul’s Torah School and continues to be an active member of the congregation. He supports the Sunday Morning Minyan regularly. When he is not playing his Tuba, he enjoys hockey and just being a 14 yr. old.
Mazel Tov to David!
Rabbinical students Moshe Perelmuter and Yisroel Mogilevsky did a mitzvah the month of August visiting with people throughout the Long Beach area to check out their mezuzahs.
New York (LNS) – Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad Lubavitch movement announced that some two hundred eighty senior Lubavicher Rabbinical students will leave New York this summer on their Torah spreading mission to hundreds of Jewish communities throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. This will be the sixty-second consecutive year that this program has been in operation. These students, aged 18 through 24, have volunteered to spend most of their summer vacation time for this mission; to contact thousands of Jews at the grass-roots level, meeting them on the streets and in their homes, in shopping centers and at work.
Traveling in pairs, they will also meet with Rabbis, Jewish educators and communal leaders in the community they visit. In their usual mission to strengthen Torah-true education for all Jews, and particularly for the young, the young scholars will also stress the importance of the massive worldwide ten-point Mitzvah campaign, inaugurated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in 1967.
With this campaign the Rebbe has called upon Jews all over the world to set aside time every day for serious Torah study on whatever level they are capable of studying, that all Jewish men don Tefillin every weekday, that every room in a Jewish home have a ‘Kosher’ Mezuzah properly affixed to its right doorpost, that every Jewish home have a charity box in a conspicuous place for frequent contributions to a worthwhile cause, and that every home have sacred books, at least a Bible, a Prayer Book, and a Book of Psalms, to remind one of the Torah study and prayer.
They will also emphasize the importance of women – and even young girls from about the age of three – lighting Sabbath and Holiday candles, adhering to the laws of Jewish Family Purity, giving Jewish children a Torah-true education, and appealing to Jewish women who do not yet have Kosher homes to convert their kitchens to Kashrut. More recently, the Rebbe initiated the “Moshiach campaign”, the purpose of which is to instill an awareness of the core Jewish belief in the coming of Moshiach (Jewish Messiah). This means believing that Moshiach is on his way, and increasing in acts of goodness and kindness to hasten his arrival.
The students carry with them Tefillin, Mezuzos and other religious articles, and disseminate the Jewish educational and reading material published by the Lubavitcher publishing house for schools, libraries and homes. The program prohibits solicitation of funds. The young emissaries must first undergo rigorous scholastic examination in their Talmudic and Chassidic studies to qualify for participation in these programs.
A spokesman for Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch said that over ten thousand Lubavitch rabbinical students have participated in these unique summer missions since their inception sixty-two years ago, and hundreds of thousands of otherwise isolated and assimilated Jews have been contacted and helped as a result of the program.
The students file detailed reports with various statistical data and important information with Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, while en route and upon their return to New York.
Our own Shul member Mark Sudock was honored to receive a pair of Emmys at The 58th Annual Los Angeles Area Emmy
Awards ceremony, held August 12, 2006, at the Academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. The awards
were for work on two documentaries for Fox-11, KTTV, and Los Angeles.
The first, "Surfing Southern California" offered viewers a review of the history of surfing in the region.
The second documentary, an investigative work entitled "Missing in Mexico," took viewers to the Texas-Mexico border town of Nuevo Loredo. American tourists regularly cross the border at Texas for an evening of Vegas-style partying. While in this town run by drug lords, US citizens, particularly young women, have a habit of simply disappearing, never to be seen or heard from again.
Both specials were anchored by Fox-11's John Beard. Sudock collaborated with co-producer, Bob Tarlau. Sudock says "Working with Tarlau and Beard is a blessing. They are the ultimate professionals... an absolute dream team! Together, we've had quite a run. To date, six Emmys!"
4 years old, played Mozart's "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" with the support of his incredible music teacher Marcy
Sudock, member of our Shul.
Honored as “Woman of the Year”
Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamente;
Paula Savage Cohen,
California Assembly Member for the 54th District Betty Karnette
March 20, 2006
Paula Savage Cohen received the “Woman of the Year” award for California’s 54th Assembly District on March 20th at the California State Capitol. Assemblymember Betty Karnette stated that “Paula Savage Cohen’s exceptional work and compassion have improved the quality of life for so many people in our community. Her steadfast advocacy and effective leadership as President of End Abuse Long Beach is to be commended. The ‘Woman of the Year’ ceremony is designed to honor outstanding women just like Paula. It gives me great pleasure to be able to recognize such a distinguished woman and call attention to the very important work that she does.” In addition to the ceremony on the Capitol’s Assembly Floor, honorees were invited to a breakfast hosted by the Lieutenant Governor and a reception at the Capitol Museum with First Lady Maria Shriver.
Paula is a Family Law Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles where she represents clients in all areas of family law with a focus on child custody, child abduction and domestic violence. She coordinates Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Prevention Program and supervises the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Long Beach Courthouse, which offers free legal services, counseling and referrals to victims of domestic violence. Paula serves as President of End Abuse Long Beach (Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Prevention Council), which meets monthly at the Alpert JCC where professionals in the community have the opportunity to hear speakers on issues relating to domestic violence and child abuse.
Paula was born and raised in Manchester, England and first came to the United States in 1986 on a Rotary Foundation Ambassador of Goodwill scholarship. In 1993, Paula and her husband Ronan (son of long time Long Beach residents Dr. Manley and Barbara Cohen), both graduated Cum Laude from Boston University Law School. Paula co-designed and presented a Violence Prevention Program for the Long Beach Unified School District, which has taught conflict resolution and personal safety skills to thousands of middle school students. She previously served on the boards of Family Service of Long Beach and Long Beach Bar Association and she is a graduate of the Leadership Long Beach class of 1998. She has served on the Long Beach Police Department’s Women’s Advisory Group since 1995.
Paula also volunteers as Chair of the Shul by the Shore in Long Beach and her husband, Ronan, volunteers as the President of the Hebrew Academy Jewish Day School Advisory Board where their five children ages 3-13 have attended.
shown 2nd from the left being held by a proud Zaydie who came in from Israel just for this occasion, which was a
howling success. Other visitors who came from China was Jeremiah's other Bobie and Zaydie. Also Mom and Dad Tamir,
and Wei, were in attendance. The entire congregation was treated to a Lavish Nosh Up after the Brit.
Submitted by Reuven Woolf
Sharon Barazani, daughter of Eitan and Suzan Barazani, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah with her two siblings,
parents, friends and the Shul By the Shore congregation . One of the main points in Sharon's weekly parasha,
"Vayechi," focuses on Jacob's and Joseph's wishes to be buried in the Promised Land. This could not have been a more appropriate
parasha for Sharon, whose Israeli parents moved to the United States 18 years ago. As part of the celebration, Sharon
visited many special landmarks in Israel. She explored Tzfat and Acco in the north, climbed the Masada (quite a trek!)
near the Dead Sea, and walked along the beaches of Eilat in the south.
Sharon spent a lot of time with her extended family in Jerusalem, where she placed several special notes in the Wailing Wall. The Bat Mitzvah girl returned from Israel just in time, a week before the celebration at Shul By the Shore.
Her speech, which was delivered beautifully, focused on the Promised Land (then) and Israel (now). An Israeli themed luncheon followed the service; Israeli food items, blue and white balloons, as well as some very authentic photos taken mostly by Sharon during her recent visit to the country--all reflected her trip.
Sharon encouraged all attendees to visit Israel. After all, it is our only Promised Land.
Suzan
Madalyn Raquel Miller, daughter of Dr. Richard and Susan Miller, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah with
her family and friends on September 9‑10, 2005 at Shul by the Shore. She attends the Hebrew Academy in Huntington
Beach, CA, and is in the 7th grade. Her outside activities include playing the piano and tennis. Madalyn’s
classmates, as well as family and close friends, participated in a fun-filled Shabbaton. Madalyn’s Mitzvah Project
was raising money to pay for another Bat Mitzvah from a less fortunate community in Israel. The funds she raised
will be used for a Bat Mitzvah girl and her friends to enjoy a beautiful party. Madalyn plans to continue their
relationship through corresponding with her. Madalyn is the original Shul by the Shore baby, she attended the Shul’s
first official services at the age of 3 weeks, and has been active in the community for the past twelve years.
Long Beach Bar Mitzva Boy Opts for Gifts to Kiryat Malachi-Ashkelon Coast Instead of PartyBy Rinat Sagi, photos by Shlomy Ben Ami
Instead of celebrating his Bar Mitzva California style, Long Beach's Avi Press chose to have the cost of the party go towards the purchase of sports equipment to benefit Kiryat Malachi-Ashkelon Coast children. All told, Press and his family contributed 40 playground basketball baskets, 100 basketballs, 500 Magic Johnson jerseys, and an assortment of additional playground sporting goods. Many of the beneficiaries are Ethiopian olim.
Press' connection to the region stems from the Long Beach community's involvement in Jewish Agency Partnership 2000, which links 14 UJC Western Region communities with Kiryat Malachi-Ashkelon Coast.
When Press visited his peers in the region, they had a surprise of their own for him. The Kiryat Malachi Partnership 2000 Youth Council threw a Bar Mitzva party for Press – with Kiryat Malachi Chief Rabbi Chaim Pinto and Deputy Mayor Boris Borochov attending – and presented him with Tefillin, Talit, Kipa and Book of Psalms.
Press Release 2:
Avi Press, son of Nancy and Steve Press of Long Beach, was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on June 25, 2005 at Shul by the Shore in Long Beach. Avi shared the special day with his 2 older siblings, Damon and Misty, his younger brother, Jadin as well as family and friends from New York and Massachusetts. His ceremony was conducted by Rabbi Abba Perelmuter and Rabbi Boruch Sufrin.
Avi is an honor student at Rogers middle school and plays the guitar, piano and percussion in his school’s band. His favorite passion is roller hockey where he is plays squirt AA club hockey in Huntington Beach. For his mitzvah project, Avi collected sports equipment from various organizations and companies over the past year. He and his family sipped 66 boxes of sports equipment, t-shirts and arts and crafts kits to Long Beach’s partner city Kiryat Malachi, Israel. They traveled to Israel to donate these supplies to the children.
Samuel was honored to read the Torah Portion Parshas Bechukotai Leviticus 26:3-27:34.
His reading continued with the Haftorah portion Haftorahs Parshas Bechukotai Jeremiah 16 – 17.
The Gans family was privileged to have nine grandparents attend the Bar Mitzvah among the many guests from out of town. On this day of celebration Sam assumed his responsibilities of a Jewish adult in life and in our community. This was a unique day in our lives filled with faith, family and love. We thank the Shul by the Shore community for providing the spiritual home for our day of celebration.
Mazal Tov to Brian Krigmont, son of Ada and Henry Krigmont of Seal Beach, who was called to the Torah as a Bar
Mitzvah on May 28th, 2005 at the Shul by the Shore.Brian is an Honor student at the McAuliff Middle School. His favorite sports are tennis and golf, but he said that he enjoys golf more. Brian is a member of the Long Beach Junior Golf League and has made many friends there.
Brian has an older brother James. Many friends from Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Orange County came to join Brian and his family in celebration on this special occasion. His Bar Mitzvah ceremony was conducted by Rabbi Abba Perelmuter and Rabbi Boruch Sufrin.
On January 16, 1982, The Toronto Star issued a warning that because of the -20F degree near blizzard conditions
(-60F with the wind factor), everyone should stay home.From top left: Sivan (22), Suzan, Yagil (23), Eitan, and Sharon sideways
However, the next day, Suzan Barazani’s first child was rather anxious to be born. So, having no choice but to reach the hospital, the excited parents left home, despite warnings from Toronto officials like “a person’s finger and face, especially small children, will only take a couple of minutes to freeze” and “Metro police and other traffic officials are recommending motorists stay off the road.”
Eitan and Suzan waited for a while for the first subway to start on this freezing Sunday morning. The maternity ward staff and obstetrician were relieved upon their arrival, and just in the nick of time, as Yagil was born shortly later.
Mazel tov to Mo Kreitenberg, the son of Melissa Carr and Arthur Kreitenberg, grandson of Sandy and Geoff Carr, Irene and Sam Kreitenberg and brother of Zoe. Mo was called to the Torah on Thursday, April 14, 2005 as a Bar Mitzvah. Mo lead Shachrit services with Rabbi Abba Perelmuter. The service included many ancient traditions. Rabbi Baruch Sufrin and the staff of Shul by the Shore Community Torah School prepared Mo for this occasion. Mo attends McAuliffe Middle School where he enjoys math and passing periods the most. Mo launched "Project Double Play" in the spirit of Tekkun Olam. For the project, he collected used baseball equipment from players at Los Alamitos Youth Baseball as well as from the local area. The equipment will be distributed to children in the Dominican Republic. Pro Pitcher Jose' Lima was also involved in the project.
Annie Goldenberg celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, May 14, 2005 at Shul by the Shore in Long Beach.
She read from Leviticus, Chapter 22. In addition, Annie prepared a meaningful speech that mentioned her Bat
Mitzvah project. Her project was working with senior citizens and Alzheimer's patients. Once she even played
the harp for the seniors while they ate dinner. Part of the money Annie received for her Bat Mitzvah was
donated to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Annie’s Bat Mitzvah celebration continued with a luncheon and dancing at The Reef Restaurant, in Long Beach. Annie was glad that many relatives and friends from across the country were able to help celebrate with her and her parents. In her spare time, Annie loves to read, shop, hang out with her friends and play basketball with her younger sister, Emily.
Goldie Perelmuter and Naftoli Weingarten tied the knot in a spetacular wedding. The Shul By The Shore wishes them
well.
For Shul by the Shore newsletter, deadline 11/1/04 (Article by Paula Cohen and Barbra Sperling
Shul by the Shore recently celebrated the bat-mitzvahs of two friends, Ayelet Cohen and Sydney Sperling. The girls and their families have been active members of Shul by the Shore from its inception. Both families celebrated with a Shul Kiddush the weekend of their simcha and both girls commemorated their Bat-Mitzvahs in unique ways:
Ayelet’s Bat-Mitzvah took place the weekend before Rosh Hashanah, on the beach not far from where the Shul meets at the Seaport Marina Hotel in Belmont Shore. Guests enjoyed brunch on the beach, as they listened to the beautiful klezmer music of the Long Beach-based Shtetl Menschen band. Following brunch, Ayelet leyned Haftorah Yonah. Facing the ocean while reading about Jonah and the whale gave the Haftorah special significance! Ayelet’s proud parents are Paula and Ronan Cohen of Long Beach, California. Ronan’s parents, Barbara and Manley Cohen, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa and now longtime Long Beach residents, attended alongside Paula’s parents, Shirley and Gerry Savage who traveled from Manchester, England for the occasion. Gerry commented, “They don’t make bat-mitzvahs like this in Manchester!” Other guests traveled from Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Seattle. Ayelet’s Hebrew birthday is on the first day of Rosh Hashanah so a special part of the Bat-Mitzvah ceremony was when Ayelet’s Grandpa Manley blew the shofar for Ayelet in honor of her Rosh Hashanah birthday and her Bat-Mitzvah.
Sydney’s Bat-Mitzvah took place at Blair Field in Long Beach in between rain storms. Sydney wanted something different, fun and casual. She wanted to give people a sense of who she is and share her passion of baseball! Sydney read a portion of Lech Lecha and then leyned Haftorah Lech Lecha with the beautiful baseball field behind her and the sun shining bright. Guests danced on the baseball field, enjoyed an outdoor lunch and music, followed by, what else? A baseball game! Sydney’s proud parents are Barbra and Steven Sperling of Seal Beach. Barbra’s parents, Judy and Irv Bied, who live in Marina Del Rey, attended alongside Steven’s mother, Dora Sperling, who lives in Los Angeles. Sydney’s friends and family traveled from as close as the San Fernando Valley and as far as Sydney, Australia! Guests also came from Philadelphia, Montreal, Connecticut, Seattle, Arizona, Texas, Oakland and San Diego. Sydney’s Bubbe Dora also commented that she had never been to a simcha like this before. Of course, a good time was had by all!
The two girls attend Shul by the Shore Hebrew School. Both girls fasted for the first time on Yom Kippur, giving each other support throughout the day. Rabbi Boruch Sufrin, the Shul’s talented chazzan, prepared both girls for their Bat-Mitzvahs. Rabbi Abba Perelmuter and Rebbetzin Chanie Perelmuter helped the families to coordinate all of the necessary details, ensuring that both occasions were meaningful and memorable.
Shul by the Shore welcomes all Jews regardless of religious education or involvement, and makes them feel at home. The Shul was proud to host these two simchas-with-a-twist, and looks forward to hosting many more simchas as the Shul grows.
"Someone I am crazy for is crazy for me…how lucky can you get?”. Barbra Streisand sang these famous
lyrics back in 1968, when she portrayed the comic genius of the young Fanny Brice, who was well on her ascent to
stardom in Ziegfield’s Follies. Fast-forward 36 years to 2004 and the lyrics are ringing true as ever.
This time, however, the lyrics are being sung by we at the Shul by The Shore, and the some ones
we’re crazy for are our new Associate Rabbi, Rabbi Levi Selwyn, his Rebbitzen Naomi, and their daughter, Rachal
Chanah. So, one must ask, how lucky can WE get? The answer, chaverim, is that we couldn’t get any luckier than we are, to
have this opportunity to welcome, and embrace, these special someones into our Shul. Rabbi Levi and
Rebbitzen Naomi each traveled far and wide before they found their way, together, down the path that lead to our door,
here in Belmont Shore. And it is their pretty amazing journeys, both individually and together as Rabbi and
Rebbitzen, in part, that have facilitated in making them such a perfect fit for our Shul. Sit back, relax, maybe
have a little nosh, and get ready to hear their story. Once upon a time…
Rebbitzen Naomi was born and raised in Los Angeles. Upon graduation from high school, she moved to Israel to study at the Eretz Hafetz Chabbad Seminary. When she had completed her studies in Israel, and was ready for a tikkun olam adventure, Rebbitzen Naomi went directly to Russia, and spent three wonderful months teaching Jewish Studies in Minsk.
Leaving Minsk behind her, and leaving a little bit of her heart behind in Minsk, Rebbitzen Naomi returned to the United States. Once there, as if Minsk wasn’t exciting enough, she had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work in Manhattan. Naomi spent nearly seven months in New York, working in the jewelry district, and doing what nice Jewish maidles do – looking for her Beshert.
Meanwhile, back in the Down Under, and unbeknownst to our shayne maidle, Naomi, Rabbi Levi was busy attending Yeshiva Gedola in Sydney, Australia with a young scholar by the name of Shmuel Levy. Now, Rabbi Levi originally had his creative heart bent on a career in advertising, and, as a very young man, could hear the faint beck and call of Madison Avenue whispering in his ear. As it turns out, the words of the world-renowned Lubavitcher Rabbi M. Schneerson were whispering, much louder, in his other ear, that, even if he wasn’t going to be a rabbi, it was a nice thing to attend Yeshiva and do a year of Smicha (ordination study) to learn all of the laws. And, being the young mensch that he is, that’s exactly what he did.
As it turned out, while he was studying at the Yeshiva Gedola, Rabbi Levi was doing what nice young Jewish scholars of a certain age do; he was looking for his Beshert. One day he happened to mention this to Shmuel. Now, Shmuel, who was a very savvy shvoger*- in-training, recognized a grand opportunity when he saw one, and promptly said to Rabbi Levi, “Have I got a maidle for you!”, at which point Shmuel told him about his sister, Naomi, who was living in New York…
Rabbi Levi flew to New York and met Naomi. At this point, she had been living and working in New York for about six and a half months, all the while keeping an eye open for her Beshert. Now, as many a young maidle can tell you, the quest for one’s Beshert can sometimes be like a farshlepteh krank (kind of like a never ending headache…). Then, one day, on the recommendation of one Shmuel Levy, in flies young Rabbi Levi Selwyn, non-stop from Sydney, to meet our young Naomi, and, in the immortal words of Moses Maimonides, the rest is commentary…
Previously, back in Sydney, and during his year of Smicha prior to his ordination, our then not-yet-Rabbi Levi had spent time assisting the senior Rabbi at the Newtown Synagogue. Shortly after Rabbi Levi was ordained, the senior rabbi of the Newtown Synagogue left the synagogue, and the congregation asked Rabbi Levi to stay. So, after their wedding, Rabbi Levi and his Rebbitzen returned to Sydney to continue, as a team, as the spiritual leaders of the Newtown Synagogue.
Both of our friends have a zest for life and an adventurous spirit, and they had spoken about, and dreamed of, traveling some day. Early during that first year of returning to Sydney, both Rabbi and Rebbitzen directed and developed new programs for the congregation. The Shul, prior to this point, had been populated primarily with single students who were very much attracted by Rabbi Levi’s youth and openness, and the congregation, collectively, represented a wide range of observancy, not unlike our own at Shul By The Shore.
The congregation loved the Rabbi and Rebbitzen, who brought with them a sparkling sense of life, a true sense of spirituality and a dimension of openness and joy that the Newtown Synagogue had not previously experienced with other Rabbis. Rabbi Levi spent a total of five years at the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney, the last two and a half with his Rebbitzen, Naomi. Over the course of his tenure there, both alone and with Naomi, Rabbi Levi successfully expanded the spiritual depth of the Jewish community in Sydney through education programs, which included classes on everything from Kabbalah to Talmudic Law, and the deep, internal significance of the Talmudic stories; through community outreach in arenas that varied from hospital rooms to the street corners where one could share the mitzvah of learning to put on Teffilin, and a kosher vegetarian falafel stand at the Newtown County Fair; and through magical holiday programs, each sporting a unique theme, such as the famous Seventies Disco Purim Party, complete with strobe lights and a mural painted just for the occasion, to the Purim Puppet Show that was the centerpiece one year of the children’s Purim program.
Beginning with the efforts of Rabbi Levi himself, as a newly ordained Rabbi, and ending with the combined efforts of him and his Rebbitzen Naomi, through the investments of their time and their hearts in the Newtown Synagogue, Rabbi Levi and Rebbitzen Naomi transformed what started out as a tiny, homogeneous, part-time congregation into a multi-dimensional Shul family; one that was diverse and full of color, and alive with congregants, all of whom participated in the Shabbat dinners, Jewish study programs, and community outreach that came to life under their tutelage. Together, they transformed the Sydney Shul from a synagogue with a congregation primarily comprised of singles, to one that was ripe and bursting with families and extended families, as well. In fact, the Newtown Synagogue grew to attract everyone, from many walks of life and levels of observance, with people driving for distances greater than an hour’s time away, just to participate in, and belong as part of, the Newtown Synagogue’s family.
They don’t call Australia the “Down Under” for nothing, and, eventually, although they had succeeded in building a new Shul family in Australia, Rabbi Levi and Rebbitzen Naomi really missed their first homes and the close connectedness of their families in England and Los Angeles, and they decided to return to the United States.
Upon their return to Los Angeles in the Summer of 2004, Rabbi Levi wanted to contact his old friend Boruch Sufrin. In looking for Boruch’s number, Rabbi Levi called Rabbi Perelmuter’s home, and, similar to the Beshert moment that occurred when our now famous Shmuel Levy told Rabbi Levi about a special maidle he knew, this call was like a moment of hashgacha protis, or Divine Intervention. Who could have ever known that, just as the Selwyns were on their way to town, we would be looking for an Associate Rabbi to call our own?
So, welcome, Rabbi Levi, Rebbitzen Naomi, and Rachal Chana. It is a testament to your warmth, creativity and hard work that you were able to transform a tiny Shul in Sydney into a thriving congregation, and we want you to know that we welcome you with open arms and open hearts into our family at Shul By The Shore. We feel that, with your warmth and sparkle, and your zest for life, you will fit us like a wink and a smile, and we’re looking forward, with great anticipation, to the programs and contributions that you have to share with us; that which will add another dimension of unique character to our already very special family.
As stories that begin with “once upon a time” typically end, we end here by saying that we’re looking forward to
living “happily ever after”, and the rest will be commentary.
* A shvoger is a brother-in-law.