ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

STRAUS RABBIS MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, director of the practical rabbinics program, says, "We are training a new kind of community rabbi who not only deals with formal religious life and issues, but also knows how to relate to community members and build the bridges that can lead them to Jewish knowledge and identity."

"My challenge is making Judaism seem exciting, relevant and do-able to the Jews here," says British-born Rabbi Jason Rappaport, 31, who has been working in the Det Mosaiske Trossamfund (Mosaic Community) synagogue in Oslo, Norway, since late 1999. "I want to show them that there are several acceptable views - and breathing room -- within Judaism." Programs that Rabbi Rappaport has initiated in the 1000-member community include Judaism through Video for Teens and a Hebrew-language course in practical halacha for Israelis in the city.

For Rabbi Shaul Friberg, now beginning his second year as assistant to Munich Chief Rabbi Steven Langness, a typical week includes giving lessons in Jewish philosophy and halacha to Russian Jews, teaching courses on several different levels in siddur reading and the meaning of prayers, and conducting a class for those wishing to convert to Judaism. He also supervises kashruth and pays visits to senior citizens' residences, - "The people there are very isolated and therefore very appreciative," he notes - developed a special program for bar mitzvah boys, oversees a youth minyan and tends to countless additional needs of the 8000-member Jewish community.

Years of teaching and Jewish community service in his native Sweden before receiving semicha in 1997 have given the 42-year-old rabbi experience that complements his Ohr Torah Stone education; his Russian-born wife, Natasha, is another asset. "Fifty percent of the Jewish population here is Russian," explains Shaul, "and Natasha helps me communicate with them. At the Jewish Home for the Aged, she serves as a counselor and social worker. Elderly Russians there depend on her to convey their needs and their emotions to the German-speaking staff."

Tens of thousands of Jews across the world are benefiting from the dedication and talents of the Ohr Torah Stone-trained rabbis who now lead their communities. In Jacksonville, Fla., Susan Kadish reports a "phenomenal change" in the two years since Straus graduate Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider and his wife Karen, a Bruria Scholar, moved into her community and took the helm at the Etz Chaim Synagogue. "Synagogue attendance has doubled, the youth group has grown from four to 50 teenagers, and the Goldscheiders' home is open to all for Shabbat meals, t'fillot, and Torah discussions," marvels Kadish. "Plus, the rebbetzin presents shiurim that are incredibly well-researched and relevant to daily life here."

Return to Ohr Torah Stone