New Shluchim Face a New Challenge

By Musia Kaplan, Chabad.org

A global pandemic has swept over the world, and to many, the future seems murky and unsure; planning past tomorrow feels impossible. But for the new Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries who have taken up their posts since the coronavirus began to spread, now is the perfect time to start building the future, and those living in the communities that they will be serving could not agree more.

Typically, when a new Shluchim couple moves to a city, the first step is to begin networking and meeting people. But there is no compromising on health guidelines, and as long as social distancing is the required norm, the traditional meet-and-greet is not always possible, says Rabbi Yossi Feller, who, together with his wife, Leah, is opening a Chabad center in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles due north of Pittsburgh.

Without the option of typical get-togethers, the Fellers have resorted to the good old-fashioned phonebook to get acquainted with the Jewish community there—and it turns out people still answer the phone.

Dr. George Goodman is one local resident for whom the new Chabad couple is a dream come true. Goodman is a pulmonary and critical care physician in the hospital right near Cranberry Township.

At 69, he is semi-retired, but occasionally sees patients in intensive-care units and consults in the local hospital. Although he has only known the Fellers for a few weeks, he points out that the journey to finding them spans decades, perhaps a lifetime.

Goodman was raised by American globetrotting parents. His early childhood in the 1950s and ’60s was spent in various Central American countries.

“Both my parents were very culturally Jewish. The Holocaust was the prism from which we viewed the world. And when they wanted to say something private, it was always in Yiddish,” he told Chabad.org. Jewish literature, music and theater were central in Goodman’s home, but they never went to synagogue and never stayed in one place long enough to become part of a community.

While in junior high school, Goodman attended Hebrew school and trained to have his bar mitzvah. Keenly aware of his Jewish identity, he took his studies seriously and excelled in them. But when his 13th birthday approached, the family was overseas, and his Jewish studies were put on hold. For 40 years, they remained that way, he recounted, until he began to explore Judaism 12 years ago.

Recently, Goodman learned that a friend of his had discovered a Chabad House an hour’s drive away from his home. “George,” he said, “you ought to see what’s going on here. I found the future of Judaism.”

So he went to visit Chabad of South Hills, despite the long drive, to attend some weekday classes, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that he felt he belonged and was welcomed there, in an otherwise strange setting with Orthodox customs he was not familiar with. A few weeks later, a different friend sent Goodman a link. It was an article announcing the Fellers’ upcoming move to Cranberry Township, and an email to reach the Fellers. It was an answer to all that he wished for.

“I emailed Rabbi Feller, and within 24 hours I had a response. Just last week, I had Shabbat dinner with his family and was delighted by their idealism and burning passion to share their knowledge. I am grateful that I will soon have a place where I can be a part of regular prayer services and intake a steady diet of Torah study and discussion,” he said. “I am hoping to be in the presence of other Jews who share my values and beliefs. And from every conversation I’ve had with Rabbi Feller so far, I am convinced that he wants the same.”

“As Chassidim, we know that everything is hashgacha pratis, Divine providence,” says the rabbi. “Nothing is by chance. These circumstances may not be as we planned, but G‑d planned it this way for a reason. So we’re not going to throw our hands up in defeat; we’ll make the best of it.”

The Fellers, working under the auspices of Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, who directs Chabad-Lubavitch in western Pennsylvania, have seen a fascinating phenomenon. Although their ability to reach out to Jewish community members is largely limited because of the pandemic, people are instead turning to them. Requests are pouring in from those who read articles about the new shluchim online. Prayer gatherings. Private learning sessions. Shabbat meals. Anticipation is growing; people are thirsting to connect.

Coronavirus cannot cancel the High Holidays; that’s the only thing the Fellers and the Kivmans know for sure. Everything else—What will government guidelines look like in September? Will outdoor events be permissible? Can food be served? Is it best to rent a tent for outdoor services?—remains up in the air for now.

Feller’s method of planning the High Holidays is to start from what he does know—that Jewish families and individuals from Cranberry Township have emailed that they are hoping for services during the Days of Awe. The need is there. A generous sponsor has provided prayer books and prayer shawls for the community. The supplies are there.

Feller is in touch with a chazzan who is ready to accommodate any safety guidelines, be it quarantining beforehand or wearing a mask during the prayer services. Everything that can be is there. Now, they wait for government guidelines to let them know what will be possible for a safe and spiritual High Holidays.