Last year, during Shnas Hakhel, the members of Ohel Nosson Shul in Crown Heights launched an ambitious vision together: to write the very first Sefer Torah by and for the Ohel Nosson community.
On the eve of Purim, men, women and children gathered to inscribe the first letters, and–incredibly–within weeks, every single Parsha was dedicated by a member of the Kehilla!
This Sunday, 12 months almost to the day, the shul was joined by members of the Crown Heights community as they celebrated the festive Siyum welcoming their new Torah.
The final letters were inscribed beginning 2:30 PM at 825 Eastern Parkway, where a small group of about fifteen men, mostly bochurim, founded the shul 16 years ago.
At 4pm, the new Torah was paraded to the shul’s current home at 580 Crown Street, for Hakafos and festivity.
How does one become included in these Shuls and essentially the community? I understand they were started by friends and classmates but what do you do if you’re not from here. Feeling lost in CH trying to join the Shuls and while I get a good shabbos it feels like you can’t really become one of the chevre
You need to find a shul that you click with. Some daven more serious than other, some focus on chasidus classes before davening, some make it a point to have a lavish kiddush every week, and some enjoy having Lechaim mid Krias Hatora.
As a Non Crown Heightser, you need to test the waters. Go to a different shul every Shabbos, and see where you feel most welcomed and where you feel most comfortable davening.
One option is to stick with one that attracts you. Become a consistent regular. Make conversation. You can graft into a group. Another option is creating your own
Crown heights is very big and if you don’t find your niche or a close knit group of friends that get together for meals on shabbos and kids go to each others houses you get lost, that’s why we use the eruv. Being kooped up on a fourth floor walk up with three little kids for 25 hours is not manageable.
As someone who used to sit alone every shabbos with babies and with no cousins or grade mates or wtvr in a building the eruv was a life saver to be able to leave the house and breathe with the kids.
So lovely to see my former Shul thriving & growing!