By SHARYN PERLMAN
The Chabad of Port Washington logo is a sailboat floating on calm waters. The logo hits it just right, representing not only the essence of the synagogue, but also of its spiritual leader, Rabbi Shalom Paltiel, who, together with his wife Sara, has spent the past 18 years building the community.
The synagogue is perched on the shore of Manhasset Bay, whose calm waters teem with marine life beneath the gentle waves. It’s the perfect metaphor for the Chabad of Port Washington, as well as its spiritual leader.
When the Paltiels wed, in 1990, they knew that they wanted to open a Chabad house in a community where there were a lot of Jews, “which meant either New York or Florida,” says Paltiel, only half in jest. But in fact they considered moving to a suburb of San Diego, where Paltiel would have been the assistant rabbi, and “wouldn’t have had to worry about fundraising.”
“We wrote to the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, head of Lubavitch] to ask his advice about San Diego. His response was, ‘If you want to, then go.’ It wasn’t the response we wanted to hear,” says Paltiel.
So they looked around in New York and someone mentioned Port Washington, located on the Gold Coast of Long Island’s north shore, about 17 miles east of New York City.
“Rabbi Yosef Geisinsky, [spiritual leader] of Chabad of Great Neck, introduced us to Dr. Martin Brownstein, who was very enthusiastic about creating a Chabad in Port Washington and actually supported us single-handedly for the first year and a half,” says Paltiel.
At which point he knew he had to expand the synagogue’s reach. “The same way a community needs a Chabad house, it also needs a school,” he says.
Read the full story – HERE
Perhaps you need to realize that this is the PR component. Presenting themselves to the media in order to attract more people, and when they come through the door be mekarev them in the traditional sense of the word.
Every mosad has two ‘mission statements’, one for the mekuravim (with all the flowery, feel good statements about global issues) and one for themselves, a serious duch between chossid and Rebbe.
Ps although I do agree with the Yom Haatzmaut problem. That’s pretty bad…. everyone knows the Rebbe’s reaction to this…. no getting away with that one.
Good Point. The question to ponder is – what is the value of the shliachs work? Big buildings and big bucks and recreating the Rebbes position on Israel and Yom Haatzmaut, or ‘echod echod’ truly influencing Jews one at a time in the ways of Torah and the Rebbe.
I think this is an important question of values for the new generation of Shluchim.
Wonderful article but am I reading right? This is what it says about Chabad in Port Washington:
“The school fosters a love for Eretz Yisrael as the Jewish homeland, as well as support for the State of Israel and its secular government.
There is also an annual celebration on the anniversary of
the founding of the State.”
HELLO? Is anyone home?
Annual celebration on Yom haatzmaut -? fosters a love for the state of Israel and the secular government of Israel.?
Please say it aint so. Can we have clarification here?