Spirituality in Monkland

The Monitor

Monkland Avenue has undergone a stunning revival in the past 15 years or so, mainly through the commitment of hard-working entrepreneurs who have endeavoured to bring this once-dying strip back from the precipice… and have succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. Like the human body, however, it was time for a spiritual rejuvenation. And that’s where Rabbi Yisroel Bernath came in.

Monkland is not known as a vibrant Jewish centre,” Rabbi Bernath told me, as we snacked on some of the delicious baked goods at the Harvard Cafe upstairs, the only organic kosher eatery around. “But many members of the Jewish community come to Monkland from surrounding cities like Westmount and Cote Saint-Luc, so I saw a terrific opportunity.”

What the youthful, energetic thirtysomething American-born rabbi did, just over a year ago, was to open a Chabad spiritual centre on Monkland, corner Harvard, and like the movie Field of Dreams proved, if you build it they shall come. In the centre’s brief lifespan to date, the results have been simply staggering. “This small enclave in the middle of a large metropolitan city,” as Rabbi Bernath puts it, is now a key destination for young Jews, many of them secular, who previously had no affiliations to their religion whatsoever.

“I am the Jewish chaplain at Concordia’s Loyola Campus nearby and I meet with many Jewish students there. For many of them, Monkland has become an extension of campus life after the school day ends. They come here to share a sense of community and family, as well.”

They also turn out in large numbers, often exceeding the square footage of a space that can only accommodate 80 – 100 souls, to experience some of the rabbi’s stellar programming. Chabad centres are plentiful around the world – the one in Mumbai that was tragically attacked by Islamic terrorists in 2009 attracted the sort of attention you don’t want, but on the positive side, Rabbi Ronnie Fine has drawn many people to his centre on Queen Mary Rd. in Snowdon, notable for the Jewish Learning International classes held there. This one on Monkland is different, however, intimate and interesting in a way that attracts young adults in droves. “You just feel something special when you go there,” said Jason Zuckerman, 30.

“They come here to connect spiritually as well as physically, and we give them programming that is very stimulating to them on all levels,” Rabbi Bernath added. On Wednesday evenings, the centre usually offers classes on various subjects simple to relate to, like the sessions on relationships in a Kabbalistic context. Relationships are important here: try to remember that many young people are not necessarily affiliated with synagogues, or other religious centres, the way their parents and grandparents were. Here, some 10 marriages have already resulted from this interaction, among the young secular crowd that turns out regularly. That’s in just ONE year!

As for mental and physical stimulation, when was the last time you enjoyed a really great belly-laugh? Last summer, Rabbi Bernath and his youthful committee mounted a Jewish Comedy Night that proved so successful, they are doing it again this summer.

For those who desire religious ritual, Saturday morning services are also held here, starting around 10. Though I have become as cynical as many when it comes to religion, I attended a recent morning of Sabbath prayer and was amazed at both the turnout and the Rabbi’s interesting commentaries. I will go back.