With Covid safety top of mind, many helped during pandemic say they have found a new Jewish home
While still in the midst of a year-and-a-half of assistance that has continued unabated through Covid-19 lockdowns, panic-induced scarcity, health challenges and the ongoing need to comfort the loved ones of those who have passed, Chabad centers around the world are gearing up to welcome many new faces this year for High Holiday services. Among the first-timers are those whose initial contact with any kind of Jewish communal life came about as a result of Chabad’s efforts during the pandemic.
The steady influx of new attendees should not be surprising. Nearly 40 percent of American Jews attend Chabad events or services at least sometimes, according to the 2020 Pew survey of Jewish Americans.
Some of the newcomers are attracted by Chabad’s widely touted fee-free structure, whereby every Jew is encouraged to attend, regardless of affiliation and ability to pay. Yet most say they come because they appreciate the authenticity of the traditional prayer service coupled with a non-judgemental welcoming atmosphere that is a signature of Chabad centers from Maine to Maui and from Kansas City to Kathmandu.
A case in point is Bernie Green, who will hear the shofar for the first time in 19 years this Rosh Hashanah—which begins this year on the evening of Monday, Sept. 6—as virtually all of his Jewish practice stopped right after his bar mitzvah.
Thirty-two years old and living in Chicago’s trendy Lakeview neighborhood, Green and his wife, Anna Cruz, have been regular participants in services and holiday events at their local Chabad center since the spring.
His renewed interest in Judaism began nearly a year ago, right around the High Holiday season. “I had some health problems and ended up in the hospital, and I really didn’t want to be there,” Green told Chabad.org. “It was the first time in 19 years that I prayed to G‑d.”
“Until then, I just thought Rosh Hashanah was the Jewish ‘New Year,’ a time for celebration,” continued Green, “but my wife, who is studying to convert to Judaism, asked me some questions. Reading online, I learned that it is actually a time of Divine judgement. I knew that I really had some work to do, and that if I was going to support her on her journey to Judaism I would need to be a part of it.”
In the following months, Green began learning Torah over Zoom with Rabbi Mendy Benhiyoun of Chabad of Lincoln Park. He retaught himself Hebrew and reintroduced many elements of Judaism into his life.
In February, he saw a poster for a Purim celebration in what he knew to be a crumbling former old church around the corner from his home. Coming to services with Cruz and her 10-year-old son, Leo, he was delighted to discover that the facility had recently become the home of Chabad of East Lakeview, headed by Rabbi Dovid and Devorah Leah Kotlarsky.
The family has since become a part of the Chabad of East Lakeview community and eagerly looks forward to what will be their first proper Rosh Hashanah, replete with traditional foods, heartfelt prayers and an authentic shofar-blowing (last year, unable to make it to services and unaware of the mitzvah’s details, they blew a toy horn at home).
The Kotlarskys say they are expecting to welcome as many as 300 people to their center—where they hope to soon start renovations—for prayers, festive meals and more.
This Rosh Hashanah, like last year, the rabbi will also walk around the neighborhood to a dozen prearranged locations to blow shofar for people who do not feel comfortable attending indoor services because of the virus.
Building Relationships Made During the Pandemic
Kotlarsky is among thousands of Chabad rabbis around the world who are gearing up to welcome new faces to Rosh Hashanah services this year as humanity inches out of (and back into) Covid restrictions and reshapes the contours of their lives.
Listed on Chabad.org’s High Holiday directory, Chabad services attract a crowd that is diverse and varied as the Jewish nation.
And for Chabad rabbis, balancing the needs of newcomers as alongside those of seasoned participants is a delicate act.
“I make sure to call out page numbers and sprinkle the service with light commentary and English readings so that even those who have never attended before can follow and gain inspiration,” says Rabbi Kotlarsky. “At the same time, I am mindful of those who are here specifically because we offer an authentic traditional service without cutting corners.”
Many Chabad centers offer a variety of reading materials so that people can browse and be inspired at their own pace. For beginners or those scratching the surface of Jewish mysticism, many offer copies of Chabad.org’s full-color mini Machzor Companion, which adds Chassidic inspiration to key prayers and elements of the service.
More advanced participants may print up essays from Chabad.org and other high-level Torah content.
Participants from both ends of the spectrum agree that they can find common ground and satisfaction in the holiday meals, replete with Rosh Hashanah dishes that everyone can enjoy.
This year, since so many have relocated as work has gone remote and many more have reconnected with their spirituality, Chabad centers have been fielding calls from prospective participants and laying out extra chairs for whoever may show up.
“Even during this time of uncertainty—when services may be indoors, outdoors, masked or unmasked—one thing is certain,” says Kotlarsky. “We’re ready to welcome you with a smile.”
