Chabad of North Brooklyn Forges Community Ties
On Sunday, February 26, an eclectic mix of 150 guests, among them artists, young professionals and black-hat Hasidic Jews gathered in a Williamsburg art gallery to celebrate the growth and expansion of Chabad of North Brooklyn. As kosher bruschetta made the rounds, the urban crowd admired contemporary art hanging from the white-washed walls as well as joyful photographs of young preschool students who attend the popular Gan Chabad.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn has hosted a tight-knit Hasidic community since the early 20th Century but the influx of an indie rock, hipster and local art demographic in the last decade left secular Jews with no place to call their own. Aside for their penchant for wearing the color black, the varied Jews of North Brooklyn had little in common until Chabad arrived on the scene. Not many could imagine the modern reality Sunday night of a Rabbi, black hat, beard and all, sipping cocktails with a young hipster parent while discussing a curious passage of Kabballah.
Rabbi Kuti and Esty Feldman arrived in North Brooklyn in 2003 with the goal of reaching out to the local Jewish community of N. Williamsburg and Greenpoint with accessible, interesting and meaningful Jewish educational activities for adults and children. Through innovative programming developed to attract the niche crowd, like collaborating with local artists, holding informative Kabballah classes and hosting music events, Chabad succeeded in breaking down the stereotypes held by the community. To accommodate the needs of the growing young families, Rabbi Shmuly and Devora Leah Lein joined the team in 2005 to open the Gan Chabad Preschool.
The preschool and other community programs and events have been met with much appreciation from those searching for a sense of belonging. Lenny Linsker, a sponsor of the evening explained his interest in partnering with Chabad to set a foundation for Judaism in the community.
“I never had any interest in organized religion but Rabbi Shmuly pulled me in. They may be funny-looking with their religious garb but they can completely relate to non-religious people. My son went to a Reform Hebrew school for years and it was meaningless to him. He hated it. When we came to Chabad for his Bar Mitzvah lessons it was the total opposite. Suddenly he had a real lasting connection to his Judaism.”
Israel Revivo, a parent in the Gan Chabad preschool, agrees, “The Rabbi may look intimidating at first, like the insular Hasidic community that we see here in Williamsburg, but that is only until you speak to him! The community is very family-oriented and loving, we feel that we have a very personal connection here.”
Almost every parent of the preschool, which has reached capacity enrollment this year and is looking to expand, conveyed a similar sentiment. They also appreciate the preschool taking their unique lifestyle preferences into consideration: children are served healthy, homemade organic meals daily. The burgeoning community discovered their Judaic and cultural beliefs to be mutually-reinforcing. The modern art gallery belied a traditional nurturing community in which rabbis and community members collaborate to build a vibrant future.
Mara Stephens, an exuberant and active member of Chabad told lubavitch.com , “I grew up in Long Island in an area with many Jews, but I didn’t care to have anything to do with my religion. I always said my kids would never get a Bar Mitzvah. But here at Chabad it is so different! Rabbi Shmuly and Leah are looking to inspire and are so generous and loving. Their kindness, knowledge, attention and vision drew me in and I felt at home. I am no longer scared of the whole mystery of Hasidic Jews. I ask, I ask, I ask and I always get answers. Chabad has broken down the wall to secular Jews and we feel accepted and comfortable with our Judaism.”
