Local Jews find Education and Friendship at Chabad

Alex Birman was looking for a little more knowledge. He found a community.

The Annapolis resident goes to classes and religious services offered by Chabad of Anne Arundel County, an outreach and educational center for Jews run by Rabbi Nochum Light and his wife, Hindy.

“I feel there’s something communal about it,” Mr. Birman said. “It’s important we have these types of opportunities to get together and do things.”

He’s been attending classes at Chabad for about two years and has studied everything from portions of the Bible to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). The atmosphere at Chabad, he said, is always friendly and open to everyone.

“I feel Rabbi Light is a warm and accepting person,” Mr. Birman explained. “He’s welcoming and nonjudgmental.”

Chabad, which the Lights have run for more than four years with the help of volunteers, offers a wide range of activities – from Shabbat services and summer camps to tutoring and Torah study. The idea is to offer unique programs and additional worship alternatives to Jews, Rabbi Light said.

Mrs. Light said they want to find “closet Jews” who aren’t worshipping anywhere and don’t feel like they’re part of the religious community. At first the Lights, who have three small children, operated Chabad out of their home. It moved to offices on Bay Ridge Road in Annapolis September 2007.

Chabad is an acronym taken from the Hebrew words for wisdom, comprehension and knowledge. Rabbi Light is a Hasidic Jew, but he said the center isn’t just meant for the orthodox.

“Every Jew is a Jew, and therefore no different from anyone,” he said last week.

Rabbi Light, who was ordained in Australia in 2001 and has studied all over the world, said Chabad doesn’t want to compete with the three Annapolis area synagogues, but rather work with them. However, the relationships haven’t always been without tension.

But Rabbi Philip Pohl of Congregation Kol Ami, where Mrs. Light also teaches, said it’s a good thing if Chabad reaches Jews who otherwise haven’t connected to Judaism.

“It’s important for all these Jewish organizations and synagogues to coexist,” Rabbi Pohl said. “I’m working to make that happen.”

That lack of connection is what caused the Mizrahi family to consider leaving Annapolis. Jennifer Mizrahi said her son just couldn’t connect religiously anywhere in town until he met Rabbi Light and his wife. “If we didn’t find them, we would have moved,” said Mrs. Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project in Washington, D.C. “They’re terrific people. We feel honored to know them.”

Her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter are tutored by the Lights, and have also attended summer camp through Chabad.

“There’s always room for good programs and people who care about things of quality,” Mrs. Mizrahi said. “When it comes to religion, there’s no such thing as one size fits all.”

Severna Park resident Neil Schechter, a member and past president of Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, had similar sentiments. “It’s nice to see some new programs that might be attractive to people who aren’t (affiliated with) the synagogues in the area,” he said.

Chabad has already hosted some unique events like Hanukkah on Ice, and puts out a Jewish art calendar packed with information about holidays, candle-lighting times and customs. Other activities have included teaching people how to make their own shofars and menorahs, offering a koshering service for homes, putting out e-mail updates filled with stories and information about the Jewish world, and conducting cooking classes.

“We have something every single day,” Rabbi Light, smiling. “And we’re always looking to improve.”

For more information about Chabad of Anne Arundel County, call 443-321-9859 or visit the Web site at www.chabad annearundel.org. The calendars are available for free online. Chabad is located at 914 Bay Ridge Road, Suite 212, Annapolis.