After 25 Years, Next Generation Serves at Synagogue

Rabbi Yisrael Greenberg and his wife, Chana, arrived in El Paso 25 years ago with a baby boy. Following the tradition of his faith, Greenberg started the Chabad Lubavitch to reach out to other Jews. Greenberg estimates he had about eight families in his congregation.

These days, Greenberg and his wife serve more than 200 families. He also publishes a Jewish newspaper five times a year and prints an annual calendar of holy days.

“I’ve had very happy moments overseeing children’s baptisms and officiating weddings, some in places like Israel and England É and also some sad moments unfortunately of doing people’s funerals,” he said. “But there is a true satisfaction in people wanting you to be a part of it all.”

But as he celebrates a great milestone this Rosh Hashana, Greenberg is also enthused about the latest additions to the clergy.

Greenberg’s son, Rabbi Levi Greenberg and his wife, Shaina, have moved to El Paso from Brooklyn to run the children’s religious program at the synagogue. They have a baby, Musia.

“As we look to the new year, we want families to take part in all the activities and hope to continue to reach out to new families,” Yisrael Greenberg said.

Greenberg, who has eight children, said religious education for children has always been one of his priorities. By teaching children the basic tenets of their faith, he is ensuring that continuation of his faith.

Ten years ago, he opened a facility for children’s activities that includes a Shofar Factory for the holy days.

The building, right behind the synagogue on Escondido, also features a standing display that gives children a visual look at the history of their faith.

“Kids need to learn about their Jewish history and what happened 3,000 years ago with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” he said. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are considered the patriarchs of Judaism.

The visual display shows different parts of the Bible, including the birth of Moses, the slavery of Jews in Egypt and their exodus under the leadership of Moses.

“This gives kids something they can relate to,” he said.

Now that the younger Greenberg has returned home, after his rabbinical studies in New York, he will take on his father’s duties and add new programs.

“I grew up in El Paso so I saw my father develop the Chabad and that mission of dedication to Jews,” he said. “What my father and mother have done for children is amazing. And they are an inspiration for us as we dedicate ourselves to teaching the children,” Levi Greenberg said.

Yisrael Greenberg said it is common for children to follow in their father’s footsteps in the orthodox Jewish faith.

And for her part, Shaina, too, said she knew they would be moving soon after being married. She is from New York, where her parents and siblings are part of a much larger Jewish community.

Shaina said she was a 10th-grade teacher at an all-girls Jewish school in Brooklyn, where her mother also works. Her father is principal of a Chabad boys elementary school.

“My parents miss us but are very understanding that this is important to us,” she said.

Besides teaching basic Jewish scriptural studies, the two plan to start a teen club, coordinate holiday programs and work with college youths.