Fort Worth Center Helps Jews ‘Enjoy Their Jewishness’

Rabbi Dov Mandel wasn’t intimidated when he came to Fort Worth a decade ago. He knew there were fewer Jews than Baptists and Methodists. He realized there was only a smattering of Orthodox Jews like him.

He didn’t mind.

Mandel, 36, who leads the Chabad Lubavitch of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, has a passion for reaching out to Jews of all kinds — Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and unaffiliated. He feels right at home.

“To me, a Jew is a Jew is a Jew,” he said. “I don’t look at any Jew as Orthodox, Conservative or Reform. To me, they are my fellow Jews. Our goal is to encourage people and teach them to make Judaism a part of their daily lives.”

Mandel came to Fort Worth in 2002 to lead one of 3,600 Chabad centers worldwide. The goal of the centers is to educate people about Jewish practices and to reach out to nonreligious Jews.

He has been a guest speaker for many local groups, including private schools. He has taught youngsters about traditional Judaism at the religious school at Fort Worth’s Beth-El Congregation, a Reform synagogue. During Hanukkah, he has given demonstrations on making olive oil to fuel menorahs.

The center offers classes on how to draw closer to God and live better.

Recent classes, listed on the center’s website, include: Going the Extra Mile: Tools for Implementing Lasting Change; Knowing the Unknowable: Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Reason; and When More Makes Merrier: A Holistic Approach to Pursuing Happiness.

“The classes are open to Jews and non-Jews,” Mandel said. “They are one of the main contributions of Chabad. We’ve been able to bring a greater understanding of Judaism to many people.”

10 years in Fort Worth

On Sunday, supporters of the Chabad center will hold a gala dinner at the Lockheed Martin Recreation Association to mark 10 years of Mandel’s leadership.

“We think the Chabad center has helped all Jews enjoy their Jewishness,” said Etta Korenman, an organizer of the celebration. She and her husband, Dr. Michael Korenman, have been strong supporters of Chabad.

Rabbi Edward Garsek, son of the late Rabbi Isadore Garsek, who was the leader of Fort Worth’s Congregation Ahavath Sholom, will speak at the dinner.

The younger Garsek retired last year as rabbi of Congregation Etz Chayim, an orthodox synagogue in Toledo, Ohio, where he served for 37 years.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement is a Hasidic branch of Orthodox Judaism. It was founded in the late 1700s and was based in the Russian village of Lyubavichi for years.

Hasidic Jews are recognizable because of their traditional black clothing and are a prominent part of Judaism in New York and Jerusalem. Mandel puts on the traditional black during Orthodox worship services at the Chabad center but often dresses casually when teaching classes.

Chabad is an acronym for the Hebrew words “wisdom, understanding and knowledge.” Its followers emphasize mind and emotion and focus on God in daily life.

The movement’s leaders escaped Nazi tyranny by moving from Europe to New York during World War II. Mandel grew up in Brooklyn and was inspired by the teachings of one of Chabad’s most prominent leaders, the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Healthy to have options

As a teenager, Mandel was often in the presence of Schneerson. The rabbi was so revered that many of his followers labeled him the Jewish Messiah.

“That’s something he was not happy about,” Mandel said. “It has clouded his legacy. His legacy should be that he and his followers have reached out all over the world to encourage people to connect to Judaism.”

Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger of Beth-El Congregation said the Chabad center offers an Orthodox option for Fort Worth Jews who have only his Reform synagogue and the Conservative synagogue Congregation Ahavath Sholom.

“I think it’s healthy to have all three options,” Mecklenburger said. “We’ve had Rabbi Mandel as a guest from time to time. We have him speak to our kids in religious school. … If you are going to learn about the full Jewish experience, Rabbi Mandel represents a significant part of it.”

Ariel Feldman, director of Jewish studies at TCU’s Brite Divinity School, said Chabad centers provide a haven for Jews.

“The wonderful thing is that if you are in Bombay, India, you will find a Chabad house there where you can worship and pray,” he said.