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Rabbi

Congregation B’nai Yisrael: Armonk’s Neighborhood Synagogue Celebrates 50 Years

August 24, 2019 by David Propper

Rabbi Strom and Cantor Sugarman

When Douglas Krantz interviewed to become the rabbi at Congregation B’nai Yisrael in Armonk in 1979, he was 31 and in graduate school in New York City.

Sensing an undeniable connection to the congregation though, he ended up dropping out of school to become the CBY’s first full-time senior rabbi. Besides meeting his wife, he said leading CBY was the “best fortune of his life.”

Krantz ended up being the rabbi for 34 years. He loved how members were willing to question things and wanted to understand why the temple was doing things a certain way.

“Our major goal where we agreed instantly was that the role of the congregation was to nurture and raise the next generation of Jews,” Krantz said.

And CBY has accomplished that and much more as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The reform temple, which was founded by only a small handful of families in 1969, has thrived in Armonk for five decades, giving Jewish people in the community a true connection to their culture and religion.

Two founding members, John and Barbara Stern, still go to CBY and are pleased to see its growth.

Forming the Temple

The Sterns moved to Armonk in 1969. At the time, there was a Jewish community locally, but those that attended synagogue would go to one in Chappaqua for services. There was an idea of creating a school in town for Jewish children and possibly even starting a synagogue. Eventually, four to eight families started the small reform congregation.

The original name was the Association for Armonk Jewish Families.

As more families joined, there was a divide whether to simply be a school for youngsters or morph into a full-service congregation with most families opting for the latter, John Stern recalled.

The families would have services inside different homes and would also use different local churches, including a Lutheran Church in the late 1970s where CBY is now situated along Banksville Road after that Lutheran Church closed.

John Stern said his and other founding members’ goal was to see CBY become a strong pillar in the reform Jewish community.

“It was always the intention to grow along with Armonk,” John Stern said. “Community is an integral part of Jewish life. There’s a great drive to be together and be part of a community.”

Barbara Stern said it is thrilling to see the congregation evolve with younger leaders taking the reins. She stressed this growth is what she and her husband dreamt of.

Rabbi Strom Paves the Future for CBY

In 2015, the congregation welcomed Rabbi Joshua Strom as head rabbi. Strom lives in neighboring Chappaqua with his three young boys and wife Tali Ruderman Strom who works for UJA Federation. The family is actively involved in Northern Westchester Jewish life.

Strom said he really enjoys the CBY congregants and the rich history that exists at the synagogue. He wants the congregation to be the center of Jewish life for people through worship, education and putting those Jewish values into practice by taking social justice action within the community and world.

“There are so many ways to tap into Jewish life,” Strom said.

One way Strom represented Jewish values is when he appeared on the nationally televised game show earlier this year, Beat Shazam, which sees if contestants can name a song in only a couple of notes and is hosted by Jamie Foxx. The themed episode he was on was called “Keep the Faith” that featured other contestants from religious backgrounds.

Strom and his game show partner, Andrew, who is also a rabbi, won, but Strom said he thought it was more important to give people a clearer idea of what a Jewish leader can actually look like.

“Andrew and I don’t look like what a whole lot of people in America might think or assume a rabbi looks like,” he said. “I got a lot of comments from people in my congregation–not only was this super fun and wonderful–but especially with everything going on in our country and world today, people were saying ‘you being on television, this is actually good for the Jews. This is a good representation.”

Aaron Kwittken, who has been a congregation member for 11 years and started his tenure as temple president on July 1, said he thinks it’s important that Armonk and the rest of Northern Westchester has institutions where people feel enthusiastic and secure practicing Jewish values.

Come Be You at CBY: A Welcoming Synagogue

CBY has become a staple in the community, Kwittken said, because the synagogue is a “very welcoming, very inclusive environment.”

People who are interfaith or from the LGBTQ community are welcomed, Kwittken noted. Congregants are encouraged to “come be you” which initials are CBY, the synagogue’s acronym. Kwittken also lauded the current Rabbi, Joshua Strom, for his leadership.

“We’ve always had a modern mindset and a very forward looking, progressive attitude, it’s really helped us attract and maintain members for half-a-century now,” Kwittken said.

Kwittken said it’s rare for founding members, like the Sterns, to still be so deeply involved with the synagogue and it’s noteworthy that the temple has only needed three full-time senior rabbis in five decades.

“Not only does it make us rare, but it makes a treasure of northern Westchester,” he said.

It’s great to interact with a cross-generational group of people that Kwittken said he might not have met if not for the temple.

Rabbi Strom and Rabbi Krantz

Golden Anniversary Celebrations In the Works

To mark the 50th year, the temple will be celebrating the congregation’s founding members, including Rabbi Krantz, and will have notable speakers, including from The Union for Reform Judaism. Various other activities and programs are in the works, Kwittken said. A large gala was also held in April, honoring four families that represent the past and the future of the synagogue.

The temple’s executive director, Ava Saperstein, said she believes the synagogue has “turned a corner” and is on the “upswing.” In the last year, about 30 families have joined CBY, resulting in 340 families overall and many have children enrolled in the religious school.

There is also young clergy, like Rabbi Strom, with the temple that are still able to connect with older members, but can also relate to younger ones, Saperstein said.

Cantor Sugarman Joins the Clergy Team

Part of the youthful clergy members includes the temple’s new cantor, Lilah Sugarman, who started July 1. Before interviewing with CBY, Sugarman, who grew up in Los Angeles, had never heard of Armonk, but now she’s happy to call it home.

When she interviewed with CBY, she just knew, just like Rabbi Krantz had known decades earlier, it was the right fit for her.

“CBY has a really strong history of connecting the community to Judaism in very different ways,” she said. “I’m excited to continue to do that.”

Lifelong Learning at CBY

At CBY, the congregation stresses that Judaism is a lifelong journey that requires ongoing education and spiritual discovery.

“We discover the building blocks of Jewish life, explore our sense of selves in the context of our Jewish heritage, and apply the lessons and ethics of our Jewish people throughout our journeys,” CBY’s website states.

With that in mind, CBY offers learning opportunities starting in 3rd grade in preparation for a child’s bar/bah mitzvah. But the chance to better understand Judaism doesn’t stop there, with post confirmation courses for teens that’s focused on leadership and courses for adults to continue their Jewish journey.

The adult education program is accessible with different days and times for those members that want to pursue further learning. Rabbi Strom holds Torah study several times a month, including every Saturday morning from September to June.

He’ll even travel to New York City one Wednesday a month for a class called Times Square Torah for those congregation members that work in the city.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Armonk, CBY, Congregation B'nai Yisrael, Rabbi, Rabbi Krantz

Temple Beth El’s Rabbi Maura Linzer Receives Prestigious ‘Young Pioneer Award’

April 18, 2019 by The Inside Press

 

Rabbi Maura Linzer

Last month Rabbi Maura Linzer of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester was one of the recipients of the Young Pioneers Award from the Jewish Education Project, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and empowering educators to create transformative Jewish experiences that help children, teens, and families thrive in today’s highly complex and challenging world.

As Associate Rabbi-Educator, Maura Linzer has dedicated her rabbinate to building positive Jewish memories in a family-centered, experiential, and inclusive environment. Under her leadership, she built a program of more than 45 teen volunteers, whose primary focus is to assist the 30 percent of students who have unique learning or emotional needs.  Beth El’s Religious School has become known for its experiential learning units, Artist-in-Residence Programs, which expose the students to music, yoga, mural art, theater, pottery, and dance. The religious school has expanded greatly under her leadership with 368 students enrolled this year.

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: award, congratulations, Jewish Education Project, Rabbi, Rabbi Maura Linzer, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester

A Holocaust Survivor Tells His Story: Thurs., March 17

March 9, 2016 by The Inside Press

Mangel-Nissen-2
holocaustsurvivor

Dear Friends,

On Thursday evening March 17, 2016, we will be hosting special lecture with Rabbi Nissen Mangel. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Allow us to request your help by asking you to help us get the word out and send the flyer on to your friends in the community. Together let us make this a most memorable evening.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Yosef Y. Butman

www.chabadacp.org

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: holocaust, Rabbi, story

A Local Rabbi’s Journey for Justice

October 21, 2015 by The Inside Press

jj torah
Rabbi Jaffe with NAACP President Cornell Brooks

By Matt Smith

They say in order to fully understand someone–and their cause–you should walk a mile in their shoes. In an effort to reconnect with the roots of Reformed Judaism, understand socioeconomic issues, celebrate Jewish history, and strengthen relationships with congregates outside the local community, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester did just that…and then some.

On Thursday, August 27, Rabbi Jaffe took part in the Journey for Justice, an 860-mile (in total) march from Selma, Alabama to Washington, DC, in commemoration of the March in Selma and the Voting Rights Act’s 50th anniversary this year.

Organized and led by the NAACP, in association with the Religious Action Center–“the very first political advocacy group by the Reform Movement in Washington, DC,” noted the Rabbi–the march aimed to promote awareness for a variety of social issues and unite people of different faiths, religions and backgrounds under a common agenda. Members of the Reform Jewish Movement were asked to sign up and march for the cause. One of 200 Reformed Rabbis from all over North America, who marched in support of social justice and education reform, among others, Rabbi Jaffe joined the group in Columbia, South Carolina, and marched for a day.

“The experience was wonderful,” the Rabbi said of the event. “I met people from the NAACP I would have never encountered [otherwise], and heard about what they’ve been doing, and shared our stories as well. It’s a wonderful bonding experience for two communities that seldom come into contact with one another.”

Among the highlights of his day was walking with Cornell Brooks, current President of the NAACP. “It was wonderful watching Mr. Brooks literally walk the talk along with the many volunteers,” the Rabbi continued. “He even carried the Torah…all the while taking time to speak with the volunteers.”

Rabbi Jaffe also noted that the march was significant because it solidified for him the idea that, in certain areas of the country (and of course, the world at large) people still hold great prejudice against others–especially chilling to encounter considering the inherent purpose of the march. “You see the best and worst of people in these times,” he stated. He recalls one instance where “as we were walking, there was a service station where [shopkeepers] went inside and then ran up Confederate Flags. There was [also] a motorcycle that buzzed by us a couple times and was definitely keeping tabs on us.”

However, he was also touched to see others’ outpouring of generosity and kindness during later rest stops throughout the journey. Specifically in the “one-gas-station town” of Bethune, “one of the shopkeepers saw that we were coming and ran inside and quickly cooked hot dogs and put out salad and provided lunch, ‘cause she wanted to do something to support the marchers. That selflessness was quite amazing and inspiring to see.”

But the exposure to the different people and other areas within the country are just two of many reasons behind the Rabbi’s decision to embark on this journey. At its heart, as he reinforced, the event the march is acknowledging is “a very strong part of the history of reformed Judaism.”

And, in fact, it’s also a strong of part of the history of Temple Beth El: Rabbi Murray Saltzman, one of Beth El’s Rabbis during the 1960s, participated in many protests throughout the Civil Rights Movement, alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and was even one of the rabbis jailed for his participation in the St. Augustine Movement. With this centralized connection to the Chappaqua community, coupled with the history of the Jewish community and the general call for rabbis’ involvement, “I jumped at [the chance to join],” exclaimed the Rabbi. “It seemed like an amazing opportunity.”

Not only does it seem like it was indeed an amazing opportunity, but the day’s events seem to have struck a chord for Rabbi Jaffe. He expressed interest in finding ways to continue supporting the issues protested during the march on a more local scale, as a way to get the community more involved. (Specifically, he mentioned working with the Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills, NY, with which Temple Beth El maintains a close relationship).

America’s Journey for Justice took place between August 1 and September 16, where it ended at the nation’s Capitol. For more information on
Temple Beth El, please visit
www.bethelnw.org.

Matt Smith, a proud graduate of Skidmore College, is a regular contributor to The Inside Press.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: education, Inside Press, Judaism, Rabbi, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, social justice, theinsidepress.com

Congregation B’nai Yisrael Celebrates New Rabbi and Educator

September 1, 2015 by The Inside Press

rabbi_josh_stromRabbi Josh Strom has joined Congregation B’nai Yisrael (CBY) of Armonk as its new permanent rabbi. Rabbi Strom previously served as an Associate Rabbi for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Rabbi Strom to our congregation and local Jewish community,” said Lisa Broomer, president of CBY. She added, “Rabbi Strom brings just the right combination of new ideas and respect for tradition to our congregation with boundless amounts of enthusiasm and passion for our shared Jewish values and beliefs. We are looking forward to many years of fulfilling worship, meaningful learning and heartfelt outreach both within and beyond our community with Rabbi Strom, in partnership with our beloved Cantor, Hayley Kobilinsky, who just celebrated ten wonderful lyrical years with CBY.”

“I am both humbled and thrilled to be joining this strong congregation and local Jewish community,” said Rabbi Strom. “CBY has a rich history for upholding both cultural and social values rooted in Jewish beliefs and traditions. I am eager to help lead and build CBY’s congregation and presence as it embarks on the next great chapter of its future.”

Melissa Cohavi also joins CBY as the new education director after serving Temple Sinai of Stamford, CT for 10 years. Melissa’s extensive education includes a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Lisa Broomer shared, “The Board of Trustees and congregation are very excited and inspired by the additions of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi.
Their dynamic personalities have already had a big positive impact in a short amount of time.”

Welcoming video interviews of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi are available through CBY’s website, www.CBYArmonk.org Founded in 1970, Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk is a Reform congregation with nearly 350 family members.

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: Congregation B'nai Yisrael, Inside Press, Jewish community, Judaism, Rabbi, theinsidepress.com

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