Unorthodox High Holiday Services at Town of Oyster Bay Chabad
Posted by Menachem Posner, August 28, 2013 at 07:37 AM
Eugene Volynets, Rabbi Shmuel Lipszyc & Dr. Gill Heart at a recent Town of Oyster Bay Chabad stress-management workshop.
Rabbi Shmuel Lipszyc wears a long beard and an even longer black coat.But people who know him at Town of Oyster Bay Chabad in Woodbury say he is anything but orthodox.
“He breaks many of the stereotypes that people have about observant Jews. I grew up feeling that they didn’t think of me as Jewish because I did not observe as they did,” said Shelly Fazio, a retired schoolteacher who lives in the Town of Oyster Bay, “so when a friend invited me to accompany her to Town of Oyster Bay Chabad, where Rabbi Lipszyc is rabbi, I really did not want to go—especially since my late husband, Paul, was a Christian.
“When I finally did go, I remember the rabbi was talking about how we need to find joy each day. I was sitting there thinking, ‘I can relate to this.’ Afterward, I was so surprised by how welcoming the rabbi and his wife, Brocha, were to us. Not only did the rabbi not shun or ignore my husband, he prayed for him regularly during the course of his illness and wanted to visit him in the hospice right before he passed away in June.”
Even as a student, Lipszyc says he “was drawn to people and had a strong desire to connect and experience Judaism with every person on his or level.” He served as a covert agent of Chabad to the USSR, bringing Jewish supplies and knowledge to Refuseniks and other Soviet Jews with almost no contact with the outside Western world. “It was a transformative experience for me,” he recalled, “seeing how much a smile can accomplish when there are no words.”
Fazio is among the dozens of families and individuals who will be joining Rabbi Lipszyc for High Holiday services at Town of Oyster Bay Chabad.
Lipszyc said that he believes a place of worship should foster inclusion as opposed to division. “When someone comes to Town of Oyster Bay Chabad, my goal is to make sure that they feel at home and comfortable,” he said, “We work hard to make sure that the service is well explained so that no one feels left out. We keep it very musical so that everyone can participate in a real way.”
According to the congregation’s website, www.jewishTOB.org, High Holiday reserved seating is just $99, which is significantly below average. Lipszyc explained that if keeping the prices low means that even one more person would be able to attend and be inspired, it is worth his efforts.
“And they have been paying off,” notes Eugene Volynetz executive founder of the congregation, “Over the past seven years, affiliation with the temple has risen a steady average of 10% on a yearly basis.”
“We welcome everyone - unaffiliated, Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox - we see you as Jewish. No Labels. We strive to make the services interesting, inspiring, and beautiful for everyone, regardless of affiliation,” says Rabbi Lipszyc.
Nadine Schiffer, a mother of three who lives in Plainview, says that Town of Oyster Bay Chabad Hebrew School is what attracted her family to the rabbi and his congregation. “We had the kids at another temple’s school before we transferred,” said Schiffer, “but the innovative and warm approach of the Town of Oyster Bay Chabad teachers has caused them to really progress.” Using the Chabad-developed Alef Champ system, the children are motivated to advance their Hebrew reading skills in order to attain martial-arts-style “belts” based on proficiency. “It’s not just about reading,” Schiffer added, “The school has a really nice mix of Hebrew reading and learning about Jewish traditions and holidays in a fun way—and they love going.”
Fazio also points to the Lipszyces’ Shabbat table as a place where she and her husband got to know the rabbi and his wife and see beyond the external trapping associated with traditional insularity.
“The more we interact, the more people see us for who we are, “said Lipszyc, “and that is what it’s all about.”
For information or to reserve a seat for services, contact Town of Oyster Bay Chabad at 516-682-0404 or jewishtob.org. Rosh Hashanah begins on September 4, and shofar will be blown on the mornings of September 5 and 6. Yom Kippur is from the eve of September 13 to September 14.