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September 10, 2004
Co-creating community
Shaarey Tefilah welcomes Rabbi Schachar Orenstein.
KYLE BERGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
When Congregation Shaarey Tefilah talked about breaking in their
new rabbi, they didn't realize how real of a break-in it would end
up being.
On his very first day as the new spiritual leader of Shaarey Tefilah,
Rabbi Schachar Orenstein walked into the shul to find that thieves
had entered the building the night before and had broken into his
office. While nothing of significant value seemed to be stolen,
it was certainly a unique beginning to what the rabbi and his congregants
hope will be a slightly less anxiety-filled relationship.
Orenstein and his wife, Meira, expecting their first child in December,
came to Vancouver from Montreal, where he served as the assistant
rabbi of Congregation Shaar Hashamayim for the past three years.
Looking for his own congregation where he could make more of an
impact, Orenstein is confident he has found his new home at Shaarey
Tefilah.
"What excited me about this community is that it is very different
than the community I came from in Montreal," he said, noting
that Shaarey Tefilah's former rabbi, Ross Singer, encouraged him
to apply. "It's much smaller and there's more intimacy with
the community. It's more of a family feeling where I can get to
know the people better."
He said that the natural inspiration of the city's landscape also
pulled him to the West Coast.
"We came here for an audition about a month and a half ago
and we fell in love with the community," he said. "They
invited us down to a picnic on the beach. I brought my guitar, we
sang spiritual songs and it was so lovely that my wife and I just
fell in love with the community and knew that we were good matches."
Once he's helped clean up the mess left by the thieves, Orenstein
said he looks forward to slowly working his way into the lives of
the Shaarey Tefilah community and helping it grow.
"I really resonate with [New York modern Orthodox] Rabbi Avi
Weiss's words," he explained. "He once said, 'I'm interested
in the nation, not denomination.' So what I'm focusing on is helping
to co-create a warm, inclusive community.
"I'm interested in creating an environment where people can
learn and where people can have a lot of participation in the service,"
he continued. "Rather than being passive observers, they'll
have the chance to be hands-on and take an active role in the synagogue.
That's more possible in a smaller community."
The rabbi has always had a wide range of interests in terms of Judaism
and the Torah and he hopes to discover more while he is here.
"I feel that the total tradition has a claim on me," he
said. "What I mean is, I have a wide range of interests from
Jewish law, to Jewish history, to the mystical aspects of Judaism.
All of it fascinates me and I've delved into many different aspects
of our glorious traditions. I also have an academic Jewish perspective
and that's another important entry way for many people into Torah."
While acknowledging that any change in spiritual leadership should
be considered a transition period for a congregation, Orenstein
said there's a lot that his predecessor has contributed that he
hopes to maintain. This includes the spiritual connection that the
members have made with the environment.
"The congregation recently went to Mount Baker, they did the
West Coast Trail as a community and they have done a lot of great
melding of Judaism and the environment and that is something that
excites me," he said. "Another dimension where I might
be able to offer a little more to this community is music. And to
complement our services here with Jewish spirituality, both with
music and contemporary practices."
He invited anyone interested to come meet with him and share their
ideas for the future of the congregation.
"I'm really interested in co-creating, so if you have dreams
or visions, I'd like to hear about them."
Born in Ramat-Gan, Israel, Orenstein moved to Winnipeg after the
Yom Kippur War. He spent time studying religious studies at the
University of British Columbia, McGill University in Montreal and
Mercaz Hatalmud Rabbinical Seminary.
He received his ordination from the beit din of Harav Hagaon, Rabbi
Ephraim Greenblatt of Memphis, Tenn.
For more information about Orenstein or any of Shaarey Tefilah's
programs or services, call 604-873-2700.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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