Victoria’s Congregation Emanu-El welcomed Rabbi Elisha (Eli) Herb as its new spiritual leader at the beginning of September, marking the next chapter for the historic shul, Canada’s oldest synagogue in continuous use. He takes over from Rabbi Harry Brechner, who served the community for the past 24 years.
Herb, a 2016 graduate of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School, joins Emanu-El after serving for nine years as the rabbi for Temple Beth Shalom, a Reconstructing Judaism synagogue in Salem, Ore.
“The Victoria community has been really wonderful,” Herb told the Independent earlier this month. “It feels like I found a niche, and that feels great. I love the people here. And I love Victoria. The island is amazing. I’m enjoying being here immensely.”
When the Emanu-El board announced that they had chosen Herb this spring, following a seven-month selection process, it notified members that a two-thirds majority in a closed ballot was required to confirm the new rabbi. The motion to hire Herb passed with 97% of the vote.
Since late summer, Herb said he has been learning from the community and hearing from people at Emanu-El about what they find satisfying about the synagogue and what they would like to see changed or enhanced. He wants “to listen more than lead right now,” he said.
“Something exciting for me is, in general, that people love Emanu-El. They really like being here, and want more. I like the request for more – more social connections, more diversity in programming, more programming,” he said.
Although Emanu-El has a reputation for supporting progressive causes, labeling it as a “lefty shul,” in Herb’s view, does not fully reflect the range of perspectives held by members.
“Our membership is a big spectrum of backgrounds, orientations, ideologies, and so forth,” he said. “The community I’m experiencing is really much more about developing and strengthening the relationships they have to each other and trying to be a positive presence in Victoria as a whole.”
After Oct. 7, 2023, strong opinions within the Victoria Jewish community emerged, often pitting members against one another and leading to a fracturing of relationships.
“A lot of judgments have been made absent a direct relationship, and that’s very painful. It feels important to me that some healing goes on,” Herb said. “Compared to where I was in Oregon, it feels like it’s been much harder for people here because of the schisms … within the Jewish community.”
Herb is an active social media user, with videos on YouTube about the weekly Torah reading and posts on the Emanu-El WhatsApp and Signal groups about Jewish art, jokes, music, poems and other insights.
“It’s not edgy or politically motivated. It’s I saw this and it touched me, so I’m sharing it with you. This made me laugh, so I’m sharing it with you,” he explained.
One aim as rabbi, Herb said, is to increase commitment to the practice of Judaism and to enhance people’s relationship to God.
“I have this idea of connecting people with the people of Israel and with Torah and with Hashem,” he said. “But, in terms of actual programming, mostly right now, I’m responding to needs rather than directing things, I would say. That’s my philosophy. I need to get a lay of the land and know who I’m working with.”
Herb stressed that he feels fortunate to be in Victoria.
“I want to be here, partly because of the nature of this community and the nature of the people who are involved, but it’s definitely also Victoria and Vancouver Island,” he said.
In addition to serving as a rabbi, Herb has been an outdoor educator, with certification from the National Outdoor Leadership School in the United States, and a river guide for the Four Corners School of Outdoor Education in Monticello, Utah.
Though Brechner is stepping down as spiritual leader of the congregation, he remains an active member of the community and now holds the role of rabbi emeritus.
“As much as I have grown this community, it’s also grown me,” said Brechner, before leaving his post. “The people I’ve met, the joy and pain I’ve had entrée to and the relationships I’ve developed all inform how I understand our place in the world as a Jewish people,” he said. “I hope Rabbi Eli has a similar experience. I know I’m handing our synagogue into very capable and caring hands.”
Last year, Brechner received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his significant contributions to interfaith connections, social justice and community dialogue in British Columbia. Earlier this year, he was awarded an honourary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City for his more than 25 years of distinguished service.
“Rabbi Harry is a gem,” said Ilana Stanger-Ross, president of Emanu-El. “While deeply grounded in tradition, he has always embraced a progressive vision that inspires action and nurtures deep community – things we are known for in Victoria.”
On Dec. 21, Emanu-El will celebrate Hanukkah with its annual menorah lighting in Victoria’s Centennial Square, starting at 5:15 p.m.
Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
