Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro said he his role as the first full-time religious leader at Congregation Beth Shalom will enable the congregants “to develop a spiritual connection to their rabbi.”
Photo by Jill Huber
August 26, 2008
When Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro became the religious leader at Congregation Beth Shalom in Red Bank on June 1, he also became the Orthodox temple’s first full-time rabbi in 30 years.
And although it’s Shapiro’s first pulpit, the young rabbi already has projects in mind that will raise awareness of the congregation among the Jewish and general communities.
“Building bridges to both communities will help people know that this congregation is here and ready to be a friend,” Shapiro said. “Discrimination and hatred usually spring from ignorance. If we spend time examining our commonalities as well as our differences, the end result is a sense of understanding and respect. It seems like the right way to start a relationship with the non-Jewish community.”
The temple was established in 1957 and had 80 members at the height of its prominence, Shapiro said. For the past 20 years, however, membership has decreased — there are now 30 member families — and the religious school ceased operations 10 years ago, largely due to a drop in enrollment, he said.
‘My personal mission is to create and nurture
a Jewish spiritual center.’
“I think the drop-off in temple membership was closely connected to the fact that the congregation didn’t have a full-time rabbi for so long,” he said. “Congregants need to develop a spiritual connection to their rabbi — they have to know that the rabbi will be there for them.”
Financial considerations and opportunities for lay leaders also were part of the decision not to hire a full-time religious leader, Shapiro said. But as membership continued to decline, the congregation realized that it might have to close its doors in a few more years.
“So, they took a leap of faith and here I am,” he said. “I’ll show them they made the right decision. I believe that if I’m there for the congregants, they will be there for me.”
Since Shapiro’s arrival, the temple held a Shabbat dinner that drew about 30 people. Shapiro said he would like to make the meal a regular event and eventually open it to the general community.
He said he would also like to conduct more Torah classes and add a spiritual writing course that will encourage congregants to focus on their feelings. Above all, he said, he wants to create programs around the interests of the congregants.
“It’s healthy for students, regardless of their age, to have input into the learning process,” Shapiro said.
‘Spiritually intense’
Shapiro was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York City in June. He grew up in Chicago in a traditional Jewish home and attended Jewish day schools. While he was a student at a public high school, however, he began his religious journey into the world of Orthodoxy.
“At first, I enjoyed the public high school experience, but I realized that I was not changing as a person,” said Shapiro. “And, there was my personal love of Judaism to consider. I wanted to experience what it was like to live a traditional lifestyle, and I thought I might find a meaningful life there for myself.”
He transferred to a yeshiva near Chicago in 1997, where he completed his high school education. He also studied at the Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem for two years before attending Chovevei Torah.
“Spending that time in Israel was so spiritually intense, and I found that same intensity among the Israeli people,” Shapiro said. “They weren’t just people on the street — you could see their souls. I traveled around a lot, and wherever I went, I felt surrounded by a sense of history, of being in the moment, and being a part of Israel’s living history.
“Finding yourself linked to Israel in that way is a very powerful draw.”
Shapiro and his wife, Helene, who were married in Jerusalem in 2005, are expecting their first child in September. They live in an apartment above the temple building at 186 Maple Ave.
“I’ll find a balance between being a parent and being the religious leader of this congregation,” said Shapiro. “Part of my mission is to increase membership at this congregation, but my personal mission is to create and nurture a Jewish spiritual center in Red Bank.
“Some of my commitment to Orthodox Judaism stems from my deep belief that everything is all part of the same energy source — that the entire world is one. This belief can lead to acceptance and understanding, while helping to dispel the things that divide us.”
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