Rabbi and Rebetzin of Chabad are famous for moving to remote areas to build Jewish lives.Therefore, if the rabbi Zvi When Hadassah Alperowitz I boarded a ferry to foster a Jewish community on an island that can only be reached by ferry or plane.
Their new home is no ordinary island, but Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, is an idyllic summer getaway made famous by the likes of David Letterman and Barack Obama.
Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, attracts 200,000 visitors each summer, with 17,000 visitors annually. While the island is bustling with holidaymakers, Rabbi Alperowitz says there is a tangible demand for Jewish communal living and learning here.he was introduced to the island by his uncle rabbi Exiel Alperowitz of Chabad on Cape Cod, who began to hear the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard express the need for Chabad’s presence.
While visiting and chatting with the locals, the Alperowitz heard a lasting interest in a stronger Jewish community. Since the Covid pandemic, many seasonal residents have made Martha’s Vineyard their permanent home. The community grew, and so did the opportunity to build a Jewish community life. So for the summer of 2022, Mr. and Mrs. Alperowitz have booked a one-way ticket to the island by ferry and launched her Chabad of Martha’s Vineyard from a new building in Vineyard Haven.
The reception was warm from the beginning. When Chabad hosted his late July and early September community Shabbat meals, reservations filled up quickly. “We maintain an open dialogue with the community,” says Ravi Tzvi. “People here want a deeper engagement with the study of Judaism, so we hosted a Torah class.”
Although the island has long been home to a large number of Jewish celebrities, there is plenty of room for growth and diversification in the Jewish cultural space. So Chabad of Martha’s Vineyard hosted his chat on Fireside in his three-part speaker series entitled ‘Critical Conversations’. Dara Horn Former US Ambassador to Israel on Anti-Semitism Dan Shapiro When Robert Greenway Unpacking the Abraham Accords and Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Eldanspoke about defending Israel on the world stage.
Looking to the future, the Alperowitz will host a number of programs to meet the needs of the Jewish islanders. “Learning and teaching play a big role,” says Rabbi Alperowitz.
Rabbi Tzvi and Hadassah grew up as Chabad ambassadors in England and Florida, respectively, and have fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening their own Chabad Center. They considered several locations, but Martha’s Vineyard presented a unique opportunity to make an outsized impact.
“People here are open to new experiences and looking for meaning,” says Rabbi Alperowitz. “If someone develops a Jewish connection while they’re here in the summer and brings it back to their community, that’s an additional ripple effect.”
Comments
Post a Comment