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March 15, 2002/Nisan2, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 26
Beth Israel rabbi seeks slower pace
LEISAH NAMM
Assistant Editor
After serving for 10 years as senior rabbi to more than 1,000 families at Temple Beth Israel, Rabbi Kenneth I. Segel will shift gears and move to a smaller congregation in Montgomery, Ala., in mid-June.
"I wanted to scale down to something smaller," Segel said of Temple Beth Or, a 150-year-old Reform congregation with 250 families.
"Bigger is challenging and stimulating, but bigger is not always better," he said. "I want to know people, I want to try to be in a smaller environment where I think I can have a greater impact on individual lives - and also improve the quality of my own life."
The congregation is in the process of setting up a search committee for a full-time senior rabbi, said Susan Sendrow, president of the board of directors. The board may obtain the services of an interim rabbi during the search process, she added.
A search for a new religious school director is also in the works, since Segel's wife, Sandra, filled the position for the past eight years.
"We're losing two valuable resources," Sendrow said. The religious school has about 400 students.
Besides looking forward to the more relaxed pace of a smaller congregation, Segel is anxious to use the extra time to pursue other interests as well.
He has been working on a Broadway play - a biblical musical - that he hopes to devote more time to, as well as teaching and writing other works, such as a religious school textbook and a Judaic-themed book.
Due to the commitments from leading a large congregation, Segel said he has missed family b'nai mitzvah, weddings and funerals over the years and now, at 60, is ready for a change.
"I speak about the importance of family and I speak about the importance of establishing a life that has meaning and value and I just felt that I needed to work on my own life, and why not now?" he said.
"The leadership's been fantastic and the overwhelming majority of the congregants have been really, really supportive and I'm blessed," he said. "From that point, it's a hard place to leave."
Sendrow said the congregation is "saddened by (the Segels) departure, but we understand this is a wonderful opportunity for them."
She said Segel was "the energizing force and deserves much of the credit for our successful move from 10th Avenue and Osborn" Road to its current location at Shea Boulevard and 56th Street.
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