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November 8, 2002/Kislev 3 5763, Vol. 55, No. 11
Kollel welcomes rabbisOrganization provides 'strong link' to Israel
LEISAH NAMM
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 The new rabbis of the Greater Phoenix Israel Kollel are, from left, Rabbi Yair Shlomi, Rabbi Michael Dubitsky and Rabbi Hanania Levy. Dubitsky is also the new associate rabbi at Beth Joseph Congregation. Photo by Leisah Namm |
The new kollel, based at Beth Joseph Congregation in Phoenix, uses the "same ideology (and) same philosophy" as its predecessor, the Greater Phoenix Community Kollel/Torah Mitzion, said Rabbi David Rebibo of Beth Joseph.
The original kollel, formed in December 2000 and also based at Beth Joseph, was led by Rabbi Gedalia Peterseil, who completed his two-year term this past summer.
The term "kollel" means "to include" in Hebrew, which describes a primary characteristic of the kollel - that it's open to the entire community, said its executive director, Rabbi Michael Dubitsky.
Although education is its main function, "there are a lot of institutions that have such (a function)," he said. "What would make us different is that we have such a strong link" to the land of Israel.
In addition to programming for "teens, young adults (and) families from the advanced to the unaffiliated, we're also looking to provide a fervent love for the land of Israel," he explained.
To facilitate this connection to Israel, two Israeli rabbis and their families have joined the kollel, both for two years.
Rabbi Yair Shlomi, from Rehovot, and Rabbi Hanania Levy, from Bet El, will participate in a vigorous learning program - a standard part of a kollel lifestyle. They will also teach classes, give lectures, run weekend events such as Shabbatons, and volunteer in the community. Along with their wives, Margalit Shlomi and Ofira Levy, they also teach at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy.
The exposure to Israeli families will help people gain a better understanding of life in Israel, Dubitsky said.
An example is a pen pal program set up by Margalit Shlomi between her former students in Israel and students at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy.
Before moving here with his wife Amy, Dubitsky was the senior rabbi of a New Jersey congregation.
Why the move to Phoenix?
"The potential for growth - the potential to teach and educate the community-at-large - was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Dubitsky said. "The Jewish community in Phoenix has been growing, the numbers look like they're going to continue to grow, and we want to facilitate in a way that just hasn't been done before."
Yair and Margalit Shlomi have four children: Naama, 14, Shira, 12, David, 8, and Yehonatan, 5. The couple has spent many years in education and administration. He was most recently the director of Israel's Cultivation Institute and she was a coordinator at the Ministry of Education.
Rabbi Hanania Levy and his wife Ofira have two children: Matania, 3, and Yuval, 2. In 2000-2001, the couple lived in Moscow where he studied in a kollel and taught Hebrew and other Jewish subjects to adults and children. Ofira was a kindergarten teacher and also taught special education students.
Kollel plans include a lecture series, with topics such as business and medical ethics, as well as an expansive Talmud program, guest speakers and some classes taught in Hebrew.
"We want to forge our own path," Dubitsky said, "we don't want to duplicate any programs."
The kollel will also offer an open beit midrash (house of study) with one-on-one learning where community members choose the topic. "Whatever topic that they can think of, that's what they do," Dubitsky said. "Law, philosophy, metaphysics - anything they want to learn, that's what's on our agenda."
In addition to his role as kollel executive director, Dubitsky will serve as the associate rabbi at Beth Joseph Congregation. His responsibilities will include facilitating growth in the congregation's membership, teaching classes and giving sermons.
The Valley's other kollel, the Phoenix Community Kollel, established in December 2000, is based at Young Israel. Its programs also are open to the community.
The two kollelim recently held a joint Shabbaton with members of the National Council of Synagogue Youth, a teen program, Dubitsky said. The new kollel also plans to work with the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Israel Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, among other organizations.
Call 602-277-8858.
Contact the writer at leisah_namm@jewishaz.com.