This Shabbat, Congregation Beth Shalom of Lawrence, New York will be bidding farewell to Rabbi Kenneth and Nancy Hain, who are retiring after a remarkable 50 year career in the Rabbinate, 34 of which were at Beth Shalom. Some of you may remember Rabbi and Mrs. Hain at the beginning of their Rabbinic journey, at United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston in 1972. Throughout his career, Rabbi Hain has built deep and lasting relationships with congregants, whom he has helped in countless ways, and has been a senior mentor to many younger Rabbis- myself included. During my tenure in the Five Towns, Rabbi Hain was always available for guidance and friendship- we even conducted a pulpit exchange, a decidedly lopsided endeavor. It was because of our connection that Rabbi Hain installed me as Rabbi at Shaare Tefilla, and not just because he has one of the greatest speaking voices in the American Rabbinate…I, and so many of my colleagues, am grateful to the Hains for their support, and wish them the best in their retirement and aliyah to Israel.
Rabbi’s Recommendations Read this article from the Forward, about the spa resort town of Marienbad, where Rabbis and Chassidic Rebbes in pre-war Europe used to vacation each summer.
New Feature! Shul of The Week Trivia (Credit to the Mi Ke’amcha Yisrael (“MKY”) Whatsapp Status Update for this idea)
Each week, I will feature a picture of a shul somewhere in the world which you have to identify. Obviously, a simple google image search may yield results, but there will be an attendant trivia question attached to the shul that may take more sleuth work. The answer, and the winner (or the first person to give the correct answer) will be featured in the following week’s SOTWT.
This shul is the only one of its kind in the city where it is located. Name the shul, what is unique about it, the city it is located in AND the celebrity who is an essential part of its ritual committee.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
