Minyan to be held this Shabbat, June 24, Parshat Korach, beginning at 9:15 a.m.
By Pearl Markovitz
It is now one year and four months after the creation of the Foundations Minyan at Congregation Beth Aaron. Since hosting its first minyan on March 12, 2022, the minyan has attracted a wide spectrum of attendees coming from varying Judaic backgrounds and stages in life, every four to six weeks.
On the last day of Shevat 2021, Andy Dimond, z”l was suddenly and tragically taken from his family and community. He left his beloved wife, Michelle, and cherished twins grieving over his untimely demise. The community shared in their grief as they had known Andy well from his warm and friendly demeanor and from the performances by his musical duo, “Jewbilation.” He and long-time friend Dr. Richard Seaman would regale audiences with their renditions of popular songs with new lyrics conveying Jewish messages. (For instance, Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” was reinvented as “The Sounds of Shabbos.”) The two had met years earlier at a Hineni Shabbat dinner. At Beth Aaron, they performed at several shabbatonim welcoming newly observant neighbors to the community.
In deciding upon a suitable memorial to her husband, Michelle looked back in gratitude to the many kiruv organizations that had guided him on his inspiring journey to Torah Judaism. Born to a completely secular family, Andy was “turned on” to Torah later in life at an Aish HaTorah Yom Kippur service in Manhattan. Encouraged to pursue his learning, he attended a week-long Aish program in Israel, which set him on his way. Upon return, he began attending Aish services on a regular basis in addition to other local Manhattan minyanim. He met Michelle at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ) in Manhattan, and they continued an observant life together and moved to Teaneck.
Recalling her late husband’s mantra, “We are all beginners on our journeys and can always learn new concepts along the way,” Michelle realized that the best tribute to the memory of her late husband would be a tefillah service that would offer explication of the davening and Torah insights on the weekly parshiot. Thus, the Foundations Minyan was instituted, housed graciously at Congregation Beth Aaron, where the family has davened since moving to Teaneck.
Michelle is very grateful to Morah D’asra Rabbi Larry Rothwachs for hosting the minyan and being one of the presenters of the introductory Torah insights. Rabbi Rothwachs shared: “We are so excited to introduce this minyan and hope that it will inspire all of its participants to achieve greater levels of insight and connection. As we all know, tefillah is an area that requires constant reflection and growth, and we must constantly enrich our understanding and enhance our perspectives of Torah as we grow and mature over time. The Foundations Minyan was established in loving memory of Andy Dimond, z”l to help us achieve these goals.”
Having heard of the many inspirational Torah presentations at KJ delivered by Rabbi Hayyim Angel, Michelle turned to him as well to lead the presentations to the Foundation Minyan. Residing with his family in Teaneck, not far from Beth Aaron, Rabbi Angel agreed and has addressed the Minyan seven times. Rabbi Angel is the National Scholar of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals and has taught advanced Bible courses to undergraduate, graduate and rabbinical students at Yeshiva University since 1996.
“The Foundations Minyan is unique in that it is open to participants with little background as well as those with advanced Jewish education,” Rabbi Angel said. “I set the level to cater to intermediate to advanced, so that a wide range of participants can learn and feel comfortable. In addition to the insights that we introduce before each section of the weekly parsha, we offer explanatory remarks about different components of the Shabbat tefillot during the sermon. The Foundations Minyan has built a wonderful community even beyond the Beth Aaron membership, and we sincerely hope it will continue growing.”
David and Dena Fisher are close neighbors and friends of the Dimond family. David stepped forward to help in the formation and running of the Foundations Minyan since its inception. He offered: ”As the unofficial gabbai of the Foundations Minyan, I look forward to our chevra getting together each month to gain new insights into the parsha and the davening. Rabbi Rothwachs and Rabbi Angel always provide new food for thought about the sedra, which enables us to connect to our Yiddishkeit in a meaningful way. Even though the minyan is referred to as the Foundations Minyan, all levels of participants will gain in joining us. It has been a privilege to help in the running of this minyan in tribute and memory to our dear friend Andy Dimond, a”h.”
Dr. Bradley Hercman and family, recent residents of Teaneck, paid tribute to the Foundations Minyan. “About a year ago, my family and I visited Teaneck to explore the possibility of moving here and to find our next spiritual home. As we perused the Shabbat announcements at Beth Aaron, the announcement of the next Foundations Minyan caught my eye. When asking around, I was told that the minyan was a tefillah experience with a slower pace and an educational frame.
“When we moved to the neighborhood a few months later, we were welcomed by the warmth and camaraderie of the Beth Aaron community. I began attending the Foundations Minyan with my family and we have continued going ever since. For us, the Foundations Minyan is a unique and unified space for people of varying Jewish backgrounds to connect around tefillah. The insights, discussions and nuanced interpretations on the parsha bring together everyone in the room—newcomers, lifetime synagogue attendees and even beginners, who all appreciate the erudition of the presenting rabbis. Though I come from a yeshiva background, I feel very privileged and invigorated by the minyan. I invite everyone to engage in prayer and Torah learning with a fresh set of eyes, with an open mind and an engaged heart.”
Michelle Dimond and family are grateful to the community for their participation in the Foundations Minyan in memory of their beloved Andy Dimond. They invite the community to attend the upcoming Foundations Minyan to be held on Shabbat Parshat Korach, June 24. It will begin at 9:15 a.m. with the teen minyan and then will move down to the Social Hall, where it will be addressed by Rabbi Angel. A hot kiddush will follow.
Pearl Markovitz is the senior staff writer at The Jewish Link.
