The Jewish new year brings a new assistant rabbi to West Orange’s Congregation Ohr Torah. Rabbi Marc Spivak and the synagogue board announced that their beloved youth director, Avi Hoffman, would be taking on the additional role of assistant rabbi. In this new role, Hoffman will work with Rabbi Spivak to strengthen the Ohr Torah community by expanding learning opportunities throughout the week, enhancing davening and, of course, continuing creative and dynamic youth and teen programming.
“Congregation Ohr Torah is very fortunate to have hired Avi Hoffman in 2021 as our youth director and most recently as our first assistant rabbi,” said Rabbi Spivak. “Avi’s unique talents are a wonderful complement to our shul community. He is comfortable working with people from all spectrums of the Jewish world and that, coupled with his interests in magic, scouting and his creativity in creating programs, has enabled him to connect with all members of our shul. I am excited to be working with him in this additional capacity and look forward to his future contributions to our shul community and to all the Jewish people.”
Originally from Brooklyn, Hoffman earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Touro University in 2019. He is currently completing semicha at RIETS, a certificate in mental health counseling at Ferkauf, and a master’s in medieval Jewish history at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies; and he teaches Torah at Columbia University through OU-JLIC. An avid magician, he is working on a book of original magic for magicians and a book on the intersection between magic, performance art and halacha. His past summer included a rabbinic mission to Israel, an ethics conference in Poland and Germany, a chaplaincy role at the BSA’s National Jamboree in West Virginia, and a magic convention in Las Vegas. With so many interests, he is fortunate that he is able to combine their pursuit in his roles at Ohr Torah. “We’ve had a shabbaton featuring shomer Shabbos magicians, and there’s been talk of a ‘Scouting Shabbaton’ and other similar ideas. I try, as much as I can, to let the different domains of my life complement, not conflict with, each other.”
Hoffman first expressed interest in becoming a rabbi when he was 17, at his Eagle Court of Honor (Eagle Scout level). Five years after that he had very different plans, but 10 years later, was back on that track. “I’ve gotten to know many West Orange kids and their families in the past two years as youth director and I’m eager to become better acquainted with the rest of the community,” he said. “I’m also excited to be working with Rabbi Spivak, whom I’ve become very close with over the past two years. I consider it a serious privilege to have, and have had, this much access to such an incredible rabbi.”
Ohr Torah’s President Michael Diamond said: “Avi Hoffman’s values mesh well with the members of the congregation. As the shul’s youth director, he was able to form real connections with both the adult members of our shul as well as the youth. When the opportunity arose to bring Avi in as the shul’s first assistant rabbi, the board, with Rabbi Spivak’s support, felt it was a fantastic idea.”
Hoffman is looking forward to initiating new programming, in addition to bringing back family favorites. “One thing that we’re bringing back, for the third time, is ‘Sushi in the Sukkah.’ There were also many frum magicians who were sorry they missed our ‘Frum Magicians Shabbaton’ and expressed great interest in coming if we were to do another one. I’m very excited to be working with the Ohr Torah community, particularly the youth, and I’m currently working on events that will be happening later this month.”
Hoffman noted that the appeal of working as a congregational rabbi was brought home from the conversations he had with students and the way this job is situated to provide the opportunity to help other people and implement creative ways to teach Torah to a variety of audiences.
Karen Thumim, a member of Ohr Torah’s youth committee, said: “We’re excited to have Avi in this new position because he represents another way for our congregation to connect to Judaism. Through youth programming, teen and adult learning opportunities and community events, Avi adds different dimensions to our shul. We’re excited to see his trajectory from this launching pad.”
While the Yamim Noraim are always a challenge, especially for new rabbis, it is certain that Hoffman made a positive impression on everyone in his new role. As Ohr Torah’s website states, they have “seen firsthand all that Avi can accomplish as a youth director and they are excited to see all the “magic” he will bring to the shul this year as assistant rabbi!”
