In 2020, during the COVID pandemic closings, Rodger Cohen and a group of his neighbors struggled to get a Shabbat minyan together near their homes in Englewood. On April 6, 2025, Etz Chaim: The Englewood Shtiebel (https://englewoodshtiebel.com) held a festive Chanukat HaBayit to celebrate the opening of their new shul, a house that has been completely renovated inside to serve the expanding congregation. Located in Englewood near the borders of Englewood Cliffs and Tenafly, the 2,000-square-foot home boasts a large sanctuary that will fit current and future members comfortably; a beautifully finished basement dedicated to youth groups with plenty of room for children to play; and a living room-like section for moms to relax with their kids and each other. There are 15 high school youth leaders under the direction of Ava Gurfein, youth director. There are sections indoors and outdoors for gathering and socializing. The shul has hired Rabbi Daniel Goldberg, currently associate rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Torah, to lead them as they continue growing. He will begin his new position in August.
“Our Chanukat HaBayit was the culmination of four years of searching for a house in the right location, working with the city on zoning and permits, working with the neighbors to make sure they are happy so we can continue to be good neighbors, and the process of construction,” said Cohen, who is president of the shul. He describes the shul as a community center, where people at different levels of their Jewish journey can feel comfortable.
The shtiebel began in the home of Avi and Miriam Grossman, who turned their large garage into a space for the minyan with a commitment to making everyone who came feel welcome. “They were so warm and generous; that really set the tone for us and we continue that tone for our congregation,” said Cohen. He gave a shoutout to other founding members of the shul with whom he worked from the beginning: Paul Hilbert, David Spier, Hillel Shreiber and Baruch Sasouness.
Etz Chaim is not a breakaway minyan but an addition to the community supported by the rebbeim. Several attended the Chanukat HaBayit including Rabbi Zev Reichman of East Hill; Rabbi Chaim Poupko of Congregation Ahavath Torah; Rabbi Mordy Kuessous of the Benaroya Sephardic Center at Ahavath Torah; Rabbi Daniel Alter, Moriah’s head of school; and Rabbi Shmuel Konikov of Chabad in Englewood. “We were very conscious of being at least a mile away from East Hill Synagogue and from Congregation Kehilat Kesher in the other direction so that we don’t compete or take away members,” said Cohen, who has also been president of East Hill. He anticipates new people moving to the area now that there is a shul in walking distance. “We get calls every week from real estate brokers asking about the shul. We plan on doing an event for the brokers to come and learn about the shul and what we plan on doing so they can start bringing in frum families.”
Someone suggested to Cohen that he reach out to Rabbi Goldberg about becoming the shul’s senior rabbi. He first contacted two community rabbis to confirm that approaching a rabbi already employed in the community was halachically permissible. He was told that as long as it increases the rabbi’s role—and making him their senior rabbi would qualify—it was 100% halachically correct. “As soon as we met him, we knew it was the right fit,” Cohen said.
The feeling was mutual. Rabbi Goldberg first joined Congregation Ahavath Torah eight years ago as an assistant rabbi and has seen the shtiebel evolve. “One aspect of this opportunity that is so attractive is that it allows me to continue to build on my relationship with the Englewood community,” he said.
Rabbi Goldberg added that this is a unique opportunity for him since the shul is so new. On one hand, the shul is a startup. It is now in the process of electing a board and maintaining a formal membership, the next steps in its evolution. But an identity has begun to take shape. “There’s a sense that everyone is welcome and that the beautiful tefillah is the centerpiece of the shul, with heartfelt singing and energy. Everything flows from there,” he said. “One of the first things that actually caught my attention … was hearing someone recount that on Friday nights, he would walk a distance to go to the shul because he found the davening so beautiful. That was very attractive to me early on because there is already a sense of ruchnius and a positive, growth-oriented culture. It’s a small thing but it’s indicative of something profound.”
Rabbi Goldberg emphasized that the founders’ whole approach to building the shul was to make it a warm, welcoming community center. “I was incredibly impressed by the values and humility of the lay leadership,” he said. “They are really selfless; they wanted to build a makom Torah, tefillah and chesed. They had a magnificent hachnosas sefer Torah and Chanukat HaBayit all in one. Yet, as I prepared my remarks, each one said, ‘Don’t mention me; this is a moment for the community to celebrate.’ That’s the kind of culture that is already there. Those values are infused into the way the shul was built. They made it a priority that the space be a really inviting, joyful place for children as well as adults. They were guided by halacha and a spirit of achdus.”
Staying in Englewood means a great deal to Rabbi Goldberg and his wife, Dina. “Englewood is growing not just in numbers but in avodas Hashem,” he explained. “We have fallen in love with Englewood; it is a vibrant place to raise a committed Jewish family. More people are going to shiurim and learning and connecting every day. Something beautiful is happening.”
Rabbi Goldberg’s background makes him ideally suited for his new position. He is a Teaneck native who has been educated at Yavneh Academy, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel, and Yeshiva University for a BA and MA. He is the youngest of three brothers who all have semicha from YU. His oldest brother, Zev, is the rabbi of the Beis Medrash of Bergenfield. “I had two older brothers to look up to who made the path very attractive,” he said. “I always loved teaching and I love people, so I decided to spend my life playing on God’s team.”
Dina Muskin Goldberg is a third-generation rebbetzin on her mother’s side and fourth-generation on her father’s side, so she is well equipped for her role. “She was destined to be a rebbetzin,” Rabbi Goldberg quipped. She is also the chief development officer of Sharsheret. The Goldberg household is a busy place with four young children at home.
Although she is originally from Los Angeles, Dina has become Englewood’s biggest cheerleader.
“One of the most exciting and special parts of The Englewood Shtiebel for us is that we have the opportunity to stay in Englewood,” she said. “We adore Englewood. We’ve raised our children here and we’ve built real and deep relationships with so many families. Englewood is our home and we feel truly blessed to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand the community.”
Rabbi Goldberg said he has mixed feelings about leaving Congregation Ahavath Torah, where he has had such formative experiences and forged such deep relationships. By staying in Englewood, he doesn’t have to say goodbye. “We’re still here, just moving a few miles north,” he said.
Rabbi Goldberg’s departure from Ahavath Torah will be deeply felt. Rabbi Poupko wrote in an email: “We wish Rabbi Goldberg and Dina Mazel Tov and Hatzlachah Rabbah for this new and exciting opportunity. At the same time, it’s hard to see such a cherished member of our Rabbinic Team moving on from CAT after having made such an indelible imprint on our community. Rabbi Goldberg contributed so much in raising the spiritual energy of our community, particularly in growing the Etz Chaim minyan into the success that it is today. Speaking personally, Rabbi Goldberg is a close friend and a dependable partner who I will miss working side by side with. There are some things I can only joke with him about, only he would get, and that day-to-day camaraderie will be sorely missed.”
