It was the culmination of months of effort to find the right fit for the shul. And it signaled that the shul is thoughtfully positioning itself for expanded growth.
As Dr. Moishe Malek, president of Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park, told The Jewish Link: “I’m grateful to the members of the board and guidance of Rabbi Kaufman for the consequential decision to hire the first assistant rabbi in the history of Ohav Emeth.”
On February 20, Malek emailed a letter to the shul community to share the news that starting March 1, Rabbi Meir Lipschitz would start serving as assistant rabbi of the synagogue. As Malek wrote, Lipshitz will both work “in support of our Morah D’asrah, Rabbi Kaufman” and “will bring his experience and talents to support the overall growth of our shul, with programming that will strengthen the teen and young family experience at OE.”
Rabbi Lipschitz is the director of special initiatives and a middle school rebbe at the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva in Edison. He has served in a rabbinic capacity in shuls in Georgetown; Lawrence, New York; Toronto; and Stony Brook. He has 15 years of educational and administrative experience in MTA, Magen David High School and the Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore. Rabbi Lipschitz received semicha from Yeshiva University. He and his wife, Jordy, live in Highland Park with their three children and have been members of Congregation Ohav Emeth for nearly 10 years.
Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, the shul’s rav, celebrated the new appointment. He told The Jewish Link: “Rabbi Meir has always helped the shul since he’s been here. I’ve been asking Rabbi Meir to serve as my substitute when I’m away; he gives wonderful shiurim and drashot. The shul was looking for someone to further its growth and I spoke well of Rabbi Meir. We are fortunate to have him come aboard and take on this role. He has a long track record as an educator and is a learned and caring person. I’m looking forward to seeing him enhance the already strong programming of the shul.”
In an email to the shul community, Rabbi Lipschitz said that it was an honor to be appointed to this role and he thanked “all those who helped make this position a reality for the shul and for me.” He stated: “I am excited to have the opportunity to learn from, and work with, Rabbi Kaufman … I’ve personally enjoyed his warmth, guidance, and expertise for the past 10 years since my family moved to Highland Park. It will be an honor and privilege to work closely with him in support of the shul.”
In the email, Rabbi Lipschitz shared his plans to focus on building the teen minyan, expanding older youth programming, increasing activities for young fathers and families, supporting the work of the women in the Nishei OE initiative, creating additional learning opportunities and helping members to forge “deep, meaningful connections that strengthen each of us.”
Malek told The Jewish Link: “I am excited to see this change in our shul and look forward the increased Torah learning our rabbi and assistant rabbi will offer our congregation, to their work in enhancing our programming and community outreach, and developing a shared vision in building a stronger sense of kehilla within our shul among all of our congregants.”
Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link. He wonders sometimes who reads these bylines and whether or not they’d notice if he included a joke, such as: What do you call a polite clown? A nice jester. Harry can be reached at [email protected]
