Small places tend to be big on word of mouth. That’s especially true in Israel, and even more so in Tel Aviv, which for all its international glam is really comprised of lots of little neighborhoods with close-knit communities.
One of them is made up of native English-speaking young professionals and new olim (“immigrants”)—a significant number from the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa—who have settled in the city that serves as Israel’s economic and social hub. In the past, this group has sometimes fallen under the radar of established Israeli life, particularly when it came to religious programs and services, but no longer.
Chabad on the Coast, co-directed by Rabbi Eliyahu (“Eli”) and Shterna Sara Naiditch, was started right before the High Holidays to serve this population, including English-speaking lone soldiers—volunteers from abroad who serve in the Israel Defense Forces and have no family in the country. The couple and their two young children live in an apartment near the stretch of beachfront hotels on Hayarkon Street and have been very busy of late catering to a growing crowd of participants, including vacationers.
The rabbi eagerly answered questions about their presence there.
Q: Why the need now for Chabad in this very touristy area of Tel Aviv?
A: People were asking for something along religious lines; they said they couldn’t find programs for English speakers. When they arrived, they were most often referred to Israeli Chabad centers. Head shaliach (emissary) and executive director of Chabad of Tel Aviv Rabbi Yosef Shmuel Gerlitzky recognized and discussed this need, and worked with us to make it happen.
People come to Tel Aviv for different reasons—jobs, leisure, social lives, the weather—but they are thirsty for spiritual life as well. Many make aliyah with no family, no friends. They are in a new environment, and we are here to give them support. They come to Chabad for warmth.
Q: What do you offer in terms of programs, classes and services?
A: We were fortunate to find a home with a really large dining room; it can hold about 30 people. That’s where we hold Shabbat dinners. We have held larger holiday programs at other venues.
On the first night of Chanukah, for example, we drew as many as 200 people on a Tuesday night to Gan Ha’atzmaut (“Independence Garden”) overlooking the beach near the hotels; it was family-friendly and drew tourists as well. And on Wednesday, we held a Chanukah party called “Urban Lights” for those in their 20s and 30s, with 125 attendees. The next night, we had a “Keep Olim in Israel” party, with 300 guests. All within a matter of months.
Our next big event—“The Enchanted Table”—is timed for Tu B’Shevat this month. It will also launch a series of Torah courses we are holding in English.
Q: How do you connect with this eclectic crowd?
A: My wife and I are from the United States: I was born in Texas and grew up in Sharon, Mass. She’s from California. At 29 and 28, we are fairly close to the ages of the young professionals we serve. We’ve been in Israel for about six years, most recently living up north in Safed. So we are just starting out in Tel Aviv as well, working to help new residents get on their feet as we acclimate at the same time.
People who were living here already were waiting for this; they wanted this. Everyone’s looking for spirituality, a connection. In our home, with our two young children present, many have put on a yarmulke or experienced Kiddish for the very first time.
In addition to holding holiday and Shabbat programs, we’re meeting people where they are. We’re going to office buildings, to their workplaces. We’re organizing social events and planning a Rosh Chodesh program for women, as well as Torah lessons on a one-on-one basis. We’re offering mezuzahs for doors, koshering kitchens and providing guidance in ways we can.
We want people to feel: “I’m new in town. I can go to Chabad.” We want to make it easy for them to adjust, as my wife and I ourselves are doing.
Q: What has been the reaction so far to your programs, and are you surprised by it?
A: We were totally taken aback with the strong response so early on. We have met men and women from South America, Greece, former Soviet republics like Georgia and even Madagascar—pretty much everywhere in the world. We’ve met people from places you wouldn’t have imagined Jews lived.
On Dizengoff Street (the main thoroughfare in Tel Aviv), every other person speaks a different language. Everyone has their own story, their own reasons for coming here. But what they have in common is sharing life with the highest concentration of Jews of any city in the world. That’s one of the biggest blessings—to be part of the largest network of Jews anywhere.
Q: What are you doing to draw folks in? Word of mouth works, but how do you actively find those new to the city?
A: Social media has been a major success—our online presence, Facebook. So far, we estimate that we have reached close to 50,000 people about our presence and programs. Remember, people wanted this, and once they heard about us, they started coming. I love the fact that Jews from all over the world are contacting us. I can only expect that participation will grow stronger and stronger as time goes on.
Q: Last thing, your name. You’re not labeled the usual geographical destination of a Chabad center; you’re Chabad on the Coast.
A: A friend came up with the name. We first considered Chabad on the Beach. Then we ran it by people and settled on this instead.
It’s catchy, isn’t it? It has a great ring to it. It’s all a miracle, really.
Tel-Aviv but where in out town? Where is the address that this activity takes place