EMET Outreach and the Kew Gardens Community Give Students an Unforgettable Shabbat Experience

• Prev
• 1 of 4
• Next

This past Shabbat, EMET Outreach’s Stony Brook program held an inspiring Shabbaton in Kew Gardens for over 20 students, most of whom have a limited religious background and virtually no Jewish education. Many Kew Gardens families participated, graciously inviting students into their homes and pulling out all the stops, making students feel comfortable in a new environment.  

The group was comprised of members of EMET’s Fellowship for beginners, which is led by Rabbi Shlomo Agishtein, Rabbi of the campus Orthodox service, the Stony Brook Hebrew Congregation, and his wife Dr. Peryl Agishtein, who holds a PhD. in Psychology, and is head of the Assessment Department in a community clinic.

Several students committed to keeping the entire Shabbat for the very first time in their lives as a merit for the souls who perished in Pittsburgh one week prior. In addition, Peryl challenged students to voluntarily place their phones into a “Shabbox” which could not be accessed for the entire 25+ hours, and many rose to the challenge!

On Friday evening, the group enjoyed a beautiful Carlebach-style Kabbalat Shabbat performed masterfully by renowned chazzan Rabbi Leib Roberts at K’hal Adas Yeshurun, aka “The Big Shul”. They were greeted to a warm welcome by shul members, and participated in singing and dancing. After the services, Rabbi Aryeh Sokoloff addressed the congregation. He welcomed the students, and spoke passionately about the depth of emotion in the air on the first Friday night following the Pittsburgh tragedy R”L. He added how appropriate it was for the community to host guests during such a meaningful time.

Students split into two groups for the Friday night meal. One group went to the home of Rabbi Yaakov Grossman, a member of the Hanhalla of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah, and his wife Rasha, the secular studies principal of Yeshiva Ketana of Queens, while another enjoyed a meal at the home of EMET’s Co-founder Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg and his wife Shonnie. After the meal, everyone gathered at the Grossmans for an uplifting oneg that lasted until the wee hours.  

Rabbi Grossman discussed the deeper meaning of kiddush, explaining that Hashem involves people in the sanctifying of Shabbat, showing that we are partners with Hashem in bringing spirituality to this world. Rabbi Rutenberg spoke as well, followed by a captivating Q & A session with Rabbi Agishtein that lasted until 2 am. Students asked about a wide range of topics, including abortion, adoption, faith in Hashem, and other areas. The session was a huge hit, and Rabbi Agishtein received numerous requests to hold Q & A’s regularly on campus.

On Shabbat afternoon students returned to the Grossman home for chavrutah learning. They divided into small groups led by EMET staff members, students from Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah, and members of the community. Josh Margulies, who works part-time for EMET, joined the afternoon learning, and says he found it extremely powerful. “My chavrusah and I discussed a Jew’s purpose in the world. He shared which aspects of Judaism he finds most meaningful, and the beautiful middos he sees exhibited by many Jews of all backgrounds.”

Josh added that teachers and students alike seemed to gain from the experience. “The Grossman house was filled with sincere and meaningful discussions,” he explained. “The Shaar HaTorah boys were very moved by the intense level of thought and philosophical discussion on topics they don’t often discuss.”

Seuda Shlishit was hosted by Rabbi Doron Sillman and his wife Faygie. Each student spoke about a meaningful part of Shabbat they experienced. Many mentioned the amazing reception they got from their hosts, as well as the feeling of warmth they felt from the community. In addition, students found the Friday night davening to be exceptionally uplifting and inspiring. The Shabbat experience crescendoed with a dramatic and emotional musical havdallah by Shabsi Fixler, with Yerachmiel Frank playing keyboard professionally.

One student, Micaela, said she was amazed by the people she met, as well as the overall bond that seems to connect Jews of all backgrounds. “I love the sense of Jewish community there is,” she said. “I feel like in some way everybody has a connection to each other through Judaism.” She added, “I also loved the hospitality of the warm home we stayed at.” Two sisters, Paula and Dana, asserted to Kew Gardens hosts, “We’re going to be your neighbors someday.”

Rabbi Agishtein says that for students who are not yet ready to be shomer Shabbat, one of the biggest takeaways is getting to witness a religious community first-hand. “In Stony Brook, a typical Shabbat consists of a Friday night meal with friends, and hanging out in Chabad afterward,” he says. “Here they got to see a community where you feel Shabbat in the streets, and you see families whose homes are filled with it.”

He added that participating in a Shabbaton like this and being hosted by families shows students the beauty of Shabbat. “This helps them see that being shomer Shabbat is an attractive livable lifestyle, not a collection of do’s and don’t’s.”

That same Shabbat, EMET hosted an even larger Shabbaton in Passaic and a smaller one in Far Rockaway for other campus programs. Shabbatons continue on an ongoing basis, with two more scheduled for this coming Shabbat as well.

EMET’s Stony Brook program, which is flourishing this semester, is one of 5 dynamic EMET Fellowships. The organization runs 11 exciting and educational programs on a weekly basis, spanning campuses from Baruch College, to St. John’s University and Queens College, to others. Students who complete their first year of Fellowship attend a powerful week-long trip to Poland and Prague.