‘Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld Way’ Dedicated To Larger-Than-Life Queens Pioneer

Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld Way, a pledge announced at the recent Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills (YIKGH) dinner, was brought to fruition this past Sunday morning, August 21, at 150th Street and 70th Road, outside of the doors to the iconic shul that its namesake built. The street co-naming memorializes the Schonfeld family name in Kew Gardens Hills, giving a lasting legacy to the Queens Jewish community pioneer who broadly envisioned the flourishing frum neighborhoods of today’s Queens. 70 years ago, this vision did not include a Bukharian element, but as Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO of Chazaq, related, “Rabbi Schonfeld was a true fan of the work we do at the Chazaq organization.” Moreover, noted Rabbi Meirov, “The first Sephardic minyan in the area under Rav Yigal Haimoff shlita, prior to the establishment of Ohel Simcha, was held within Rabbi Fabian’s Young Israel.”

With 60 years of service at the helm of YIKGH, Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld zt”l, who passed at 97, was perhaps the longest-standing and eldest pulpit rabbi in the US. Time again, Rabbi Fabian demonstrated that inaction and silence are not Schonfeld ideals. Rabbi Fabian observed these principles from his esteemed father Reb Shabsi, World Agudah’s secretary in his homeland of Poland, and passed down these traits to his son and successor Rav Yoel, who continues to spread the light of Torah and commonsense values daily.

Rabbi Fabian, through his unique insight, managed to secure all aspects necessary to sustain religious life in our community. From the original construction of our mikvah, to the eruv, kashrus, sh’chitah, and Jewish education, Rabbi Fabian left no stone unturned. Maybe it was the z’chus of sustaining a kesher with the Gerrer Rebbes alongside his revered father that gave Queens its fighting chance to become a mecca for Orthodox Jewry, an so readily accept the Bukharian migration within its neighborhoods.

The concept for such a dedication was initially broached by District Leader Shimi Pelman to Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal who turned to James F. Gennaro, our trusted New York City Council Member, to present such a proposal to his Council colleagues. The team, with the assistance of Yosef Poplack, past president of YIKGH, navigated a handful of obstacles culminating with Rav Yoel and his eishes chayil, Rebbetzin Peri, unveiling the permanent sign affixed just across the street from the shul. In attendance were their son Akiva, and Rav Yoel’s sisters Tammy Koppel, Georgie (and Saul) London, and extended family.

“Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld was the patriarch of the Modern Orthodox movement in Queens, and the man who will live forever in each of our hearts because of the special relationship we all had with him during the 97 years that G-d blessed us with his physical presence among us,” related Council Member Gennaro, who in calling the late Rabbi his dear friend, spoke of the time he had honored him at a City Hall ceremony in June 2010 for his work in co-founding the Vaad Harabonim of Queens. “His contribution to his local community, as well as nationally, and internationally are inestimable.” Gennaro concluded with a thank you to Mayor Eric Adams for signing the bill into law. Other remarks were given by Assembly Members Rosenthal and Weprin, Past City Council Member Rory Lancman, and Rabbi Daniel Pollack, Jewish liaison to Congress Member Grace Meng, who stated: “Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld was Rabbi Queens. There would be no Jewish community without Rabbi Schonfeld. This neighborhood, this shul, this area is the epicenter of our Jewish community.”

“The word ‘way’ in Hebrew has great significance in describing my father,” expressed Rav Yoel Schonfeld. “Yisro told his son-in-law Moshe Rabbeinu, ‘You make sure that you teach them the way that they should go.’ He went on to teach life lessons of how to conduct his life, be efficient, be beloved, and manage being the leader. This was my father’s derech, always showed the way on how to go. He was in essence the rabbi’s rabbi and leader’s leader. If there was one person in the entire spectrum of Orthodoxy that was universally admired, it was indeed my father.” Rav Yoel went on to explain that his father ascribed to the motto of Torah im derech eretz, which was Rav Hirsch’s philosophy of Torah together with the way of the land, be it conduct, behavior, civil discourse, or having disciplines in life to accompany Torah. In every facet of Torah life, civil life, and secular life, he led the way.”

Other notable attendees included Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Assistant Rabbi, YIKGH; Adam Suionov, Jewish liaison to Council Member Gennaro; Tom Zmich, Republican Congressional Candidate; Pesach Osina, Jewish liaison to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams; Shabsie Saphirstein on behalf of Queens Borough Safety Patrol-Shmira; Rabbi Avrohom Hecht, Executive Director, Project LEAD; Rabbi Chaplain Sholom Steinig, former Rabbi of the Young Israel of Bayside; Alan Sherman, Co-President, Mid Queens Community Council; Warren Hecht, past president and board member, Queens Jewish Community Council; and Meshulam Lisker, Chairman of the Board, Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association.

 By Shabsie Saphirstein