By Larry Gordon
After a long and far-reaching search, the more-than-100-year-old Congregation Shaaray Tefila in Lawrence has elected a rabbi to replace Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, who left the shul almost two years ago. The shul’s rabbis prior to Rabbi Weinberger—Rabbi Walter Wurzburger and Rabbi Emanuel Rackman—were personalities who in their time defined the nature of and blazed a trail forward for the Orthodox American Jewish community.
Rabbi Uri and Rebbetzin Nava Orlian
The new rav, Rabbi Uri Orlian, will take up his position closer to the month of Elul and the holiday season. He is looking ahead with great vigor and vision to reenergize the shul and lead it into the future, reminiscent of its days of having internationally renowned leadership. This shul with a great history now promises an even greater future.
In a recent in-depth conversation with the rabbi, we discussed and explored his plans for the shul and the nature of a rabbi changing positions these days—a time that some may say is particularly trying for those in the rabbinate.
For the last five years, Rabbi Orlian has been the rav of the Shenk Shul in Washington Heights—an affiliate of Yeshiva University where Rabbi Orlian teaches and delivers shiurim on a daily basis. Rabbi Orlian, 40, said that he had spoken with many of the Five Towns community rabbis and that they have all been gracious and welcoming and that he is hoping to shortly sign a contract with Shaaray Tefila and get to work on playing an essential role in the community served by the shul.
“It’s a new opportunity for my wife and myself,” the rabbi said. As for his vision, once he gets to work here, he said that he is hoping to step in and continue serving the existing kehillah while attracting young families who continue to flock to the community from all directions. “Shaaray Tefila offers a unique diversity that exists in the current makeup of the shul,” Rabbi Orlian says. “It’s a very distinct shul and membership and one that I feel that young families will be able to gain a great deal from by joining us on our new journey.”
While he says that he is mindful of the obstacles and the bump in the road that the shul endured over the last two years, he says that in time he will be able to address the past by earning the trust of the membership and that together the shul, the community, and the new rav will be able to move forward while building on the great accomplishments of the shul over the last few decades.
A longtime member of the shul told the 5TJT the other day that his sense is that Rabbi Orlian is a “synthesis of wisdom and humility,” and that he looks forward to his moving into the community and reenergizing the shul in the coming weeks and months.
Rabbi Tzvi Flaum, the president of the Vaad HaRabbonim of Far Rockaway and Lawrence, said that he felt that the Orlians are an excellent choice for the kehillah and that the young rabbi has the skills and the experience to make an extraordinary contribution to the community.
Another member said that he believes that both Rabbi and Mrs. Orlian will be a great asset to the Five Towns and surrounding communities and that together they will be shining examples of leadership.
The rabbi, who received his semichah from Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood as well as semichas Yadin Yadin from RIETS, earned his BA in economics at YU and his master’s degree in secondary education and administration, also from YU. Rabbi Orlian is also the director of the Rosansky Contemporary Halacha Program at RIETS, and is a popular speaker on YUTorah.org on topics relating to halacha and contemporary issues.
In this case, halachic expertise runs in the family. Rabbi Uri Orlian is the younger brother of Rabbi Meir Orlian, a faculty member of the Business Halacha Institute, which is headed by HaRav Chaim Kohn, shlita, a noted dayan. The Business Halacha column has long been a favorite feature in this newspaper.
As for the rebbetzin, Nava Orlian was born and bred in Toronto, Canada and attended Bais Yaakov High School before moving to Israel. She attended Michlalah, both for seminary and for four more years, earning a B.Ed., double majoring in Judaic Studies and special education. She taught in Michlalah as well as in the Israeli public school system (in Hebrew!).
She earned an M.A. in education and rehabilitation of the blind, and certification in orientation and mobility of the blind, both from Hunter College, aside from her graduate studies in Jewish history from Touro University. Upon returning to Israel, she helped establish a preschool for the blind in Yerushalayim.
For the past nine years, she has served as learning specialist at Maayanot High School for Girls, where she also taught Jewish philosophy. As rebbetzin of Washington Heights’ Shenk Shul, Nava has counseled countless women in their relationships and decision making processes.
Rabbi Orlian and Rebbetzin Nava Orlian and their six lively young children live in Washington Heights and over the summer will be moving into Lawrence.
There is a consensus in the shul and in the Five Towns in general that something very good is about to happen, something we are all looking forward to.