Page 38 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut 5783 USA

Building a

Diaspora Style

Community

in Israel

An Interview with

Rabbi Larry Rothwachs

This past February, Rabbi Larry Rothwachs wrote to his community in Teaneck, New Jersey that he
would be making Aliyah over the next few years to build a new community in Israel. A leading pulpit
rabbi in America for over 20 years, he is currently the Rabbi of Beth Aaron in Teaneck, NJ, the Director
of Professional Rabbinics at RIETS, and a licensed social worker. Rabbi Aron White spoke with Rabbi
Rothwachs to hear more about the vision for his new community and the future of religious Aliyah.

When did your dream of Aliyah begin, and what made the principal parties and with the quality and thoughtfulness of
you decide to take this step now? their planning and implementation.
My wife and I both considered Aliyah when we were newly married
and planning our future together. However, as our professional What are your plans for the Rotshtein Heights
careers evolved, first in Jewish education and then in the rabbinate, community?
we ultimately concluded that remaining in the US was the most My vision for our new community, which will be called Meromei
appropriate choice for our family. We recently announced that we Shemesh ( ׁש ֶמ ֶ ׁש י ֵמֹור ְמ), has been shaped and inspired by my
hope to make Aliyah in a few years. While there is certainly some experience of over two decades in the rabbinate. During the years
personal motivation involved – two of our children are living in that I have been privileged to serve as the rabbi of Congregation
Eretz Yisrael and a third has plans to do so soon – we have decided Beth Aaron in Teaneck, I’ve had the good fortune (and, in other
to move in this direction at this time, as we have been offered an respects, the challenge) of witnessing 20% of our shul make Aliyah.
opportunity to spearhead a new community in Israel. While none of them have reported that they regretted their move,
many have shared that they miss various aspects of communal
We were approached by representatives of the Rotshtein Company, life in America. Although this may mean different things to
well-known developers, who are building a new project in Ramat different people, many have expressed that they miss belonging
Beit Shemesh called Rotshtein Heights. They had a vision to create to a community with a shul at its core, serving as the center of their
an Anglo community from the ground up and enlist the support of spiritual and social lives. While I am sure there are exceptions,
an American rabbi to encourage a broad base of prospective olim to many have expressed that they feel that the shul experience in
join in establishing this community. The beautiful neighborhood Israel is not the same as the American model. Many American
that has been planned and is currently being developed, includes Jews are fortunate that their shul provides them with a social,
1,300 residential units, schools, shuls, parks and commercial areas. spiritual, and educational infrastructure. They appreciate the
We have been incredibly impressed with the dedicated vision of value of living and growing within a multigenerational kehillah;

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