BY TODD WRIGHT
twright@MiamiHerald.com
From sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, members of Chabad Lubavitch synagogues are forbidden to drive, cook meals or even flip a light switch. Leaders wear old-fashioned, heavy black coats and hats and long beards.
Their need to be within walking distance of their members has sometimes brought Chabad into conflict with local government officials. Many cities have zoning laws prohibiting houses of worship in private homes or shopping centers.
But this once-small branch of Orthodox, Hasidic Judaism is now attracting thousands of new participants, and new synagogues are sprouting up in single-family homes and storefronts throughout South Florida.
Synagogues, day-care centers, Torah seminars, drug rehabilitation programs and elderly services are just the start of what Chabad has to offer.
''Chabad is truly a phenomenon,'' said Ira Sheskin, a geography professor at the University of Miami who studies Jewish population trends. ``It is taking advantage of what is happening in American religion in general. People are either getting more serious about religion or becoming more secular.''
The number of households that affiliate with Chabad in South Florida has more than doubled over the past decade, and so has the number of Chabad congregations.
In 1990, about 615 households supported seven Chabad centers in Broward. Six years later, Chabad had added four more places and another 600 families. Sheskin is surveying Broward to get current data, but he believes the numbers have at least doubled again in the past 10 years.
In Miami-Dade County, 10 Chabad establishments were on record in 2004 compared to only five in 1994. And while most Chabad synagogues don't keep membership numbers, Sheskin estimates that about 1,000 households in Miami-Dade attend Chabad synagogues regularly, compared to 448 in 1994.
''In a lot of places, Chabad is becoming the only game in town,'' said J.J. Goldberg, editor of The Forward, a national Jewish weekly newspaper. ``They are in places you wouldn't expect. The Chabad is trying to be anywhere Jews are.''
JOY OF FAITH
Many are drawn to the Orthodox sect by its joyous services, the celebration of the Jewish heritage and the friendly rabbis. That's what attracted Barry Alter 25 years ago.
While still a paid member of Temple Sinai, a large Conservative synagogue in Hollywood, Alter often attends Chabad services and social functions.
''Chabad just wants to help every Jew to raise his level of Jewishness,'' said Alter, a Hollywood lawyer. ``They are charismatic people who love to teach and who love to help and who do it without any sense of looking down on those who are not as observant.''
Chabad services are lively, with a lot of singing in Hebrew. While members put on prayer shawls during services, few have long beards and even fewer wear the old-fashioned clothes in daily life. Some even drive to synagogue on the Sabbath.
And that is also part of Chabad's appeal, Goldberg said: Its leaders welcome newcomers but don't push their practices onto others.
''They don't demand that people worship like them. Usually, the rabbi and his family are the only Hasidic family in the building,'' Goldberg said. ``Everyone else is essentially a hang-around. The liberal Jew is coming to Chabad for the experience.''
ZONING CONFLICTS
Chabad establishments usually start small, with a few people worshipping in a house or the clubhouse of a gated community.
But when the congregation grows, it's noticeable to everyone nearby, including local officials who have to enforce zoning laws.
Last year, the Chabad Key Biscayne Jewish Center invoked a federal law that says municipalities can't use zoning laws to discriminate against religious groups. That group operates out of a home on the island.
The big win for Chabad may have come this year in Hollywood, where commissioners responded to residents who complained about the Hollywood Community Synagogue. The city ended up losing a $2 million religious discrimination lawsuit.
The synagogue's neighbors had complained about illegal parking, trash and noise from parties late at night. City officials tried to kick the congregation out of the neighborhood, citing zoning rules against houses of worship in a single-family district. But the city lost, and the Chabad is now allowed to stay permanently.
The ruling could force the hand of other cities as Chabad rabbis apply to create more centers.
Recently, Cooper City's zoning rules have been questioned by Rabbi Shmuel Posner, who wants to start a Chabad outreach center in a storefront. The city prohibits religious institutions in its commercial district.
''It's obvious the discrimination that is going on,'' said Rabbi Joseph Korf, of the Hollywood Chabad that won the lawsuit. ``After all this, people are still not allowing them. It makes you wonder why. We're not bothering anybody.''
LIMITED ATTRACTION
Despite Chabad's growth, it likely won't replace any of the mainstream Jewish denominations, said Lynn Davidman, professor of Judaic studies at Brown University.
Chabad appeals to many Jews who are searching for a more authentic religious experience. But while many Jews enjoy participating in Chabad services, the group's strict adherence to religious rules discourages most from joining, Davidman said.
RUSSIAN ROOTS
Chabad started about 250 years ago in Russia, but didn't arrive in the United States, in Brooklyn, until about 1940.
Upon arrival in the United States, rabbis, called emissaries, were sent to different areas to find Jews and re-educate them on their heritage and history. The first Chabad synagogue in Broward opened in 1980.
''People are not staying with the religious traditions they were raised with,'' Davidman said. ``There is a spiritual marketplace now, and it's a place where they can seek a religious community that best suits them. That's part of the appeal of Chabad.''
EMBRACED BY YOUNG
Chabad rabbis have been particularly successful at attracting young adults on college campuses.
Rabbi Mendy Fellig started Chabad's presence at the University of Miami five years ago and now hosts as many as 200 students at his home every Friday for Sabbath dinner.
''Some never had a true Jewish home,'' Fellig said. ``A lot of them were told they should be a proud Jew, but they get older and they wonder what that means and we teach them that. Our goal is to inspire them to identify with Judaism.''
That mission has been adopted by students who frequent Chabad.
Matthew Salzberg was raised in a Reform Jewish household in Connecticut before moving three years ago to attend UM.
He was immediately attracted to Fellig's pitch and has recruited other students to attend Sabbath meals on Friday nights.
Now Salzberg, 21, is co-president of the Chabad student organization.
''It's a very mixed crowd, and that's the beauty of it,'' he said. ``No one feels out of place. You can be yourself. All we care is that you are Jewish and we're coming together.''
twright@MiamiHerald.com
From sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, members of Chabad Lubavitch synagogues are forbidden to drive, cook meals or even flip a light switch. Leaders wear old-fashioned, heavy black coats and hats and long beards.
Their need to be within walking distance of their members has sometimes brought Chabad into conflict with local government officials. Many cities have zoning laws prohibiting houses of worship in private homes or shopping centers.
But this once-small branch of Orthodox, Hasidic Judaism is now attracting thousands of new participants, and new synagogues are sprouting up in single-family homes and storefronts throughout South Florida.
Synagogues, day-care centers, Torah seminars, drug rehabilitation programs and elderly services are just the start of what Chabad has to offer.
''Chabad is truly a phenomenon,'' said Ira Sheskin, a geography professor at the University of Miami who studies Jewish population trends. ``It is taking advantage of what is happening in American religion in general. People are either getting more serious about religion or becoming more secular.''
The number of households that affiliate with Chabad in South Florida has more than doubled over the past decade, and so has the number of Chabad congregations.
In 1990, about 615 households supported seven Chabad centers in Broward. Six years later, Chabad had added four more places and another 600 families. Sheskin is surveying Broward to get current data, but he believes the numbers have at least doubled again in the past 10 years.
In Miami-Dade County, 10 Chabad establishments were on record in 2004 compared to only five in 1994. And while most Chabad synagogues don't keep membership numbers, Sheskin estimates that about 1,000 households in Miami-Dade attend Chabad synagogues regularly, compared to 448 in 1994.
''In a lot of places, Chabad is becoming the only game in town,'' said J.J. Goldberg, editor of The Forward, a national Jewish weekly newspaper. ``They are in places you wouldn't expect. The Chabad is trying to be anywhere Jews are.''
JOY OF FAITH
Many are drawn to the Orthodox sect by its joyous services, the celebration of the Jewish heritage and the friendly rabbis. That's what attracted Barry Alter 25 years ago.
While still a paid member of Temple Sinai, a large Conservative synagogue in Hollywood, Alter often attends Chabad services and social functions.
''Chabad just wants to help every Jew to raise his level of Jewishness,'' said Alter, a Hollywood lawyer. ``They are charismatic people who love to teach and who love to help and who do it without any sense of looking down on those who are not as observant.''
Chabad services are lively, with a lot of singing in Hebrew. While members put on prayer shawls during services, few have long beards and even fewer wear the old-fashioned clothes in daily life. Some even drive to synagogue on the Sabbath.
And that is also part of Chabad's appeal, Goldberg said: Its leaders welcome newcomers but don't push their practices onto others.
''They don't demand that people worship like them. Usually, the rabbi and his family are the only Hasidic family in the building,'' Goldberg said. ``Everyone else is essentially a hang-around. The liberal Jew is coming to Chabad for the experience.''
ZONING CONFLICTS
Chabad establishments usually start small, with a few people worshipping in a house or the clubhouse of a gated community.
But when the congregation grows, it's noticeable to everyone nearby, including local officials who have to enforce zoning laws.
Last year, the Chabad Key Biscayne Jewish Center invoked a federal law that says municipalities can't use zoning laws to discriminate against religious groups. That group operates out of a home on the island.
The big win for Chabad may have come this year in Hollywood, where commissioners responded to residents who complained about the Hollywood Community Synagogue. The city ended up losing a $2 million religious discrimination lawsuit.
The synagogue's neighbors had complained about illegal parking, trash and noise from parties late at night. City officials tried to kick the congregation out of the neighborhood, citing zoning rules against houses of worship in a single-family district. But the city lost, and the Chabad is now allowed to stay permanently.
The ruling could force the hand of other cities as Chabad rabbis apply to create more centers.
Recently, Cooper City's zoning rules have been questioned by Rabbi Shmuel Posner, who wants to start a Chabad outreach center in a storefront. The city prohibits religious institutions in its commercial district.
''It's obvious the discrimination that is going on,'' said Rabbi Joseph Korf, of the Hollywood Chabad that won the lawsuit. ``After all this, people are still not allowing them. It makes you wonder why. We're not bothering anybody.''
LIMITED ATTRACTION
Despite Chabad's growth, it likely won't replace any of the mainstream Jewish denominations, said Lynn Davidman, professor of Judaic studies at Brown University.
Chabad appeals to many Jews who are searching for a more authentic religious experience. But while many Jews enjoy participating in Chabad services, the group's strict adherence to religious rules discourages most from joining, Davidman said.
RUSSIAN ROOTS
Chabad started about 250 years ago in Russia, but didn't arrive in the United States, in Brooklyn, until about 1940.
Upon arrival in the United States, rabbis, called emissaries, were sent to different areas to find Jews and re-educate them on their heritage and history. The first Chabad synagogue in Broward opened in 1980.
''People are not staying with the religious traditions they were raised with,'' Davidman said. ``There is a spiritual marketplace now, and it's a place where they can seek a religious community that best suits them. That's part of the appeal of Chabad.''
EMBRACED BY YOUNG
Chabad rabbis have been particularly successful at attracting young adults on college campuses.
Rabbi Mendy Fellig started Chabad's presence at the University of Miami five years ago and now hosts as many as 200 students at his home every Friday for Sabbath dinner.
''Some never had a true Jewish home,'' Fellig said. ``A lot of them were told they should be a proud Jew, but they get older and they wonder what that means and we teach them that. Our goal is to inspire them to identify with Judaism.''
That mission has been adopted by students who frequent Chabad.
Matthew Salzberg was raised in a Reform Jewish household in Connecticut before moving three years ago to attend UM.
He was immediately attracted to Fellig's pitch and has recruited other students to attend Sabbath meals on Friday nights.
Now Salzberg, 21, is co-president of the Chabad student organization.
''It's a very mixed crowd, and that's the beauty of it,'' he said. ``No one feels out of place. You can be yourself. All we care is that you are Jewish and we're coming together.''
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