For Chabad, for Families

Continuing to connect with people is a mission of Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach and his wife, Mina, as they celebrate the 13th anniversary of the Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut, which has headquarters in Litchfield.


"As we reach 13 years, there is no limit to acts of goodness and kindness that we are able to do in a community, but I think we have some huge programs that we hope to implement," said Rabbi Eisenbach, speaking of the array of programs planned by his group for this summer.
The Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut is part of the largest Jewish organization in the world with more than 5,000 branches world-wide. The Chabad is against proselytizing, said Rabbi Eisenbach.
The word Chabad is a Hebrew acronym for the words wisdom, understanding and knowledge, with a big emphasis on educating people. Lubavitch is the name of the town in Russia where the movement began in the mid-18th century and means the "city of brotherly love."
"The whole concept of Chabad is people helping people," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
Rabbi Eisenbach explained that the beauty and uniqueness of Chabad is that when a rabbi and his family move out to a community, they traditionally arrive without knowing anyone and ultimately build a community within that host community.
The couple left their families behind in Montreal, Canada, and West Hartford. Both of their parents are emissaries and Rabbi Eisenbach is the fifth generation in his family to become one.
As emissaries, the rabbi and Mrs. Eisenbach evaluated their community. They established programs to suit their surroundings, while following the teachings of the seven dynastic leaders of the Chabad-Lubavitch Dynasty, known as rebbes.
"The whole concept of the rebbe is that you've just got to continue to do the right thing, you've just got to continue to try to change the world one mitzvah at a time," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
"We were blessed to be sent here to Northwest Connecticut, and the unique and the beautiful part is the fact that over the last 13 years we have seen tremendous growth in all areas," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
For more than a decade, the Chabad in Litchfield has seen an influx of families and children. Many of the older Chabads that have been around have taken care of three or four generations, he said.
"Every single Jewish community [has] what we call reform, conservative, [and] orthodox," said Rabbi Eisenbach. "At Chabad, we say labels are for food packages not for our brothers and sisters. It's amazing, the turnout that you get."
According to Rabbi Eisenbach, the theology of Chabad is to embrace everyone, and that has been why Chabad is the world's largest Jewish outreach organization.
Since its 10th anniversary, Rabbi Eisenbach has seen a tremendous growth in the summer children's camp program, Camp Gan Isreal located in Washington Depot, which attracts between 50 to 80 campers weekly. Mrs. Eisenbach is the director.
Weekenders are involved in assisting with the camp program, which offers sports and arts and crafts, according to Rabbi Eisenbach. The camp focuses on education in a fun and interactive way and the Chabad buses children from inner cities, similar to the Fresh Air Fund.
"Our camp has seen super growth in the sense that it's been amazing for this size community that we have," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
The Chabad also runs a network of Hebrew schools that has grown steadily, according to Rabbi Eisenbach. In the last three years, the Chabad started the Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), created in the tradition of teachers reaching out to students pursuing intellectual and spiritual growth in their adult years. The courses are designed for students ranging from first-time learners to those with years of prior study.
"The JLI has really attracted people from every single part of the region, Jewish, Catholic, Episcopalian ... we have seen such a grand blessing since our 10th anniversary," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
According to Mrs. Eisenbach, knowledge of the Jewish religion and Jewish history and of the Torah is something of a rite for every Jewish person. But, unfortunately, not everyone is aware of his or her cultural past. The Eisenbachs have helped to institute new programs, including monthly themed Shabbat dinners called T.G.I.S. (Thank G-d It's Shabbat), to attract more participation.
"We make it fun and exciting; it's a family program where people come and celebrate the Shabbat with us, hear stories and learn," said Mrs. Eisenbach. "It's all about educating people, because unfortunately today we have assimilation reaching such new levels where Jewish people don't know the basics of their own religion."
"Judaism is alive, it's vibrant, it's not just something to study, it's a way of life," said Mrs. Eisenbach.
She added the Chabad holds a monthly Jewish Kids Club, where members gather for fun interactive activities that promote Jewish values and friendship. Each meeting has craft projects and games with a special emphasis on Jewish customs and culture.
Communication is important and Rabbi Eisenbach said one of the greatest developments over the last three years is the Chabad's online magazine. The Internet presence has allowed people to study their religion and interact with the rabbi.
The online magazine has allowed everyone from celebrities who are weekenders in Northwest Connecticut to the average person to log in. The online magazine can be found on the Chabad's Web site at www.chabadnw.org. There is also a bi-monthly publication known as the Jewish News.
"We do a feedback which is 24/6, except the Shabbat," said Rabbi Eisenbach. "It's like a whole community on its own."
Vital to any religious organization is the building it occupies. In 2007, Litchfield's Historic District Commission denied an application to relocate the Chabad's headquarters from Village Green Drive to Litchfield center in a building that would have been renovated and significantly expanded.
The commission based its denial on the scale of the proposed expansion and restoration of the 135-year-old building but said it would be willing to consider a revised plan, including a downsized version.
The envisioned expansion totals 21,000 square-feet, and would involve a four-story addition off the back of the structure. It would include a synagogue, a community center, classrooms, several kosher kitchens, offices, a swimming pool and ceremonial pool. The facility would also have residential quarters for Rabbi Eisenbach and his family, as well as housing for visitors and staff. The historic building was purchased by the organization in 2006.
"We're hoping to have our new home in the center of town, and we're hoping to be able to reach out to as many more people as possible," said Rabbi Eisenbach.
Without offering specifics, he said the Chabad is currently in the midst of making the synagogue happen within the town of Litchfield.
But Mrs. Eisenbach said that most of her husband's work is not with the synagogue. Rabbi Eisenbach can be found visiting hospitals and nursing homes every week.
Chabads, she said, are not run by a rabbi, but rather the partnership of the rabbi and his wife. And the Eisenbachs' partnership is blessed with eight children.
According to Rabbi Eisenbach, most of his time is involved with Chabad. However, he said, he enjoys taking his children for hikes at White Memorial and he shared that he is a big skier.
He said he has connected with people in many different ways during his travels both locally and beyond.
"It's not just that the people who come to synagogue only come here for their religious needs, we become friends in every manner, in every way," said Mrs. Eisenbach. "We become very close."
Rabbi Eisenbach said he and his wife look forward to bringing in more Chabad couples to help them with their programs and hope to open satellite offices throughout Northwest Connecticut to reach out and care for, and be a helping hand to, everyone.
For more information on Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut, visit the Web site at www.chabadnw.org. For more information about Camp Gan Israel, call 800-979-CAMP, or visit www.cginw.org.

Where we Worship: Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest CT

Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut is one of 5,000 centers worldwide where Jews of all backgrounds, who are not members of the syna gogue, can stop in anytime for worship.
“We come together and build communities.
That’s what Chabad is,” Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach said. He and his wife, Mina, came to Litchfield to start the community center in 1996. “Since then it’s grown in leaps and numbers,” he said. “I’ve seen it grow from one person to standing room only on Jewish holidays.”
Services are Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. The Saturday service is followed with an 11:30 a.m. lunch each week. The Friday night service is also followed with a traditional meal.
Services are held in Litchfield at 7 Village Green Drive, behind the Blockbuster.
“We’re the alternative entertainment,” Eisenbach joked.
Since membership is not required, he said worship attendance varies from 15 up to 120, de pending on the time of year. “We’re the only temple in the northwest where no membership is required. Chabad is the biggest mix of everyone together because there are no labels, we have people from all walks of life,” Eisenbach said. “The warmth and family spirit here is very unique.” The synagogue also hosts two Hebrew schools for children. One is held in Litchfield and one is held in Waterbury.
Eisenbach said he hopes next year to launch one in Southbury.
Currently, through Chabad’s Jewish Learning Institute, adults can participate in a course called “Biblical Reflections.” “It’s fabulous because you find yourself in the main stories in the Bible,” he said, noting that chabads throughout the world are teaching the same course.
Eisenbach added that Chabad’s Internet ministry is an important aspect of the synagogue.
“Years ago you had to travel to a house of worship to learn and study, today you can be any where and everywhere and connect, study and learn. That’s the beauty of our web program, everything is right in your living room,” Eisen­bach said.
For information on Chabad Lubavitch visit www.chabadnw.org

Chabad: there's no big secret

A recent published report on a plan to expand a West Street building into a synagogue and community center for Chabad Lubavitch called the project "a secret."

But the plans are no secret, and the organization, led by Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach, has every intention of pursuing its plans for the project. Whether it can and will sue the historic district commission on its ruling to deny the plan, or comply with its suggestion to reduce the size of it, remains to be seen.
"The issue is that right now the process the team is putting together is not a secret," Rabbi Eisenbach said Monday. "They just haven't done anything yet. That's the only secret.
"The bottom line is there's really nothing's happening ... our plan of action is that there's no secret. We haven't decided on what we're going to do," he said.
The proposal would expand the historic building on West Street and would include administrative offices, kitchen facilities, a swimming pool and a ceremonial bath, classrooms and a synagogue, as well as residential quarters on one floor of the addition.
Chabad Lubavitch bought the old building in 2006 and presented its expansion plans to the Litchfield Historic District Commission last year, participating in a hearing process that requested that board to grant them a certificate of appropriateness for the plans. The commission, after numerous hearings and discussion, ruled that the size of the plans were too large for the historic district and asked that it be scaled back, noting that it would allow the Chabad to create an addition that would double the size of the building, not quadruple it. The existing building is about 2,600 square feet.
The additions proposed to the West Street structure, a house that was designed by the Deming family in the 1870s, would create an extension to the building behind it. The front of the original structure would have a clock tower and a Star of David added to the façade as well as stonework on the front of the building. The rabbi said recently that the changes his architects are proposing to the original building maintain its historic character. But because it is a religious facility, some changes must be made to reflect that fact.
One of the controversies surrounding the proposal is the claim that the Chabad's freedom of religion rights are being impeded by the commission ruling. The controversy began in the fall when commission chairman Wendy Kuhne noted that the Star of David and changes to the front of the building might not comply with the character of the district, resulting in a firestorm of criticism that her comments were somehow "anti-Semitic."
Ms. Kuhne was eventually asked to recuse herself from the hearings on the proposal, which she reluctantly did. She was then criticized on an online blog, which included a photograph of a woman in a Nazi uniform with her name next to the image. That blog was linked to the Cool Justice Web site, a blog run by Litchfield resident and journalist Andy Thibault, This outraged many citizens in town, including Rabbi Eisenbach, who said any connection to the Nazis and the Holocaust was inappropriate.
Bloggers and opinions aside, the commission members have maintained at hearings and through their attorney, Jim Stedronsky, that they are charged with preserving the historic character of the borough of Litchfield and that they are simply trying to uphold their responsibilities.
When the vote was made at the commission's hearing late last year, however, Rabbi Eisenbach said he believed that the Litchfield of today was supportive of the plan to expand the house and that his organization has outgrown its current home on Village Green Drive, which proved the need for the new facility.
Rabbi Eisenbach, however, said that at this point, there are no plans in place to sue anyone. He has, however, maintained that the 20,000-square-foot addition is necessary.
"What we're going to do, and how we're going to proceed; it just hasn't been decided yet," the Rabbi reiterated. "We have not had any contact with the historic district commission, because we're still digesting the information we received from them at the last hearing. Our team is going over it."


©The Litchfield Enquirer 2008

"Watch," she whispered, "he'll talk about the Holocaust."

A Tangle Of TensionsMood In Litchfield Grows UglyAs Religion, Historical IntegrityCollide Over Synagogue Plan

[Editor's Note: Historical Integrity???]

By ELIZABETH HAMILTON

Courant Staff Writer

December 20, 2007

When Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach stood to address the Litchfield Historic District Commission this week at the final public hearing on his congregation's plans to put a synagogue near the town green, a woman in the audience turned to the person sitting next to her."Watch," she whispered, "he'll talk about the Holocaust." The rabbi did not mention the Holocaust, but some people — including the woman who suggested he would — didn't stick around to find that out. They left the minute Eisenbach said, "When my family moved into this town, people from around the state told us we were crazy. Litchfield, they said, has a history of hate and bigotry toward Jews.""This is ridiculous," said one audience member. "I'm not staying to listen to this," said another. And about 10 people scraped back their folding chairs and left. As a result, they didn't hear Eisenbach's next statement, which was, "Well, we proved them wrong … we found most of the people in this town to be loving and caring, unbiased, sweet, really a community as good as it gets." Maybe.But the angry scene at Monday's public hearing is emblematic of an unraveling that has taken place in the last two months over the proposal from the orthodox Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield County to convert a 135-year-old home on West Street into a synagogue and community center.Simmering tensions over religious tolerance and historical integrity are converging as the commission nears tonight's vote on the application. The historically tough commission's beef with the plans center around the size of an addition and some of the changes that would be made to the original structure, such as the construction of a clock tower. The Deming House, as it is called, was once a private home, but was renovated and gutted of much of its historical integrity in the 1980s so it could be used as a commercial property.The Chabad's plans call for a 21,000-square-foot building that would include, among other things, the synagogue, a swimming pool, living space for the rabbi's family and an apartment for staff. It would also function as a community center for the Chabad, which provides education, special events, children's programs and worship services.

Special Protection?

The dispute, in one sense, is about whether the intended religious use of the building affords the application special protection under the First Amendment that trumps the historic district's regulations. Those arguing from the Chabad's side, including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Civil Liberties Union, both of which joined the fray this month, say it does. "Denying this application, because the mass or the size of the addition is, in your opinion, too large, substitutes your opinion for that of Rabbi Eisenbach as to what is necessary to fulfill the Chabad's religious mission," the group's lawyer, Peter C. Herbst, told the commission Monday. "The federal and state constitutions prohibit you, the government, from imposing that secular judgment upon a place of worship." On the other side is a group of residents opposed to the project who hired their own lawyer and an architectural historian to fight the plans. They have argued that the Chabad is "hiding behind" the U.S. Constitution and federal laws. They say the historic district commission should base its decision solely on the merits of the application and whether it conforms to the regulations. "Do not be distracted by the building's purported use," said Patricia Sullivan, a lawyer for the opponents. The dispute has gone way beyond the legal arguments of the case, however. It's gotten downright nasty. Since the application was filed, the chairwoman of the commission — who was quoted widely as having questioned whether a Star of David was appropriate for the town center — recused herself from the proceedings. But that didn't stop an online blogger from depicting her on his website dressed in a Nazi uniform, which prompted some angry residents to cry foul and demand that First Selectman Leo Paul Jr. enter the fray, which he declined to do. As the veiled accusations of anti-Semitism have grown on one side, charges of bullying and zealotry have been levied against the Chabad by residents who feel they have been unfairly painted in the media.It didn't help when residents turned up at Monday's public hearing and found on each chair copies of letters from the ADL and ACLU supporting the Chabad, along with a reprint of a 1943 article from the "Nation" magazine. The article, by author Willson Whitman about traveling to Litchfield on Christmas Eve, states point blank that Jews were not allowed to own property in town. It was "just a sort of general agreement — yes, you could call it a Christian unity among Litchfield people on that point. No, they didn't realize it was Hitler's party line," a local minister told the author in 1943. Needless to say, that didn't calm down anybody at the public hearing in 2007."You know, I'm a simple person, and this confuses me," said Laurel McKewen, who looked more distressed than confused.Resident Zeus Goldberg, who is Jewish, stayed to listen to the rabbi speak Monday. Goldberg didn't comment on the Nation article, but had some pointed criticisms for the Chabad team. "By now, it is abundantly clear that the application by the Chabad Lubavitch group … has turned from its original purpose into an enormous public relations struggle and pseudo-religious freedom issue that will benefit no one, drag on for years and be tremendously costly to all parties involved," Goldberg said. Like others at the hearing, Goldberg opposes the size of the project because he believes it will not "merge" with the historic district. According to Goldberg and Eisenbach, both of whom attended a subsequent meeting of the commission Tuesday night, the panel appears ready to deny the application as is and wants the addition scaled down dramatically before it can be approved. Commission members proposed a motion Tuesday that would give the Chabad an opportunity to revise the plan and bring it back to the commission, Goldberg said. That motion is expected to be approved tonight. "Sadly, we're expecting a denial," Eisenbach said.Historical IntegrityA denial wouldn't be all that surprising, given that Litchfield has a well-deserved reputation for closely guarding its pristine historic character.Highlights of that effort include a 1996 showdown over whether a menorah could be placed on the picturesque town green, a crackdown on a the unfortunate bed and breakfast owner who wanted to put window boxes on the front of her house and a pitched battle over whether to allow a chain store — in this case, a respectable, tweed-filled Talbot's — to take up residence on the green.But the commission's view on this project has also led to accusations of inconsistency. Other religious institutions in the historic district are larger than the proposed synagogue, and its next door neighbor, the United Methodist Church, would be roughly the same size. There is also controversy over whether the Chabad should be allowed to build a clock toweron the roof of the house — a change that was opposed by James Sexton, the architectural historian hired by opponents, because, he said, it would alter the historic character of the original house and because it doesn't comply with the federal Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Sexton was even more critical of the proposed addition, because it would be 18 feet wider and more than twice as long as the original home — another violation of federal standards, he said. Experts for the Chabad, however, recited a list of buildings in the historic district that wouldn't comply with this standard, including the town library and a proposed renovation of town hall, which is currently 7,884-square-feet and would jump to 20,000-square-feet under current plans. The town hall is located almost directly across the street from the proposed synagogue."I have to ask why, when the Historic District Commission is dealing with a constitutionally protected use such as the Chabad, rather than a nursing home … or town hall, which are not afforded similar protection under the Constitution, why would a different and more-difficult-to-meet standard be applied?" asked Herbst, the Chabad's lawyer.The commission might be forced to answer that question in court in the coming months if the project is denied — just as Goldberg predicted. "As a resident in this town and almost a Yankee rabbi, and someone who cares dearly for every resident, and every aspect of this community, I ask you not to make the mistake of denying us our certificate," Eisenberg said Monday night. "It will sadly make Litchfield look like something it really is not, and it will not bring closure to this historic chapter in our community's history."

In Historic District, Synagogue Plans Are Criticized

By CHRISTINE STUART

LITCHFIELD, Conn. — In the center of this quaint New England town, where the green is surrounded by antique shops, boutiques and restaurants, not much changes without the blessing of the Historic District Commission.
In the past, the commission has gone so far as to order the removal of flower boxes from the front of homes. And it is entangled in a lawsuit initiated by a homeowner who replaced a 19th-century door with a window.
But little has rattled this community like plans by Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield County, an Orthodox Jewish organization, to turn a Victorian house into the town’s first synagogue.
Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach, the spiritual leader of the Chabad, presented his plans — which include replacing the slate foundation with stone and building a steeple to display the Star of David — to the commission last month, and was met with stiff opposition.
According to minutes of the meeting, the commission’s chairwoman, Wendy Kuhne, “noted her own objections to the stone, which is not indigenous to the district, feels the clock tower is not appropriate, and the Star of David may not comply with the district.” She also said the proposed stained glass was “an inaccurate feature based on the history of the building.”
Rabbi Eisenbach said he was surprised by the objections. “Every synagogue in the world has Jerusalem stone in it,” he said. He also said that a Methodist church two doors down has a steeple and a cross as well as stained glass windows featuring the Star of David from an old synagogue in New Haven.
Rabbi Eisenbach’s lawyer, Peter Herbst Sr., said he hoped there would be more understanding about Chabad Lubavitch’s position regarding the religious elements, “which are protected under the Constitution.”
Mrs. Kuhne declined to comment on Thursday, saying that she was restrained legally from commenting on matters before the commission and that all questions should be referred to its lawyer, H. James Stedronsky.
Mr. Stedronsky said it was the commission’s job to decide what architectural changes were appropriate for the buildings in the historic district, which encompasses about one square mile in the center of town. He said the commission was not allowed to consider the use of the property.
But based on Mrs. Kuhne’s statements and the commission’s reaction, Rabbi Eisenbach said he was concerned that “some of the basic elements of our Jewish architecture and traditions are being denied.”
Mr. Herbst said on Thursday that he was confident that Rabbi Eisenbach and the commission would find a place for “architectural elements essential to the religion.”
According to town records, Chabad Lubavitch bought the property, built in 1872, for $375,000 in 2005. The organization already has a community center here.
Despite the dispute, Rabbi Eisenbach said, the town had been “very welcoming” and that “you can’t always abide by what the media makes the town look like.” On Wednesday, as he talked to a reporter outside the Victorian house at 85 West Street, Diane McAlpin, one of six burgesses that help govern the borough, approached him to complain that he was giving the town a bad image by publicizing the struggle.
Mrs. McAlpin then said Chabad Lubavitch, a tax-exempt organization, could not get the commission to approve its renovation plan because of liens on the property.
“Nobody has an issue with what’s going to happen here,” Mrs. McAlpin said. “This town embraces everything.”
After speaking with Mrs. McAlpin, Rabbi Eisenbach went to Town Hall, where he learned that there was an outstanding tax bill. Nancy Southard, the town tax collector, said the taxes were from the previous owner of the property. Instead of pursuing the matter legally, Rabbi Eisenbach wrote a check to the town for more than $10,000.
As he left Town Hall, he described Mrs. McAlpin’s visit as a blessing because he wanted to make sure everything was in order before the next commission meeting on Oct. 18.
This was not Rabbi Eisenbach’s first tangle with the town’s arbiters of community taste. In 1996 he asked the commission to allow him to place a nine-foot-tall menorah on the town green for Hanukkah, but according to published reports, several local officials complained it would destroy the purity of the green, and others questioned why outsiders had chosen Litchfield for the display.
The town ultimately approved the placement of the menorah. But Rabbi Eisenbach said he ended up taking it down because he felt it had been vandalized when borough officials extinguished the flames. The officials said they extinguished the menorah because it had been left unattended.
In the latest dust-up, not everyone is concerned about the plans for a synagogue. “It doesn’t bother me,” said Mark Murphy, the owner of Murphy’s Pharmacy on West Street. “It’s a free world.”