Shul attains historic status with arrival of new rabbi
Rabbi Toni Shy will become the new religious leader of the Marlboro Jewish Center/Congregation Ohev Shalom on Aug. 1. Photo courtesy Jeff Sacks
When Rabbi Toni Shy comes to Marlboro Jewish Center/Congregation Ohev Shalom this summer, she will assume the post of religious leader at what will then be the largest Conservative congregation in the world to be served by a woman rabbi, according to the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis.
But congregation president Jeff Sacks said that despite the historic significance of her taking the center's pulpit, he sees her appointment in more local and personal terms. "Rabbi Shy will help our synagogue move forward," said Sacks, a Manalapan resident. "She is bringing a sense of enthusiasm and excitement that surpasses anything we've seen in years."
The synagogue, which has a membership of 800 families, has experienced its share of problems during the past two years: Peter Light, the former religious leader, resigned in June 2006 amid charges that he misused $86,000 from the rabbi's discretionary fund. In January 2007, Light pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May to three years in prison.
Rabbi Gerald Zelermyer and Rabbi Gary Karlin have served as the synagogue's interim rabbis since August 2006.
Shy has served as religious leader at Temple Beth Israel, a congregation of 270 families in Port Washington, NY, for the past 11 years. She is in the process of moving from New York to Marlboro and said she is ready to bring her commitment to religion and religious education to MJC.
"I'm honored to hold the distinction of being the first female rabbi to lead a congregation of this size," Shy told NJ Jewish News. "But it's also a great honor to be the rabbi of this particular synagogue, which has a reputation of playing a leadership role in Monmouth County and within the Jewish world. I hope to maintain and increase that role."
Shy, who grew up in southern California, is married to Dr. Herb Bilick; their family includes five children and three stepchildren in the 19- to 30-year age range. The birth of the couple's first grandchild is imminent.
Shy said she regards the synagogue "as a joyous and inviting place that celebrates every human being who walks through the door. This is a large congregation that can appeal to young people, families, single men and women, and senior citizens. We have the wherewithal to be a panorama of what Judaism is and to offer services that invite participation."
A commitment to providing Jewish education for all age groups is a priority, Shy said; she hopes to introduce the congregation to courses on meditation, spirituality, and Talmud study. In addition, she places great value on discussion groups and workshops that focus on topical issues.
"Jewish education really begins in childhood," said Shy. "We can develop educational programs for children in the pre-nursery age group and can also provide educational programs that appeal to every range of maturity. I'd like the synagogue to provide the most vibrant, joyous, and dynamic educational offering a person can have."
Education has always been a mainstay of her life, said the rabbi, who home-schooled four of her children.
She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA and another in Jewish studies from the University of Judaism, where she also earned a graduate degree in rabbinic literature. Her second graduate degree, in Hebrew literature, was earned at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
Shy was ordained at JTS in 1996, but on the road to becoming a rabbi, she took a detour in the early 1970s. At that time, the Conservative movement was scheduled to vote on whether women could be ordained; because of the controversy that surrounded the issue, the vote was delayed, she said.
In the mid-1980s, however, the movement approved women's ordination, and in 1992, Shy re-entered the University of Judaism and JTS to pursue a rabbinical degree.
"I always believed the vote would happen," she said. "It was inevitable, and now those barriers have been broken. There are other female rabbis and congregations that feel a sense of joy that this has been accomplished."
After her ordination, Shy became a guest lecturer at JTS, conducted workshops at the National Council of Jewish Healing in New York, and taught courses in Jewish studies at the Herbert Tarr Institute on Long Island.
"Religious passion came to me very early in my life," said Shy. "I was drawn to religion, Judaism, and God. And I've been very blessed — I'm part of a loving and supportive family and have a career that I adore. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share my love of God and my commitment to Jewish education with the members of Congregation Ohev Shalom."
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