Rabbi 'lives his dream' in Israel
Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn purchased an apartment in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya
JERUSALEM — Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn ascended the bima as a congregational rabbi for 26 years, the last six as the religious leader of Temple Har Shalom in Warren.
But last month, he ascended in a different way by making aliya to Israel with his wife, Stephanie. The couple arrived one month ago and are settling into the challenges and pleasures of their new life.
"Coming here has been a fulfillment of a long dream," Kahn said. "My wife and I have wanted to move here for a long time. In 1976, we were here studying at Hebrew Union College, and it was hard for us to leave. For 30 years we were planning and scheming on a way to get back."
What ultimately convinced the Kahns to make aliya was their son Josh's decision to study in Israel for a semester — and never come back.
"My wife and I decided it wasn't fair for Josh to live our dream while we were still in the U.S., so we decided to move here and join him," Kahn said. The Kahns had already purchased an apartment in the posh Tel Aviv suburb near where Josh was studying at the prestigious Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
"We bought the apartment thinking that one day we will come. Then we decided it was time to make the one day happen. We didn't want to wait to be too old or too feeble."
The timing was right for the couple. Rabbi Kahn was finishing up six years at Har Shalom and had intended to leave. He said that although he left the synagogue on good terms, he no longer has an interest in serving as a congregational rabbi.
Without a job, he was left with no excuses not to make aliya.
What they will do in Israel is still up in the air. "We both knew we have to do something when we grow up," Kahn said. "Stephanie was a hospital administrator. I was a congregational rabbi for 26 years. We both decided we wanted to do something different, but we haven't decided what yet. I am sure whatever I will do will have some connection to being a rabbi, and I will use my experience to help the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Don't worry. I won't work at McDonald's."
The Kahns are studying Hebrew at an ulpan and adjusting to life in a new country. Their Hebrew is coming along, slowly but surely. They both attended an ulpan in Israel 30 years ago, but now they want to become completely fluent.
To make life even better for the Kahns, their son James, who is a fifth-year rabbinical student, will spend the year in Israel with his wife, Paula, studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
Kahn said there were some congregants who expressed an interest in joining him in Israel but he does not expect a mass migration any time soon.
"One couple made aliya, and others said they were interested, but I don't anticipate that my entire congregation will follow," Kahn said. "The congregants took our decision with curiosity and admiration but without a full understanding of why someone living in the suburbs of New Jersey would make aliya. They weren't surprised if they listened to my sermons, though. Israel was something I talked about a lot of the time."
Kahn acknowledged that few Reform rabbis make aliya — or at least not nearly as many as he thinks should.
Although Kahn supports the work of the Reform movement in Israel, he has not yet become involved in the several Progressive Judaism — as the movement is known in Israel — synagogues near where he lives. He said he was looking forward to joining his wife, son, and daughter-in-law for a much more relaxing Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur than he is used to having.
"It's the first time I will not be leading services on the High Holy Days since 1975," Kahn said. "It will be exciting to be a congregant and not an officiant for the first time in so long."
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