Rabbi Steven Weil
of Young Israel of
Oak Park

Rabbi Steven Weil

Steven Well calls himself a "farm boy."
Odd for someone who holds an MBA in
finance from New York University, who
dresses more like Wall Street than "Green
Acres," and who appreciates Aristotle and
fine cigars. He gave up chewing tobacco
at his mother Cookie's behest some years
back.
The Weils, dairy farmers, were the only
Jewish family in Lindonville, N.Y., or for
that matter, in the county. They brought
Hebrew and religion tutors to their farm to
teach the children, so removed were they
from any sizeable Jewish community. The
nearest was in Buffalo, 50 miles away.
The remoteness may have manifested
in Rabbi Well a longing to find and fulfill
his destiny as a Jew.
His natural inclinations were heightened
by his contact with Orthodox cousins who
lived on Long Island. Young Steven was in-
delibly impressed with their worldliness
and their Jewishness.
"They lived their Judaism in midtown
Manhattan law offices. There was no con-
tradiction between what they ate and how
they made their money," he says.
His parents were "educated Jewishly,"
he says, but practically, they were closer to
Conservative.
"My own move to Orthodoxy was a slow
but sure change, and the people I studied
with focused on knowledge, knowledge
about why they were practicing Jews," he
says. If he went through a rebellious phase,

it was becoming a more observant and ed-
ucated Jew, he speculates.
Authenticity, adherence to tradition and
faithfulness to the Torah are the corner-
stones of his own faith. Rabbi Weil, 30, says
that even if he had gone on to become a fi-
nancial whiz rather than a rabbi, he would
still devote himself to study.
"Being a thinking Jew and producing a
thinking Jew are central to Jewish life. I
want my children to be thinking Jews," he
says. He and his wife Yael, a former spe-
cial-education teacher whom he met in New
York, have four children who range in age
from 1 month to 6 years.
Rabbi Weirs younger brother Andy made
his own transition to Orthodoxy later. It
was at Andy's wedding to a Southfield
woman here, in fact, that Rabbi Weil
learned of the rabbi's post at Young Israel.
He had officiated the wedding, and after-
ward, members of the congregation came
up to him and asked him to apply for the
position.
But, Rabbi Well points out, he is consid-
ered "centrist Orthodox" by the communi-
ty. That means he "adapts axioms of
Orthodoxy to the realities of 20th-century
Western civilization." He urges congregants
to involve themselves in the larger Jewish
community, he started a scholar-in-resi-
dence program, and he has initiated social
programs for younger congregants, like a
night at the Palace.
He also introduced what may be the first

cigar smoker-friendly class every third Mon-
day of the month.
As for his age, it didn't matter. Young Is-
rael wanted someone to "energize the shul,"
Rabbi Well says.
He seems to fit the bill. Already, the con-
gregation changed his status from part
time, no contract, to full time for three years.
Young Israel recently absorbed Young
Israel of Oak Woods, gaining about 70 fam-
ilies, but since Rabbi Weil joined the syna-
gogue 18 months ago, the former Young
Israel of Greenfield has nearly doubled in
size.
The building itself is about to undergo
major structural renovations, and new com-
mittees have been formed to strategize for
the future and expand youth activities.
Women head the strategic planning and
social-action committees and even have a
voice on Young Israel's board of directors.
"I think he's done an amazing job," says
Judah Isaacs, a congregation member and
a senior planning associate at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
"I think he is really trying to set a vision
for the congregation. He's not only content
with where we are now but where our fu-
ture can be. That is one of the most impor-
tant things a rabbi can do. From a
Federation perspective, he's also building
a bridge between the Orthodox and gener-
al community, and I think that's a very im-
portant aspect that's important in any
community, especially here.

`The other thing that I say a lot is, I think
he's very good in rabbinics, on a one-to-one
basis with congregants," Mr. Isaacs con-
tinued. "For a young rabbi, it's very en-
couraging to see."
Dr. Steven Tennenberg, synagogue pres-
ident, says Rabbi Weil's enthusiastic in-
volvement in pastoral and social matters
has led to a stronger bond between couples
in the shut
"That is something that has been very
refreshing in our shul and has been very
much liked," he says. "He has some class-
es which take place in unusual locations —
outside of the synagogue — and he's hos-
pitable in terms of his home. He's constantly
having people over. He's a tremendously
personable person."
Rabbi Weil studies between 7 and 16
hours daily, cramming in four hours of sleep
each night. But he says his personal growth
comes from his interaction with congre-
gants. He has become friendly with one
man who, as a child, was shipped to
Auschwitz where he was forced to help
build part of the camp. He's also accom-
panied another congregant, a butcher, to
cattle auctions. Talking cows comes natu-
rally to him.
"At 30 years old, let's not kid ourselves,
I've got a lot to learn. It's a fantastic expe-
rience, learning about people like that. I
didn't become a rabbi to help people. My
selfish motive is being stimulated to grow;
that's the best part of the job."