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The Tug Of Carmit
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magine a new Jewish community in the northern Negev
— a religiously pluralistic, demographically diverse,
environmentally sensitive community of Israelis and
immigrants, including many Americans.
Asher Lopatin, a modern Orthodox rabbi in Chicago, and
his wife, Rachel Tessler Lopatin, a fourth-generation Detroiter,
imagine just that. "We want to take our vision of pluralism,
openness and warm Judaism to Israel:'
Asher told the JN in an online inter-
view last week.
In the summer of 2011, they and
their four kids will make aliyah to
Carmit, the trailblazing community
he will lead spiritually and she will
serve as rebbetzin. With the aid of the
Chicago Israel Philanthropic Fund,
which they co-founded, the Lopatins
plan to bring 100 families from North
America to Carmit to join 100 Israeli
families in a historic coming together
in the southern Judean hills safely within the security fence.
The site, with its own biblical history, is near Beersheva and
Ben-Gurion University — within an hour's drive to Jerusalem
and a 45-minute train ride to Tel Aviv.
What's so amazing is the Lopatins' determination to create
a North American-inspired pluralistic Jewish community in
the biblical Land of Israel much like Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of
New York City did in shaping the Israeli settlement of Efrat in
the West Bank in 1983.
Anshe Sholom from Yeshiva U, which ordained him as did Rav
Ahron Soloveichik. Rachel came from Camp Ramah in the
Berkshires, where she was associate director. She became pro-
gram director at Anshe Emet, a Conservative synagogue a short
walk from Anshe Sholom. Synagogues in the neighborhood
strove to promote mingling and learning together. Rachel and
Asher met at a Sukkot program. "I fell in love with Rachel when
I experienced the way she led the hour-long session of songs,
most of which came from her years at Ramah;' Asher recalls.
They proceeded to work together on a memorial program
for Yitzchak Rabin, the slain Israeli prime minister. In less
than a year, they were engaged.
Their sense of pluralism inspired them to help found the
Chicago Jewish Day School, now in its seventh year with 120
students, three of them Lopatins. Their Shabbat dinner table
often draws from Lakeview's mix of synagogues.
The Blueprint
Carmit is about building community, respecting difference and
being non-judgmental. Whether in English, Hebrew or another
language,"please,""thank you,""No, you first;' "Let me help with
that" and "Shabbat shalom" — especially to strangers — repre-
sent what this town of up to 2,600 family units will be about.
A wild card Carmit isn't. Supporters include the Jewish
National Fund, the Israel Land Administration and the Or
Movement, a not-for-profit focused on populating Israel's
Negev and Galilee regions.
As envisioned, the heterogeneous community of Carmit
would appeal to Jews who are secular and religious, young
and elderly, single and mar-
The Backdrop
ried, young families and empty
Asher Lopatin is the rabbi at
nesters and large and small
Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel, a
families. There would be hous-
modern Orthodox synagogue
ing subsidies as well as employ-
in Chicago's Lakeview nel.
ment assistance.
borhood. Rachel is a volunteer
Religious life would be
matchmaker for the online
anchored by a halachic, inclu-
dating service Saw You at Sinai.
sive Orthodox synagogue, but
They plan to bring Lakeview's
synagogues from other streams
thriving religious pluralism to
of Judaism would be encour-
Carmit, where the 10-year dream
aged. The intent would be to
is now under development. Solar
develop inter-synagogue pro-
energy-efficient homes and
gramming to bring people and
buildings will be the norm.
ideas together. Harmony would
Rachel's father, Warren Tessler,
be the goal, not just tolerance.
lives in West Bloomfield. Her
Families that aren't shomer
The Lopatins: Asher and Rachel with their kids,
mother, Charlotte, died in 2000.
Shabbos would show respect
Shayna, 8, Gideon, 2, Judah, 4, and Cara, 6
Rachel, 42, grew up at Hillel
for more religious neighbors
Day School in Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield High School,
and religious families would not belittle secular neighbors.
United Hebrew Schools and Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield.
The typical school would be pluralistic, halachic and inclu-
She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of
sive. The thrust would be showing how beautiful Judaism is
Michigan and master's degrees from Columbia and the Jewish
while making it resonant for individual students.
Theological Seminary, both in New York.
I'm most impressed by Asher and Rachel Lopatin's bid
to instill Americans into Israeli society as part of a cultural
Asher grew up in the modern Orthodox world of Beth
Israel in Berkeley, Maimonides School in Brookline and Brisk
mosaic, not to create a North American island of its own in
the Israeli desert. With 40 American families already on the
Yeshiva in Chicago. He earned an undergraduate degree from
Chicago Israel Philanthropic Fund database, it's hard to still
Boston University and studied at Yeshiva University. He also
call Carmit a dream. Rather, it's a living testimonial to the
was a Rhodes Scholar, studying Medieval Islam and Islamic
fundamentalism. He co-chairs the Muslim-Jewish task force
power of the human spirit. El
of Chicago's Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and lectures on
To learn more about Carmit, contact Rabbi Loptain: rabbi@asbi.org.
Islam, the Koran and fundamentalism.
The Carmit Web site is at cipforg. Please share your thoughts at:
It was beshert that these Wexner Graduate Fellows arrived
thejewishnews.com/community.
in Chicago about the same time 14 years ago. He came to
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November 19 2009
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