Ed.tor's Letter Ii /0 —r YEA -PS arc -7:3723R, The Tug Of Carmit I 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. 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