22 | JANUARY 18 • 2024 J
N

K

eter Torah 
Synagogue, a 
Sephardic shul in the 
heart of West Bloomfield, has 
a new rabbi on board. Rabbi 
Joseph Abadi, 40, has already 
begun to make an impact on 
the synagogue community 
since he started last month.
Born and raised in the 
Syrian community in 
Brooklyn, New York, Rabbi 
Abadi’s journey began 
after high school when 
he immersed himself in 
the Old City of Jerusalem, 
delving into the teachings of 
Yeshivat Yesodei Hatorah. 
Continuing his pursuit of 
Talmudic studies, the rabbi 

dedicated the next few 
years to intensive studies at 
Mikdash Melech in Israel. 
He then honed his skills and 
expanded his intellectual 
horizons at BetMidrash Torat 
Hesed in Lakewood, New 
Jersey, before returning to 
Jerusalem in 2009, where 
he received rabbinical 
ordination. 
Rabbi Abadi returned to 
New York with the tools 
he acquired, sharing his 
knowledge by teaching in 
synagogues and speaking at 
community events. 
The rabbi originally came 
to Keter Torah as a guest 
rabbi around Passover last 

year. After helping lead a 
Shabbat or two, the shul 
informed him they were 
looking for a full-time rabbi. 
They inquired about his 
interest in the position, but 
he wasn’t 100% sure after 
only spending a week or so 
there. 
So, he returned for another 
weekend at Keter Torah in 
the following months. It 
was then that he and his 
family, his wife, Lorraine, 
and daughter, Kim, started 
to meet more people in the 
community and took notice 
of how it’s one big family 
from many backgrounds. 
“The shul does everything 
together. People are very 
interested in the well-being 
of their friends. It was a 
really warm environment,” he 
said. “We felt like extended 
family from all different 
parts of the world. We have 
Azerbaijani people, Turkish 
people, Syrian people, 
Egyptian people —they’re 
one big family.
“That really touched our 
hearts. Like, this place is 
really awesome. We could 
grow here, and we have a lot 
to give,” he said.

Keter Torah’s warm, 
welcoming community led to 
the Abadi family deciding to 
make the move. 
Rabbi Abadi returned to 
Keter Torah for the High 
Holidays, further learning 
the style of the shul and what 
got them to that point, while 
also figuring out what was 
going to be required of him 
to move it forward and take 
it to the next level. 
The rabbi and his family 
have officially been in 
Detroit for about a month 
now. 
“Since we’ve gotten here, 
everyone’s been so warm, 
and, thank God, we’ve seen 
growth,” he said. “We’re 
getting people from all 
around, even people from 
a half-hour away driving in 
every morning.” 
Rabbi Abadi attributes 
some of this growth to an 
increase in Torah learning, 
but also stresses the shul is 
not only a place to pray — 
it’s also a place for personal 
growth. 
“It’s a place where you’re 
coming to understand ‘What 
does it mean to be Jewish?’ 
‘What is my identity?’ ‘What 

Rabbi Joseph Abadi is already 
making an impact on the synagogue 
community. 

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

New Keter 
Torah Rabbi 

OUR COMMUNITY

Rabbi 
Joseph 
Abadi

Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of Bais Chabad Torah Center, Rabbi Abadi, 
his wife, Lorraine, and daughter, Kim

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KETER TORAH

