ONCE UPON AN AWARD

The True Story of How a Few Jacksonville Jewish Community Members Joined Together to Grow their Community and Won The Savitsky OU Relocation Fair Award Instead!

Written by: Lieba Abecassis

This past Shabbos, my family and I passed by the Chabad house on Haley Road and crossed the busy San Jose Boulevard toward the Etz Chaim shul. “What are you guys doing here?” our friend Cassie asked upon our arrival. She was used to seeing us at Chabad on the other side of the road, but we were in Etz Chaim for a reason. 

So what was a Chabad family doing at Etz Chaim davening nusach Ashkenaz the shabbos before Chanukah?!

Let’s rewind…..

I moved to Jacksonville exactly four years ago. Yehouda and I fell in love with the small town vibe, the beautiful moss dangling off hundred year old oak trees, and the wonderfully warm people we encountered during our short visit. Our hosts/now friends, Sara and Shmuley Bonnardel, convinced us to check out a house we had zero interest in looking at. After some more nudging and cajoling, we walked over to see it and we instantly envisioned our family happy in it. We signed our home on Zos Chanukah of 2020, and never looked back.  

One year later, my sister Gila came to visit after scouting Jewish communities all over the states. Gila and her husband Menachem were soon-to-be parents and wanted a place to settle down after years of their nomadic adventures. They felt discouraged from their fruitless trip and were just happy to spend shabbos with family. Little did they know that a white life size doll house (no really, it even has a crystal chandelier at the front entrance) would whisper their names and upon seeing it, they immediately made an offer. On the first night of Chanukah, they signed their home and I couldn't be more thrilled to have my sister and her beautiful family close by. 

Gila and I talked about the potential growth of the Jacksonville community, and how we needed to recruit more young Jewish families to move in. The community was seeing some growth after the Covid migration of Jews to the Sunshine State, but most Jews had their eyes on South Florida. We knew that more families would enjoy the perks of Florida living without the hustle, traffic, and chaos of life down south. Our friend Breindy Lazor and her family moved into town just a few months after we did, and just like us, they felt that tug toward Jax. Hashem was making moves, literally. 

Another year went by and we hosted the Shyken family for a Shabbos meal during the month of Chanukah. Joey and Rachel Shyken are pillar members of the Etz Chaim community, and had a strong desire to grow for their children and the Torah Academy school. We had such a fun time discussing the possibility of a Chabad - Etz Chaim alliance to grow the community. We figured that if we worked together, both of our shuls and the community as a whole would reap the benefits of a growing and thriving hub of Jewish life. Our friend Chaya Hagler, who frequented both shuls, opened the Grow Jax whatsapp chat and our initiative began. 

The first meeting was full of lively debate on how to market Jacksonville to prospective families. Gila and Menachem Rapoport took on the creation of the website, JacksonvilleJewish.com, and we all did our part to give them the copy, the photos, and all of the information needed to give site visitors the full scope of Orthodox Jewish life in our Northern Florida community. 

Once the website was up and running, we pushed to get the word out. The Move to a Jewish Community Out of Town group on Facebook became our bestie. Along with Steve Goranson, community members were very active in the group. We commented on every post where Jacksonville checked off boxes, spoke to many families, coordinated hosting, and did everything possible to grow... 

And we grew.  

David Jaison, a member of our initiative, and his amazing wife Cheyn took upon themselves to give welcome baskets to all the new families who moved into town. To date, they have given more than 25 families a welcome basket!

When it was time for the Savitsky OU Relocation Fair this past March, our fellow Grow Jax member, Emily Rosenbaum, put her foot to the pedal. As our liaison, she was in constant contact with Rebbetzin Judi Steining of the OU Fair to make sure that we had our best foot forward in showcasing Jacksonville to potential families. With more than 50 communities in the Virtual Fair this year, we needed to put in the work if we wanted to stand out. We sat in Emily's home one evening, and we each took on our role as members of the Savitsky OU Fair Committee. 

The Jacksonville Shtiebel, a beautiful Carlebach Minyan for Friday nights, was founded by my brother-in-law Menachem. The lively tunes and the joy that exudes out of The Shtiebel is truly a wonderful addition to the Jacksonville Jewish community. The Shtiebel began very soon before the fair, and there was some hesitation to publicize it, wondering if The Shtiebel will stick. Not only did it stick, it is a staple in town. Along with Etz Chaim, Menachem co-sponsored the entry fee to the fair on behalf of Chabad and The Shtiebel, solidifying our partnership to unify as a community and get the job done. 

The day of the virtual Savitsky OU Fair finally arrived and we were ready to go! Our booth looked AMAZING, Jacksonville community members signed up for time slots in the live chat room to talk to the many people who visited our booth. We were prepared and we had fun! With many families to follow up with, we felt like our efforts paid off and the day was a success. 

A few months later, Rebbetzin Judi Steinig called Emily to tell her some pretty game changing news. Mr. Stephen Savitsky, former president of the OU, was so impressed with the achdus displayed by our community, that they decided to bestow upon us The Savitsky Communal Growth Award. This award was the first of its kind and Mr. Savitsky, his wife Genie and family would be visiting our community along with Rebbetzin Judi for the shabbos before Chanukah to honor the fair committee. We were also going to be awarded ten thousand dollars toward advertising Jacksonville! 

Now let’s fast forward…

This past weekend we were beyond blessed to be a part of the Savitsky Shabbaton in Jacksonville. It began with a Thursday night dinner at the Kollel to honor the committee members, where we ate a delicious meal catered by Rabbi and Mrs. Katz, and we heard words of wisdom and praise by Mr. Steve Savitsky and Rebbetzin Judi. Yehouda and I had a great time sitting next to Steve and Genie’s daughter Penina and her beautiful family. 

Photos by Chaim Goranson

In his speech, Mr. Stephen Savitsky spoke about the fair, his brain-child, as a soul-calling need for Jewish life to thrive outside of the Tri-State area. He imparted some very impactful lessons on life, “kan tzipor” moments, where we happen upon a single moment orchestrated by Hashem, and it is on us to rise up and take on the challenge. Rebbetzin Judi told us that she cannot wait for next year’s fair, so that if communities come to her with their internal politics and complaints about working together with other shuls, she can happily tell them that Jacksonville did it and you can, too! 

Mr. Stephen Savitsky and Rebbetzin Judi Steinig presented three plaques for the three Orthodox shuls of Jax. Emily Rosenbaum and Rachel Shyken accepted the plaque on behalf of Etz Chaim, Yehouda and I accepted the plaque on behalf of Chabad, and Gila and Menachem Rapoport accepted the plaque on behalf of The Shtiebel. After taking photos and receiving signed copies of Steve Savisky’s beautiful book Kan Tzipor, we finished our dinner feeling a sense of gratitude for the honor, and an even stronger resolve to keep up the work we are doing to grow our community with achdus and purpose.

Upon leaving, I mentioned to Mr. Savitsky that it’s no coincidence that he came this Shabbos. It wasn’t only the Shabbos before Chanukah. It also happened to be Yud Tes Kislev, which is the most special day, a yom tov, on the Chabad Chassidic calendar. On this day in 1798, the Alter Rebbe (the Baal HaTanya) was freed from prison after 53 grueling days in a Russian prison. Having been arrested by the Russian government with the cooperation of fellow Jews who were opposed to his teachings, our achdus felt a little extra powerful that day. On this Yud Tes Kislev, I had the privilege of experiencing the unification of chassidus and nigla in a profound way. I feel blessed to live in a town where different types of Jews serve Hashem in their own unique way, and can still come together with love and camaraderie. 

Following dinner, the Jacksonville Kollel hosted a beautiful Chanukah party. It was a beautiful night, and I’m not just talking about the weather. But hey! Hosting a Chanukah party outdoors in mid December is not a bad way to go when a winter night is warm and the people are even warmer. 

The Shtiebel welcomed Mr. Steve Savitsky and Co. for their weekly Friday night minyan and the house was packed to the brim with people. They ate, they drank, they davened, and danced. 

My good friend Rachel Smith and her awesome family hosted a Friday night oneg, where Mr. Savisky fostered a dialogue of encouragement to help us brainstorm the many ways that Jax can level up and reach our goals of growing. 

Fast Forward to Shabbos morning at Etz Chaim…

What were we doing at a different Shul on the other side of San Jose Boulevard? Mr. Steve Savitsky and Rebbetzin Judi Steinig requested we all be in Shul following Shachris. During kriyat haTorah, Rabbi Menashe Uhr gave his weekly class to women. (It JUST so happened that his class was about Yud Tes Kislev, the Baal HaTanya, and the impact of his teachings on the world.) During Mr. Savitsky's speech, he called up each committee member to accept an individual award. With babies in tow, we went up to the podium to receive our certificates, hugged Rebbetzin Judi and thanked Steve Savitsky for this incredible honor. Etz Chaim began their kiddush, and Yehouda and I went back to Chabad to celebrate Shabbos Yud Tes Kislev with a beautiful and elaborate kiddush made by Rebbetzin Kahanov and her family. Lchaims were made, niggunim were sung, and chassidim sat and farbrenged like one mishpacha. 

Later in the afternoon, Mr. Savitsky and Rebbetzin Judi led a Q&A panel at Etz Chaim. Their advice on community growth was invaluable and we will use their knowledge to help us expand in a healthy way, where the values and culture of our community will remain, even as we grow. 

For Mincha, Mr. Savitsky and family made their way to Chabad. Following Mincha, shalosh seudos was served and Mr. Savitsky shared his experience growing up in Crown Heights, his walks with the Rebbe as a young boy, and the great impact that the Chabad movement has on global Jewry. The weekend ended with Maariv at Chabad and a beautiful Chanukah party at Etz Chaim. 

My weekend takeaways were many, but here are some thoughts on: 

Unity: It doesn’t need to be all that complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is a couple of friends from different shuls getting together and creating the change that they wish to see in their community. 

Abundance Mindset vs. Scarcity Mindset: Mr. Steve Savitsky was asked if competition is healthy for community growth. “Of course, it forces you to be better,” he replied. When it comes to matters of sharing G-d’s light with others, there is ZERO limit on G-d’s ability to provide. Scarcity mindset can have a shul thinking that they will lose members, lose money, or lose momentum. To believe that there isn’t enough room for every shul to grow is to doubt Hashem’s infinite light and blessings. 

Appropriate Utilization of Skill Sets: While unity was a big factor in our ability to show up big at the OU Fair, what was equally as important was every single person on the committee using their G-d given talents that were unique to them so that everything turned out professional and beautiful. 

Hard Work: To see results, the hard work needed to be put in, and the time and energy had to be spent. While we’re very grateful for the words of affirmation and the recognition of our efforts, the work is not over and we need to keep showing up for our community and its growth. 

Hashgacha Protis: Yehouda's dad, who passed away a few short months ago, was best known for saying “b’mikre” (which means coincidentally) when teaching Kabbalah classes. The inside joke was that there truly is no such thing as coincidence in G-d’s grand scheme for us, and I can't help but think that he'd get a chuckle out of our recurring theme here. It is not “b’mikre” that we keep seeing Hashem's hand during the month of Chanukah, when my father in-law insisted eight years ago that Yehouda and I get married on the 6th night of Chanukah / Rosh Chodesh Teves, and he also encouraged us to sign our home on zos Chanukah. Isaac loved Jacksonville (he joked about moving here) and his guidance was an instrumental part of our decision to build a life here in Northern Florida. Highlighting the many divine “kismet” moments in my life is something that I learned from my father in-law, and I will forever hold on to the myriad of life lessons he imparted to me and countless others. 

Hakoras HaTov: I have so much gratitude to Hashem for all of the blessings in my life. I love where I live and I love watching our community grow in every possible way. We have so much gratitude to Mr. Steve Savitsky and Rebbetzin Judi Steinig for all of their time and energy in helping our community. Lastly, we are beyond grateful to Rabbi Fisch from The Etz Chaim, the Kahanov family at First Coast Chabad, and Menachem Rapoport + the Mann family at The Shtiebel for having an open door policy, where every single Jew feels at home in their Shuls. As a kiruv oriented community, it’s truly a blessing to belong to a Shul where you feel welcomed, no matter your level of Jewish observance. 

May the light of Chanukah shine bright upon us, as it always does, and may our achdus be the final bricks needed to bring the third temple to completion with the ultimate redemption. 

The Savitsky Communal Growth Award Recipients

Head of Committee:

Emily Rosenbaum

Video Committee: 

Gila Rapoport 

Menachem Rappoport

Joey Shyken

Graphic Design: 

Emily Camras

Booth Director:

Rachel Shyken

Booth Design:

Emily Camras 

Menachem Rapoport 

Writing Committee: 

Breindy Lazor 

Lieba Abecassis 

Rachel Shyken

Chaya Hagler

David Jaison

Follow Up Committee:

David Jaison

Emily Rosenbaum

Special thanks to Harriet Brummer for being our retiree representative, and to all of our amazing community members who volunteered on the day of the fair or hosted visiting families for shabbosim. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the klal.  

If you wish to donate toward the maintenance of the website (JacksonvilleJewish.com) and to the welcome baskets you can do so here: https://venmo.com/u/RachelGila-Bard-Wigdor

Photos by Chaim Goranson

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