When Rabbi Ari Federgrun found out he would be named the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel Ohev Zedek, he came to Northeast Philadelphia and met with over 70 families.
“It was a beautiful experience for me,” he said. “I grew up in a home where I was taught the value of serving the community. The vibe that I look to bring to the shul is one where we all care for each other and we are one family.”
Federgrun officially began his new role at B’nai Israel Ohev Zedek on Aug. 17. He came from Orlando, Florida, where he worked as director of community engagement and education at an organization called JOIN, or Jewish Outreach Initiative. However, he said, he has known his true calling was to lead a congregation.
“For a summer, I went to Denver where I was involved with two different shuls. I was brought in to serve the communities, and my wife and I absolutely loved it. We loved getting to know people, and the development of relationships. We loved the teaching,” he said. “It gave me a glimpse of what might be in the future.”
David Flam is a member of the synagogue’s board who was chosen by the board president to assist with the search process for a new rabbi. He said the synagogue wanted someone who was family focused, had lots of energy, could speak to younger Jews and create a sense of community.
“He has surpassed our expectations,” Flam said of Federgrun.
Federgrun also previously served as associate rabbi at Congregation Schara Tzedeck, the largest synagogue in Vancouver. He said his experience working in Canada taught him a lot about the value of closeness in a synagogue, even a large one.
Federgrun’s time in Vancouver coincided with the deadly Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. The rabbi looked at it as an important opportunity to focus on strengthening relationships with other segments of the community.
“During that time, we connected with various leaders of the non-Jewish community — Muslims, Christians and others,” he said. “We wanted to show them that while we all have our differences, we just want to live in a peaceful and respectful world. We care for them, too.”
Federgrun said he plans to do more of this outreach at B’nai Israel Ohev Zedek.
“If [others] are ever in a time of crisis, or we are, we just want to be able to show that we have each other’s back and will take care of each other,” he said.
Federgrun will also emphasize the importance of education. His father is a professor. His wife is a teacher who was raised by a rabbi and a principal.
“My wife founded a school in Orlando, and before that she was the principal of a school in Vancouver,” Federgrun said. “I also taught at the Boca Raton Synagogue for three summers, where I led a group of close to 20 students.”
Teaching those students about the value of community before watching them take that knowledge and host their own classes for other members of the shul was an enriching experience for Federgrun.
“Through these experiences, my wife and I developed a passion toward education, toward working to build communities,” Federgrun said. “It’s something we’re very much excited about continuing to do here in Philadelphia.”
Federgrun said that the position at B’nai Israel Ohev Zedek entered his radar via a post from Yeshiva University, which he attended. When he met with the search committee, he knew that this was the place for him.
“I could tell that there was a group of really passionate leaders who saw a beautiful shul that they wanted to continue to grow,” he said.
Although he had a few different options, Federgrun knew that B’nai Israel Ohev Zedek was the right spot for him.
“I wanted to find the right place that would be good for me and my family. The community here is growing, and the families are very much focused on their spiritual growth. We saw that they could be a good influence on our kids, and we thought that it was a good fit,” he said.
Flam said that, while there were several good candidates that B’nai Israel was considering, they know they got the right one.
“He has mobilized so much in our shul, and it feels like he just arrived,” he said. “He’s already made so many positive changes and positive impacts in our community, and we know so much more is coming along.”