About six years ago, Lower Merion Synagogue Executive Director Tzvi Boord decided he needed a change.
In 2018, the Brooklyn, New York, native who worked in retail management decided to adjust the pace of his life and pursue more community-centric work. He moved to Philadelphia and began serving Lower Merion Synagogue as its director of operations. He said it was a great decision.
“When you do community work, your whole life becomes that,” he said. “You really have to enjoy being a part of it.”
Boord said his job is familiar to anyone who has worked at a synagogue. Basically, he is never sure what will come next.
“I do a little bit of program management, security, working with volunteers, helping people sign up for membership, High Holiday seating, construction and renovations,” he said. “There’s a lot of different hats you wear when you work in a synagogue and that’s one of the things I really like about it.”
Boord said his goals as executive director are to increase Lower Merion Synagogue’s programming and offer more creative options for members.
Boord comes from a tight-knit family that was, prior to his move, all in and around Brooklyn. He jokes that his move to the Philadelphia area broke the seal for his siblings.
“After I moved out, some of my siblings followed suit — a sister of mine went to Florida, another to Queens, a brother went to Long Island and another brother went to New Jersey,” he said.
The family still reunites frequently, he added. Apart from them, what does Boord miss the most about his hometown? Convenience, he said.
“In New York, if you need something, it’s right around the corner. I miss being able to just hop on a train and go anywhere,” he said. “I could walk out of a kosher supermarket at 11 p.m. and bump into two friends and just hang out — New York is set up that way.”
But Boord has fallen in love with Philadelphia.
“For my older kids who weren’t born here, it was hard at first, and they definitely missed certain things,” he said. “But now they absolutely love it. It’s such a warm, inviting place, and it offers so much.”
When he moved, Boord was looking for a vibrant Jewish community, and he has found one that focuses more on what makes members similar than what makes them different. Boord said Lower Merion Synagogue is a place where everyone recognizes the unique qualities that members bring to the table, choosing to celebrate slight differences in worship and tradition. This makes for a welcoming, family-style environment. He added that his experience there has been greatly improved by his choice to become involved on a professional level.
“A shul is about helping people in a way that’s accessible and made for them,” he said. “Working here has upped the game as far as how well I get to know the people I work with.”
There are aspects of the job that are familiar to Boord from his time in retail management. He helped with merchandising, training, building new stores and running existing stores.
“When I heard about this opportunity, it really appealed to me as something where I can use some of those same skills, but with a much more personal focus,” he said. “Instead of just selling someone something, you’re helping them plan their engagement party or wedding or sign up for holiday seats or whatever else. It allows me to connect more with the community.”
Boord and his family decided on Philadelphia because his wife got into a graduate school program in the city. At that point, it felt like fate.
“We decided, ‘we’re going to make this move and come here,’” he said.
The changes made by his family are significant, but Boord said they are glad that they made them.
“When you work at a business, you go home for the day. But when you work in a synagogue, it’s your whole life, so you really have to enjoy it,” he said.
Boord wants to impart to his children that a Jew is a Jew — full stop.
“For us to love each other no matter what, that just makes us stronger,” he said. “I think that’s our job — it’s not to judge other Jews for what they do, but to build them up and bring them with us.”
