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SYNAGOGUE GUIDE
OU Opens Southeast Office
T
he Orthodox Union has hired its
first Southeast regional director,
Naftali Herrmann, based in Boca
Raton, Fla.
Herrmann’s region covers Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, Alabama
and Louisiana (no OU-affiliated congregation operates in Mississippi). His
office’s support to synagogues and
communities will include Yachad, the
National Jewish Council for Disabilities, and youth movement NCSY.
Barbara Lehmann Siegel, an OU
vice president and chairwoman of the
OU’s community and synagogue services department, said Herrmann “will
serve as our ambassador to strengthen
the bond between the OU and the region’s Jewish communities, as well as
to deepen the relationships among the
various synagogue communities.”
In Atlanta, Congregation Beth Jacob and Young Israel of Toco Hills are
OU members.
The OU’s decision to open a Southeast office is a response to the concentration of Jews in South Florida, the
second-largest Jewish community in
the United States, said Rabbi Judah
Isaacs, the OU’s director of community ric nurse practitioner, are members of
the Boca Raton Synagogue.
and synagogue services.
“I was very fortunate and blessed
“We feel it is imperative to fully
and robustly service that burgeon- to have grown up in a home and community in which the founing Jewish presence,” he
dation was built on tzedasaid. “The OU also aims to
kah and chesed,” Herrmann
bring to the entire Southsaid. “From the leadership
east network of Orthodox
of my parents to the synasynagogues and communigogue we all davened and
ties positive vitality, shared
grew in, I was constantly
resources,
programming
surrounded by people who
ideas and solutions to varstrove to make the world a
ied challenges. We deliver
better place.”
strength in numbers and
He worked in New
are a respected, powerful
York as the director of
voice in the political arena.
Naftali Herrmann
community outreach and
Naftali Herrmann will lisengagement at Yachad.
ten, ask and learn from the
He said his work will begin by
region’s rabbis and lay leaders.”
Rabbi Isaacs said Herrmann will developing relationships with the rehelp synagogues fulfill a role as the gion’s rabbis, synagogue lay leaders
gateway to the full range of OU ser- and other Jewish organizations.
“I come from a social work backvices. “Naftali’s personable nature, his
enthusiasm and depth of experience ground, and the first step is going to be
augur well for deepening relationships us listening and learning,” Herrmann
within both the OU family and the gen- said. “We need to better understand
each unique community’s story so we
eral Southeast Jewish community.”
Herrmann, who grew up in Suf- can properly address the needs of their
fern, N.Y., and his wife, Shani, a pediat- synagogues and beyond.” ■
Bet
Haverim
Almost
Home
Congregation Bet Haverim
is marking the arrival of 5776 by
completing its move into the former
home of Young Israel of Toco Hills.
Renovations on the building at
2074 LaVista Road are nearly done,
and the Reconstructionist congregation plans to hold its first service
in its new sanctuary Friday night,
Aug. 28.
The synagogue’s offices will
move into the building after the
High Holidays.
The first big event in the new
building will be Simchat Torah
festivities, which will also celebrate
the move. ■
AUGUST 21 ▪ 2015
Join us each Friday night before and after services
for nosh and schmoozing.
AJT
28