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Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe to leave West Hartford
Rabbi Yaffe is a renowned educator and spiritual leader whose breadth of knowledge spans the sacred and secular. "He's like a walking computer," says Ira Feigenbaum, president of the Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy in Bloomfield, where the Yaffe children are students. "You can go to him for advice or a Torah learning question. He's also well versed in secular issues from how the NFL draft works to the latest technology in science and engineering." A native of Portland, Me., Yaffe attended high school in Los Angeles. He and Chani served in Crown Heights and Leeds in the UK before coming to West Hartford. That was just after Tisha b'Av, 1992, when Yaffe was chosen to run the adult education program at Chabad of Greater Hartford. He later served as rabbi at Young Israel of Hartford, then at Congregation Agudas Achim in West Hartford, where he is currently part-time spiritual leader. He taught for eight years at Hebrew High School of New England, and headed the Hartford Kashrut Commission for two years. He has been Jewish chaplain of the Hartford Fire Department for nearly nine years. Chani taught at Hebrew Academy, where their children attend. In addition to all that he does in the Hartford area, Yaffe is also sought out as a speaker all over the world, says Agudas Achim president, Etan Markus. "He mixes contemporary issues and history and science and technology with Judaism and Torah. He was just on a panel with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Whenever we give him a weekend off, he's flying around the world. It has been a real coup to be able to keep the Yaffes as long as we have." And, Markus says, "He makes a mean cholent," a part of many Shabbat luncheons and a recent Shabbaton with Hebrew Academy students. Chani is known for her gefilte fish and whole-wheat challot at the synagogue's monthly Shabbat dinners, where the synagogue buys special Rubashkin chicken for the Yaffes. "They're a very warm family," Markus says, "and are very much intertwined with the shul." "It was divine providence that brought us here and it is divine providence that is moving us away from here," Yaffe says. "This is a wonderful Jewish community, where there's a lot of interest in Jewish learning. I've seen a lot of people grow in their Judaism, and I thank God for the opportunity to have contributed. It's just our hope that we made a difference, and hopefully whatever it is we did here will continue to bear fruit." Yaffe is the founder of the Connecticut Symposium on Contemporary Legal Issues and Jewish Law, and dean of the Institute for American & Talmudic Law in New York City, where he will continue to teach. Both Hebrew Academy and Agudas Achim are planning farewell tributes to the Yaffes. "The Yaffe family has been a big part of our community," says Hebrew Academy director, Rabbi Mordechai Weiss. "They have always been good friends of our school. We want to give Rabbi Yaffe the recognition that he deserves." The school will honor Rabbi Yaffe at its 69th annual dinner on Wednesday, June 10. For more information: (860) 243-8333. Agudas Achim will have a special luncheon for the Yaffes on Sunday, June 14. Etan Markus is collecting personal stories and photos for the event, which can be sent to him at etanagudas@yahoo.com. "This community is a huge part of our lives," says Rabbi Yaffe. "We have many good friends here who we will remain connected with. There are a lot of wonderful resources in the community and we leave it in good hands." |
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