UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION

First Coast Chabad experiences Growth Spurt

New Shluchim to Clay County: Rabbi Shmuly and Shaina Feldman


While scholars find themselves preoccupied analyzing the tendencies of world Jewry and its future; as others obsess over Jewish demographics and trends, the Chabad movement is single-mindedly focused on building Jewish community and the enhancement of Jewish life. What better example is there of this than recent events at Chabad on the First Coast?

Within a span of several weeks, Chabad in the River City announced the launch of a brand new center in Clay County, as well as the appointment of Rabbi Eli and Esther Kurinsky to Chabad at the Beaches and Rabbi Shaul Robson as administrator at Chabad Headquarters in Mandarin.

The most recent announcement - the establishment of the first Jewish institution of any sort in Clay County - comes in response to the burgeoning growth of the Clay County community in recent years. The center, to be lead by Rabbi Shmuly & Shaina Feldman, along with their two children, Mendel and Mushka, can only be described as part of a growth spurt within the Northeast Florida Chabad network.

Clay County is nestled along the banks of the majestic St. Johns River in Northeast Florida and is located 15 miles southwest of Jacksonville. It is one of the nation's fastest growing regions with a population of 150,000.

The Feldman family – directors of the fifth Chabad Center to serve the growing Northeast FL region - have been recruited by Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov, Founder and Director of Chabad of Northeast, FL.

For several years, rabbinical students have visited the area and had much success. “After developing and maintaining a connection with numerous Jews in the vicinity, we felt it was time for Clay County to have its own Center,” says Rabbi Kahanov.

“The area is extremely raw,” Kahanov says, “There is not a single Shul, Synagogue, or Temple in the entire County. There exists no form of organized Jewish life.” Yet, having spent time exploring the area and visiting with local Jewish residents, during their visits to Jacksonville for Yomim Tovim (holidays) and Simchos, the Feldmans decided that they were ready to take on the challenge.

Rabbi Shmuly and Shaina Feldman bring an abundance of talent to their new positions. They were both involved in Jewish outreach for several years and are eager to continue their work as a couple, here in Clay County.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Shmuly is a graduate of the United Lubavitch Yeshivos at Chabad World Headquarters in Brooklyn. He was ordained in 2003. While still a student, Shmuly was chosen by his Yeshiva to travel to Rostov, Russia where he, along with a small group of fellow students, spent a year diligently studying Torah and actively reaching out to Jews in the surrounding areas who were eager to discover their Jewish heritage.

Rabbi Feldman also spent many summers as a Roving Rabbi visiting the out-backs of various Jewish communities around the world, including: Samara, Russia, Halifax, NS, Montana, Wyoming and Texas.

Shaina, daughter of Rabbi and Mrs. Kahanov, is a native of Jacksonville. In 2004 she
graduated from the Teacher's Seminary in Brooklyn, NY with a passion for Jewish education. She has since been giving lessons in a wide variety of Judaic subjects to people of all ages. Over the years her women's classes have gained considerable popularity here in Jacksonville.

Mrs. Feldman’s teaching experience is, though, not limited to Jacksonville. She spent many summers as counselor and head-counselor in a variety of day camps across the country, including; Edgeware, UK, Victoria Island, BC, as well as, Bangkok, Thailand . More recently she has been teaching both 2nd and 3rd grade at Beth Rivkah – Chabad's largest girl's day school, in Brooklyn.

“I think this couple is extraordinary,” said Charles Zitten of Fleming Island. “They are full of life and enthusiasm! The Rabbi has a practical, down to earth Jewish approach to today’s society.”

The Feldman’s are emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Schneerson, the spiritual leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, spearheaded a worldwide reconstruction of post-Holocaust Jewish religious life, and inspired a re-awakening of Jewish awareness and observance.

Amongst it’s accomplishments, the movement established educational and outreach centers on five continents that provide religious, social, and humanitarian programing and activities to Jews, regardless of religious affiliation or background. Rabbis, along with their wives, are urged to establish Chabad centers to serve the spiritual and material needs of outlying communities.

“People may see themselves as unaffiliated, Reform, Conservative or Orthodox. Chabad sees all Jews as being Jewish. No labels. No differences. Chabad is a home for every kind of Jew. Clay County seems like the perfect place for a Chabad center,” Feldman said. “We’ll be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Everyone is welcome.”

The Wilansky’s are equally as excited with their new posts. “We are ecstatic to be part of one of the most up and coming communities in Florida, Jax Beaches/Ponte Vedra,” says Eli Wilansky, a native of Montreal.

Rabbi Eli has vast experience with Chabad outreach activities dating back to his early childhood. He has a special gift for working with teenagers and youth. Much of his experience comes from his time spent at multiple Chabad Houses in Brooklyn, NY, Montreal, CA, Cincinnati, OH and Manchester, UK. Most recently Rabbi Eli worked as program director here at Chabad @ the Beaches. Upon his Marriage to Esther, the community enthusiastically invited him to stay on as assistant Rabbi and program director.

Mrs. Esther Wilansky, brings an abundance of experiences with her as well. She is an acclaimed preschool teacher. Esther spent a year working for Chabad in Mckinnon, Australia where she developed her interest in Chabad outreach and education. Most recently she served for three years as an educator in the Chabad preschool in Passaic New Jersey.

The new administrator of the recently expanded Mandarin Chabad Center, is a native of Jacksonville. At age 17, Shaul Robson has gone off to study at the Yeshiva in New York and has recently graduated from the Rabbinical College of Morristown, NJ. Robson says, “It’s a great feeling to be back in Jacksonville; being able to give back to a community that has given me so much.”

“In a time when, economically and religiously, things seem to be on a decline, seeing Chabad’s exponential growth in Jacksonville, as well as the world over - one would hardly believe it!”, says Marty Schwartz, a member of Chabad in Mandarin and Chief volunteer of Bikur Cholim for Chabad and Jewish Family Services.

Chabad’s global success has, in fact, been noted by analysts from across the Jewish spectrum, as being somewhat remarkable and even perplexing. While many pundits struggle to attribute the unusual occurrence to various methodical strategies and marketing phenomena, the Chabad Shluchim (emissaries) on the First Coast are unanimous in their view, that it is a direct result of the spiritual nature of Chabad’s message, which resonates with the core of the Jewish Neshama (soul).

When asked if Chabad has finally reached it’s capacity on the First Coast, Rabbi Kahanov responded with a twinkle in his eye, “There is still a long way to go and a lot more to come!” though he wouldn’t give any hints as to what more might be in store for Chabad on the First Coast.