By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent
Tradition will always reign at Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation in Seattle. Its new rabbi, English-born Ben Hassan, whose family hails from Gibraltar and Morocco, hopes to start some new ones this year.
SBH’s hazzan of 20 years, Rabbi Frank Varon, will still chant the prayers on Shabbat and holidays, and its members will never stop serving its delectable Sephardic fare.
But SBH faces a generational shift, and its leadership knows the next generations of Jews who sit in services will be a bit less knowledgeable of Orthodox and Jewish traditions in general. They also know that not everyone will want or choose what SBH has to offer.
“That will be the most important part of my job,” Hassan, who hails from Manchester, told JTNews, “retaining the younger families of the established members and giving them a reason to be connected to SBH, especially if they haven’t felt engaged for a number of years.”
In early March, Hassan was officially welcomed to the Orthodox synagogue by the general community after nearly two years of selection committees and focus groups.
According to Simon Amiel, board president at SBH, the deliberations and discussions that went into choosing Hassan were well worth the effort because he is just the right leader for this congregation and for its future.
“When you’re talking about a spiritual leader for an almost 100-year-old congregation, you’ve really got to take it seriously,” said Amiel. “The hiring of Rabbi Hassan reflects the somewhat changing nature of our congregation.”
In the last six months, Hassan, his wife Sharona, a Florida-born social worker and entrepreneur, and their four children (ranging from 9 months to 7 years old) have settled into their home in the Seward Park neighborhood.
Sharona Hassan runs a resource called KosherKidz (kosherkidz.blogspot.com) and leads a Torah story time for small children and a women’s learning class weekly.
Rabbi Hassan’s appointment in Seattle is his second rabbinical post. Prior to that, Hassan led an 80-family congregation in Melbourne, Australia. But already Seattle feels like home.
“The weather is identical to growing up in Manchester,” the rabbi said.
Hassan, 31, describes himself as a younger, more “modern” Orthodox rabbi who speaks to problems of contemporary life while prioritizing relationships with the Jewish community.
“He’s someone who has opinions and who is worldly and informed,” said Amiel. “He’s willing to do anything it takes to connect with people and to provide a meaningful Jewish experience.”
The 300 or so families in the Puget Sound area that belong to SBH, all Sephardic, are scattered around Seattle and the suburbs — from as close as Mercer Island to as far north as Lynnwood.
Amiel said that with Hassan in place SBH will start increasing its educational offerings and opening up the services to a bit more explanation of SBH’s customs and rituals.
The rabbi said he wants to “excite and engage” the Jewish community here, particularly the younger generations and the children and grandchildren of longtime members.
“You will still be getting the full authentic hazzanut from Rabbi Frank Varon,” said Hassan, “but there will be more interpretation and classes beforehand, and we are going to explain the service a bit more so you know what to expect.”
Hassan has already hit the ground running, teaching classes six nights a week. He and Sharona will often teach together.
“We’re trying to move the synagogue from being a center to being a resource and being out there in the community,” he said. “There’s something going on every day. I will be downtown, in Bellevue, on Mercer Island — all over!”
But you don’t have to be Sephardic or even Orthodox to find a sense of camaraderie at SBH, said Hassan.
“It doesn’t matter where you are on the religious spectrum — you are welcome,” he said. “We’re here for all Jewish spiritual needs — both for members of the SBH and for those who are part of the larger community.”
Amiel knows that some older members may fall away as others embrace the newer, more open approach.
“If someone decides to leave the congregation, we want them to make an educated choice,” Amiel said. “If they don’t really need or want SBH then that’s going to happen. But the American Sephardic experience is relatively unique, especially here in Seattle.”