Young Rabbi Inspires Buckhead Condo Circuit

As his three-year-old Chabad center The Buckhead Shul grows by leaps and bounds, Rabbi Yisrael New is using his relatability to stage a series of intimate parlor meetings at some of Buckhead’s most well-heeled addresses.

With no mention of fundraising, Rabbi New has gathered disparate eager listeners to hear his approach to community and the ease with which the Chabad philosophy approaches inclusion with deep layers of purpose, laced with fun activities and sociability. The 90-minute sessions so far have been held at Park Place, The Gallery, The St. Regis, and Park Avenue. Note that all are along Peachtree Road with easy access to Rabbi New’s shul on East Wesley.

The most recent event at The Gallery, on Thursday night, Sept. 4, was arranged by Josh Ahlzadeh with whom Rabbi New credits for using his real estate sechel to find the current building after exiting a smaller space on Pharr Road. Rabbi New hinted that they might soon even outgrow East Wesley, with Ahlzadeh scouting for a bigger presence possibly on Peachtree. Rabbi New opened the session by praising Ahlzadeh for his efficiency in finding the location in two months and “being my type of guy who’s never too bogged down to get the job done.”

Rabbi New began by addressing current antisemitism in Canada and Europe as being “even more blatant. We do need to be thankful that we are in the U.S.”

Rabbi New’s main message was, “We have to be strong, stand tall and not break. Be flexible like a candle … in storms, we grow tougher. Jews bend and spread light with unity.”

He recalled that the late Sen. Jessie Helms was notoriously anti-Israel, yet his North Carolina Chabad chose to honor him. Over Alan Dershowitz’s objections to it, Helms ultimately became a supporter.”

Rabbi New concluded, “Our mission is to use a higher standard using reality and showing morality.”

He explained that his shul’s original “sweet spot” was the younger generation, and he’s now putting more effort into multi-generations with abundant programming. Most impressive was their Tu Baav Day “for finding love” attracting 400 younger singles on Aug. 6, which sprang from 75 just a few years ago.

Rabbi New fascinatingly explained his family dynamics where seven of the siblings are Chabad-related rabbis, mostly in Atlanta, one in Seattle and one in Florida … then one in real estate and one a kosher caterer locally. Also, he referred to his “Hollywood style” sister’s husband who has started a sizable Chabad in Cumming.

“We thought he might be nuts, but he made it a reality!”

Some were fascinated by Rabbi New’s sharing of many of the remote thriving Chabads from Bangkok to India … just about everywhere but Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen … even Saudi Arabia has thriving a Chabad. Rabbi New made a point of explaining how pivotal the rabbi’s wife’s role is in building, thriving, education … “sometimes most important.”

Chabad fan Joyce Shlesinger co-sponsored one of the earlier meetings with Kitty and Judge Ezra Cohen in Park Place Condominiums. She recalled, “This first meeting had upwards of 30 folks, mostly from our Park Place building. Our goal was to introduce a new group of Jewish people to Chabad. The best part was the open Q & A where everyone was made to feel comfortable.”

Some had suspicions about whether there was a strict nature, which Rabbi New was clear about the role of acceptance, while some areas of tradition would not be compromised.

Co-hosts Kitty and Ezra Cohen spoke of Chabad’s magic in offering traditional Jewish learning without judgment as an outreach to all Jews. Recently, Judge Cohen served as the judge in a Shavous panel where various issues were debated, like, “What’s the best way to find a Jewish mate? And “Should Haredi Jews have to serve in the IDF?”

Rabbi New closed by sharing events like Tashlich at the nearby Duck Pond, mah jong and poker games, a pickleball tournament, delicious Shabbos and holiday dinners, and his plan to put up a huge menorah.