As more young couples and families look to move out of New York City and find a warm community to call home, Long Beach and its new dynamic Rabbi and his family have welcomed them with open arms. As a result, the BACH Jewish Center has experienced a 15-percent growth during Rabbi Benny Berlin’s first year leading the synagogue. The synagogue has nearly doubled its programming to meet the needs of its growing community with events geared toward congregants in all stages of life from youth through senior citizens.
The rise in membership was sparked by a combination of the 75-year-old-synagogue bringing on one of the country’s most energetic young rabbis as well as the recent migration of families leaving New York City for the suburbs. Since assuming the helm of one of Long Island’s oldest synagogues in June 2020, Rabbi Berlin has created innovative programs for both adults and children, created engaging social media series and more, all with an eye toward bringing in young families. These families are further attracted to the wonderful lifestyle Long Beach affords its residents, including easy access to the beach, day schools, kosher restaurants, regional transportation, and access to Manhattan.
“It’s wonderful to see BACH and Long Beach become one of the top community prospects for young families,” Rabbi Benny Berlin. “This last year, we have seen tremendous growth and already going into our second year, we have more couples moving in and expect the number to double in the coming year. We’ve increased our programming dramatically as a result and have multiple events and lectures each week to accommodate our growing community.”
“We always knew the Long Beach offered a wonderful lifestyle for Jewish families and knew that the key to bringing more families into our community was bringing on a rabbi who they would relate to and want to grow with,” said long-time community member Joe Strassman. “Immediately upon meeting Rabbi Berlin, we knew that he and Sara were the perfect couple to join us and help grow our community. What they have done in just one year has far exceeded our expectations and is the fastest growth our shul has encountered to date.”
