Rabbi Avraham Scheinberg, rabbi of Congregation Rodfei Sholom in San Antonio, Texas, spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about Jewish communal life in a growing American city, the opportunities of a smaller community, and the responsibility that comes with it.
Take the next step: 📞 Call Rabbi Scheinberg: (210) 323-9759 🌐 Visit: Rodfeisholom.com/movetosa
San Antonio is one of the largest cities in the US, with a population of approximately 1.5 million, yet its Jewish community has remained relatively stable in size. According to Rabbi Scheinberg, this reality creates both challenges and unique strengths.
"We have a small Jewish community here compared to other places for sure," he said. "San Antonio is a humble city, it's a simple city, it's a city without the pressures of other big cities, and the community here is looking to grow and to attract people and to let people know about what we have going on here."
Rabbi Scheinberg emphasized the diversity of the Jewish population in San Antonio and the intentional effort to embrace it. He described a community made up of individuals from different backgrounds and levels of religious observance, united not by uniformity but by mutual responsibility.
"The goal is not to try to create something that's homogeneous, but rather that's heterogeneous," he explained. "The diversity that there is in the community is something that we want to celebrate."
He noted that life in a smaller Jewish community carries a different kind of obligation. "The people that live here become family with each other," Rabbi Scheinberg said. "You become involved in other people's lives in an intimate way."
Addressing the broader ideological challenges facing Jewish life in the US, Rabbi Scheinberg spoke candidly about assimilation and the need for constant engagement. "Every community always needs strengthening," he said. "We're constantly fighting against the tide of assimilation."
He stressed the importance of reaching Jews who are not actively involved in communal life. "We have to reach out to those other Jewish people," he said, "to understand about Israel, about Torah, about Klal Yisrael."
Take the next step: 📞 Call Rabbi Scheinberg: (210) 323-9759 🌐 Visit: Rodfeisholom.com/movetosa
Rabbi Scheinberg described the rabbinic role as one centered on inspiration and connection rather than information alone. "It's not just about educating, it's about inspiring," he said. "Judaism is not just about what is permitted and what is prohibited, it's about the experience, it's about the inspiration, the connection that we have."
That human connection, he added, is something that cannot be replaced. "That's a human touch that a computer can never do," Rabbi Scheinberg said.
He described San Antonio as a place where Jewish engagement is intentional and personal. "Every day you're making that choice," he said, referring to Jewish life in a smaller community. "Not in a hard way, but in a fulfilling way."
Looking ahead on the Jewish calendar, Rabbi Scheinberg highlighted the communal nature of holidays in San Antonio. He described Purim as a day when neighbors gather near the synagogue, and Pesach as a time when "the community becomes family."
"It engages you with other people at times that you wouldn't necessarily engage," he said. "It's something that I think is a unique thing for small towns."
