Rabbi Judah Dardik and his wife, Naomi, moved from the East Coast to be our community’s spiritual leaders a little over seven years ago. They arrived with their one year old son and have been blessed since with the birth of three daughters. Our Rabbi had completed his Semicha (Rabbinic Ordination – where he was honored as the student speaker at the quadrennial event) as well as his Masters degree in education at Yeshiva University in New York.

“One of the first things that struck me about the Beth Jacob community was how genuine and vibrant the community was,” says Rabbi Dardik. “I am continually impressed by the thoughtfulness, open-mindedness, and interest in personal growth displayed by our members.” That is what brought the Dardiks to Beth Jacob. Rabbi Dardik added, “My predecessor, Rabbi Howard Zack, was incredible. He brought new life to a hundred year old community and helped build the infrastructure to offer the best of everything Jewish. The opportunity to share such a rich life with such great people made the decision to come to Oakland very easy.

Asked if he and Naomi are comfortable living in a community of people with such diverse religious backgrounds and practice, Rabbi Dardik says, “I love it. My background and that of my parents and family represents much of the Jewish spectrum, and I prefer to be in the kind of shul where all sorts of Jews feel comfortable. In a synagogue like this, people don’t get involved because ‘have to,’ but rather because they get up that day and say, “I love this place, I love these people, and I love my Judaism.’ To me, that’s the recipe for an exciting Jewish community.”

The last few years have certainly been exciting. Since arriving, Rabbi Dardik has expanded the adult education program with classes on a wide range of topics with varying levels, which are attended by many throughout the Jewish community. He has focused on youth programming, helping to start up Family Shabbat, Shabbat Morning Groups, Sunday youth activities, and a new teen program. Gan Mah Tov Preschool has flourished during his tenure and there are more children in Beth Jacob than ever before. Social programming for young families as well as seniors have gotten off to a great start, and more and more families are coming to be a part of the Beth Jacob experience. “In a community like this, it’s a joy to be a rabbi,” concludes Rabbi Dardik.