By Michael Portman /
Contributing Writer
When Rabbi Mark Glass, Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner’s (BIAV) new rabbi, learned about the synagogue located in Overland Park his first reaction was, “Where?” After all, a rabbi who grew up in Manchester, England, and had spent just a few years in this country’s Northeast couldn’t be expected to know much about the Midwest, and Kansas in particular.
But the more Rabbi Glass learned about the BIAV community specifically and the metro area as a whole, the more he liked the idea of Overland Park. He had his first interview here in December 2019 and he returned with his family for a Shabbat in February. The congregation’s decision to hire him as its new rabbi came just a week before the pandemic caused the building to close.
Now in his fourth year as a rabbi, Rabbi Glass said when he interviews for a new job, it is important to him to make sure the opportunity is something that would be great not only for himself, but his family as well. While he and his wife, Ruthy, were apprehensive about moving with their 5-year-old son Yair and leaving the boy’s school, they felt comfortable with BIAV’s demographics.
“BIAV has a diversity of ages. Seeing that and knowing that my kids could be a part of a real community (with) kids their own age,” he said. “I put family first.”
So the 32-year-old rabbi and his wife packed up two sons, Yair and 2-year-old Shai, and moved to Overland Park in August, when Rabbi Glass assumed the position of rabbi at the community’s only Orthodox congregation. The congregation had been without a full-time rabbi since Rabbi Daniel Rockoff left in the summer of 2019.
Rabbi Glass has always been interested in being a part of a Jewish community. As a teenager, he was a member of Bnei Akiva, a Jewish religious Zionist youth movement. He said the Manchester chapter was one the largest Bnei Akiva chapters outside of Israel when he was a child, and he was appreciative of and valued those who dedicated themselves to the community.
Rabbi Glass got his first taste of living in a community outside of England when he decided to attend Yeshivat Hakotel in Israel after graduating high school. After two years in Jerusalem, he returned home to attend Manchester University.
While back in England, “Rabbi Glass felt something missing from his life during his university experience. So in 2010 he transferred to Yeshiva University (YU) in New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Yeshiva College and a Master of Arts degree in Jewish philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, both affiliated schools of YU.
He began studying for the rabbinate in his last year as an undergrad and earned his smicha (rabbinic ordination) in 2016 from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.
“YU presented a genuine opportunity to become a rabbi and dedicate myself to a community,” he said.
Rabbi Glass’ career began as a rabbinic intern at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park, New Jersey. His next move was to Newton, Massachusetts, where he became the rabbi of the Adams Street Shul in 2017. He also taught Judaic studies at Maimonides School in the Middle and High School in Newton.
The BIAV community itself is what attracted Rabbi Glass to the job here. Coming from a much smaller community in Newton that would struggle for a minyan on Saturday morning, he was astounded to see many more people come to BIAV during Shabbat. That was another reason for making the move to Overland Park, he wanted to have more of an opportunity to serve and lead a bigger community.
Carol Katzman and Sam Arbesman chaired BIAV’s rabbinic search committee, which consisted of a diverse cross-section of members and its president at the time, Jonathan Schwartzbard. On behalf of Arbesman and the committee, Katzman said they knew Rabbi Glass was among their top choices when they read his resume and cover letter, but meeting him in person confirmed their hunch that he was “the one.”
“He has more than just the requisite educational background and experience; he’s passionate, engaging and funny,” Katzman said. “His interests are wide ranging — from science fiction to football (soccer) — and his shiurim, his classes, offer brilliant insights as well as memorable stories to navigate Jewish philosophy, history, ritual, holidays and more.”
Katzman said the search, which she said was “essentially a shidduch (match),” was made possible by the diligence of their committee, the assistance of the Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future, and the BIAV board and congregation.
“We feel very blessed that Rabbi Glass, his wife Ruthy and their sons Shai and Yair made the transition here so seamlessly. And we look forward to many years together of learning, celebrating and growing,” she said.
Although Katzman noted the transition has gone well, the new rabbi noted in the congregation’s August spotlight newsletter that starting a new rabbinic position “during a time when no one really knows what Jewish life will look like a month from now, let alone six months from now,” is complicated. While moving to a new city and leading a synagogue during a pandemic has been no easy feat, so far Rabbi Glass said his family has enjoyed being a part of their new community. Even with people staying at home and sheltering in place, the family has been overwhelmed with how welcoming everyone has been.
“We are really happy,” he said.
At the same time, he understands and reminds himself that not everybody is going through the same positive stage in their life. The challenge he faces as the new rabbi is to connect everyone with the synagogue, while at the same time staying safe. Rabbi Glass has made it very clear to his congregants that safety is their priority.
“We have got to make sure everyone is able to feel like they are part of the shul,” said Glass.
“It’s important to keep that sense of community (during COVID) and everyone is doing their part.”
BIAV has been strict on protocols with COVID.
“We are doing anything and everything possible to make things safe for people who feel they are able to come to shul,” he said. “Even though we’re in a pandemic, the community has still maintained a vibrancy.”
As he and his family settle in here, Rabbi Glass noted how much he was able to enjoy Sukkot. His favorite Jewish holiday, the pandemic didn’t impact the harvest festival this year as much as England’s rainy weather or the cooler temps of the northeastern United States this time of year.
“This year was the most wonderful Sukkot,” he exclaimed. “It was great to have our own private yard for our sukkah, which gave our family a chance to enjoy holiday time together and eat in the sukkah.”
Spiritually, Rabbi Glass said Sukkot is when he feels most excited about the New Year ahead. He said he has a lot to look forward to with the community that he has become a part of.
“Everyone is so nice, the community is wonderful.”
In addition to his congregants, Rabbi Glass is grateful for the support he’s received from his peers and mentors within the local Rabbinical Association and from YU. He has felt a sense of camaraderie in the community when connecting with other rabbis, and they have been able to share and bounce ideas off of each other of how to handle the pandemic in their own synagogues.