With over 50 years in Israel under his belt, Conservative Rabbi Benjamin Segal is a veritable veteran Jerusalemite.
Originally from Philadelphia, Segal and his family always had dreams of making aliyah. However, those plans got put on the back burner by something unexpected: the Yom Kippur War.
Arriving in Israel after the war ended, Segal and his family managed to make aliyah right after what had long been described as Israel’s “darkest hour.” Now, 50 years later, Segal has witnessed another dark chapter in Israeli history.
But between then and now, the longtime Conservative rabbi has made a wonderful life for himself and his family, co-founding a synagogue, writing several books, and serving as president of the Schechter Institute.
He has experienced all the joy and happiness life in the Jewish state has to offer, and has also glimpsed its darkest moments.
With that in mind, In Jerusalem sat down with Rabbi Segal to talk about his half a century in Jerusalem.
What was it like making aliyah right after the Yom Kippur War?
Though originally from Philadelphia, my family and I made aliyah from Paolo Alto, California. We were going to come during Sukkot, but our plans got delayed because of the war, since the planes were being used for the war effort.
It was the worst time for Israel, probably the worst time aside from now, and everyone was concerned. We had three little children and we experienced plenty of issues and oddities in our aliyah, but we couldn’t complain because people had so many more problems than we did. We had to put everything aside.
Did you ever consider moving back during these difficulties?
No, it wasn’t ever really a question. We always knew we wanted to make aliyah, and we have stayed here ever since.
What is it like being a Conservative rabbi in Israel?
There are problems, and the current religious establishment is unfortunate, but it hasn’t dominated our lives. I didn’t work as a synagogue rabbi when I got here.
I found work at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, a rabbinical school here in Jerusalem, and even served as its president. Through this, I got to work with students from abroad.
Tell us about the synagogue you helped found.
Moreshet Avraham in East Talpiot. We founded it. We wanted to create something a little new that spanned Conservative and Orthodox originally, but in the end we formed a Conservative synagogue.
At one point, this synagogue took a very big gamble, and people will say in 100 years whether it was correct or not. Throughout the country, there are all these congregations that are hosted in schools or storage facilities. We decided to go all the way and establish a whole dedicated physical location, hire rabbis, have social events, multiple minyanim, etc. This level of commitment is a big gamble, but I think it proved successful.
The synagogue spends its time doing things like having educational programs, study sessions, holding blood drives – whatever we can do to help people. We aren’t focused on advancing the rights of the Conservative movement in Israel – we want to live our lives contributing and helping. We had tikkun leil [the all-night Torah study sessions and lectures on Shavuot eve] on Shavuot, like all established synagogues have. We had events for children and full services on Shavuot day. We had study sessions between Mincha and Maariv [prayers]. I myself taught about the Book of Ruth.
Last Sunday, my synagogue honored my wife, Judy, and me with a big gala and a lifetime achievement award.
You helped found the congregation but didn’t want to serve as a pulpit rabbi?
I was a rabbi in America, and I loved it. When we came to Israel, we had to make a decision. Ultimately, we considered our family Shabbat meals. I was offered a few positions, but at the time we had three children and we felt we were sacrificing our families to our professional life, so we decided we would rather do something else. I wanted to have that family Shabbat. It’s a central part of our lives, and our kids were able to bring over 15 to 20 people to our table every Shabbat.
I have admiration for those who do serve as pulpit rabbis, and I even train people who do. But for reasons of how we wanted our family to be, we chose not to do that.
So what have you been doing?
Since retiring from gainful employment, I’ve been engaging in Bible study. I finished my commentary on the five megillot, and my masterwork is a full commentary on Psalms. That’s the culmination of decades of work.
My commentary on the Book of Lamentations (Megillat Eicha) should have hit store shelves a couple of weeks ago.
Is Israel post-Oct. 7 anything like it was post-Yom Kippur War?
The similarities are in the scope and surprise – but that’s no surprise to anyone. I think the situation now is worse because in 1973 there was consensus that losses caused in part by political mistakes were not systemic, and from the minute we reacted, we were determined. It did not consume everything when the war was over and people could move past it. But this war, it’s worse and it doesn’t seem to have an end point. There’s no feeling that we will easily move past this.
We are existentially concerned about the future of the country. Our concern in 1973 was not about the future of this country; we felt that more before the Six Day War. The reality now is much more complex. It’s the hardest time we’ve had. At this event honoring me, some of my kids and their mates couldn’t be there because they were at funerals for their friends.
There’s no clear feeling when and where this will end. Everyone is feeling that, and that’s regardless of your political views.
What was it like raising a family here?
It’s been wonderful. If there’s anything that reaffirms that we made the right decision, it’s watching the kids grow up.
We have five children – three we had in the US and two more we had in Israel – and 21 grandchildren spanning 30 years or so, none of which reflect any religious direction [he laughs]. Our third great-grandchild was born less than a week ago. I think we had 11 people [family members] in the IDF the day after this war started. We’re fully integrated here, and when I see their lives, values, and friends – that’s what makes this rewarding.■