By Kathianne Boniello
“It's all about building relationships and getting to know each other,” he said in an interview this week. “This is an accomplished congregation that is still eager to grow and try new ideas.”
The new rabbi, 39, has worked to put his own stamp on the center by expanding its programs and addressing issues important to the community without ignoring its history, he said.
On the surface taking over the helm of the center at 49-10 Little Neck Parkway may not seem like an easy task. In the more than 50 years of the Little Neck Jewish Center's existence, Prouser said, there have been only two rabbis, both of whom retired.
“I'm only the third rabbi,” he said. “I can see why they stayed for 25 or 26 years. These are caring, unassuming people who care about each other. It makes it easier.”
With a congregation of about 360 families, a Hebrew school, and several new youth and adult education programs, Prouser said the Little Neck Jewish Center is just the right size.
“It's still small enough for me to be involved in people's personal lives and to know people by name,” he said. “It's really the kind of size I was looking for.”
Ordained in 1988 by the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Massachusetts native has served at Harvard University's Center for Jewish Studies and is a member of the United Synagogue's National Youth Commission and its National Commission on Jewish Education.
Before coming to Little Neck, Prouser served for 12 years as leader of a congregation in Newington, Conn., where he lived with his wife and three children.
The rabbi said he was attracted by both the congregation and the community.
“It seemed like a good fit,” he said, noting the large Jewish population in the northeast Queens area.
Prouser has helped the transition by introducing new programs, including one emphasizing adult education in Hebrew and other Jewish traditions. A recently introduced youth program aimed at junior high school students has also been growing, he said.
Adult education “is a central part of my vision of the Jewish tradition,” he said. “It seems to be doing well.”
The rabbi is not afraid to address modern issues important to the community.
In January, Prouser is slated to hold a forum entitled “Is Homework Kosher?” to discuss the effects of too much homework on the lives and activities of school-age children and their families.
“It's about looking at issues like this through the lens of Jewish tradition,” he said.
Another part of Prouser's vision is maintaining the relationship between the congregation and the larger society.
“Only through an ongoing connection can you get a clue as to what we're all about,” he said.
One way the Little Neck Jewish Center maintains its connections is through its annual Mitzvah Day, when the congregation makes a special effort to engage in hands-on philanthropy.
“We make sure that we do it personally,” he said of the Mitzvah Day activities, which include coat drives and visiting nursing homes and food pantries.
The congregation also works from within to help rejuvenate itself, including repairing the religious books or filling the needs of the center.
“It helps maintain a real perspective as to what's important,” he said. “It's a renewing within the community and a reminder about all of our obligations.”
For more information about programs and activities at the Little Neck Jewish Center, call 224-0404.
