Tulsa rabbi to serve Bentonville synagogue
BY CHRISTIE STORM ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Less than a year after the dedication of Benton County’s first Jewish synagogue, members of Congregation Etz Chaim have welcomed their first rabbi. 
Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft, 49, of Tulsa is serving the congregation on a parttime basis. He also works as a lawyer in Tulsa. Zanerhaft will travel to Bentonville one weekend each month and also for the High Holidays and other special occasions.
“We’re very lucky we’re only two hours away. It’s not that big of a barrier if needs arise,” Zanerhaft says.
Until he began serving the congregation, rabbis from other areas would periodically travel to Bentonville for special events and services. Zanerhaft led services there in January and April. He will begin serving regularly this month, beginning with the services at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
A bonus for the congregation is Zanerhaft’s wife, Debbye, who serves as a cantorial soloist. She chants or sings during services and also leads the congregation in singing. The couple have a son, Jaron, who recently graduated from high school.
David Hoodis, president of Congregation Etz Chaim, says Zanerhaft’s presence will allow the congregation to establish more consistent traditions and practices.
“It’s exciting for us to deliver on a commitment to our community,” Hoodis says.
Zanerhaft will be a source of spiritual guidance, something members had to rely on from visiting rabbis or clergy in other cities until now.
“He’s a perfect fit for us,” Hoodis says. “He wants us to grow spiritually, emotionally and in size.”
SMALLER AND STRONGER
A native of New York, Zanerhaft has lived in Tulsa for the past 25 years. He attended rabbinical school in New York, but didn’t finish. Instead he completed law school. However, Zanerhaft says he always retained his interest in serving the Jewish community and often helped out at his synagogue in Tulsa.
Zanerhaft says he decided to complete the last of his studies in rabbinical school as a tribute to his parents. He was ordained in September.
“I always wanted to finish. Most people who knew me were surprised it took this long. It’s always been a big part of my life,” he says.
Growing up in New York, Zanerhaft says he was surrounded by a large number of synagogues — a big difference from his life in Tulsa.
“In New York, it’s very easy to let a lot of your Judaism slide, because it’s all around you,” he says.
However, in Tulsa, with a Jewish community of roughly 2,500, it isn’t so easy.
“Everyone knew everyone, and you couldn’t hide, and in a strange way your Judaism became more apparent and stronger,” he says. “It’s the same in Bentonville. It’s smaller, and everyone has to participate. It forces you to really make that part of your life come to forefront.”
PLANTING ROOTS
Zanerhaft says he believes the Jewish community in Northwest Arkansas will continue to grow as the rest of the community also blossoms.
“It really presents a terrific opportunity to bring more cultural and religious diversity,” Zanerhaft says.
Zanerhaft says the congregation is interested in creating more interfaith dialogue within the community, and also creating more awareness of religious diversity within the school system.
“I think it will enrich the entire community as the Jewish community becomes stronger and more visible,” he says. “I think it will be educationally important for the entire region.”
As for the future, Zanerhaft says he hopes the congregation will grow spiritually and become more active in the religious community of the area by promoting community service, interfaith dialogue and multicultural awareness.
“We want to offer a traditional view of Judaism with a very inclusive approach to the Jewish community and beyond,” he says. “It will be very warm and embracing.”
The congregation includes many young children, and Zanerhaft sees that as an opportunity to plant roots for the future.
“We want to create a place that will be here beyond all of us and for second, third and fourth generations,” he says.
Zanerhaft says he also looks forward to working with the congregation at Temple Shalom in Fayetteville.
“Having two houses of worship in the same general area will make both of us stronger and accomplish a lot in our own community and in the area,” he says.
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