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Newsday.com
Chavurat Emet members explore faith among friends
BY STACEY ALTHERR
stacey.altherr@newsday.com
November 2, 2008
Seven-month-old Sierra Rose Parker, in a pretty light green
dress with a pink bow in her hair, leaned back to listen to Neal
Spevack's rhythmic cantation of the centuries-old words. She
was surrounded by those who love her: her grandparents, who
also read from a prayer book, and her mother, who held her.
"God's greatness and goodness fill the universe; knowledge
and wisdom encircle God's Presence," Spevack sang in
Hebrew from the prayer book's ancient script.
It is the happiest of occasions in the Jewish religion, a baby
naming. But this one was held in an unlikely space last month:
inside a rented office in the commercial park area of Islandia.
Some in the congregation played mariachis and tambourines. And instead of a rabbi, Spevack, a Smithtown
businessman and the group's designated spiritual leader, presided over the ceremony.
This is Chavurat Emet, a religious organization that came together five years ago to celebrate the Jewish faith
and Hebrew culture outside the walls of a traditional synagogue.
Chavurat Emet, which means "true friends" in Hebrew, was started by a small group of families from
Smithtown, St. James, Nesconset and Northport who wanted a sense of community but without the typical
financial cost of belonging to a temple, which can reach $1,800 a year, said Spevack. Some also splintered
away from their former temples because of differences with the hierarchy. In 2003, 18 families came together
to found the organization; it serves about 60 families.
Chavurat Emet bypasses most political differences and money issues, said Stan Katz, a member. "The costs
are relatively slim for the individual, and they get a sense of community and traditional Jewish background,"
he said, adding that some members have known each other for more than 30 years. The cost for a family,
regardless of its size, is $525 per year, said Spevack.
And the members have a yearning to continue some tradition, and to continue to learn about God. "We are a
very literate people," Spevack said of the Jewish culture. "It's an important part of our tradition."
The spiritual leader also said that it is a place for people to return to their faith, especially for the High Holy
Days. "They don't want to be alone on these holidays," he said. "They want to be with people ... It's a human
need."
Nikki Parker traveled with her infant daughter for the ceremony from her home in Louisiana, where she said
there aren't many Jewish people. She said she wanted the traditional ritual to welcome her daughter into the
faith.
"I wanted to come and have her named by people who know her and that know me," Parker said.
"To have a grandchild is such a mitzvah," a blessing, said Nikki's father, Dr. David Parker, a regular member,
as refreshments were served after the ceremony.
He said he wanted the baby naming at Chavurat Emet because "this is my synagogue." Parker is a regular
attendee.
Spevack, president of Smithtown Concrete Products Corp., relishes his role as the group's spiritual leader. He
has liturgical experience as a cantor for many years, he said, and as a volunteer at his previous synagogue,
Temple Beth Sholom in Smithtown, and paid work at other temples across Long Island.
"I don't get paid, but the pleasure I get is unending," he said.
While the group follows some traditions in its services, and has two of its own Torahs, other elements of the
service signify a laid-back approach. Children wander up and down the aisle and grown-ups lean over to give
others a kiss or hug.
Because music is so important at Chavurat Emet, members of the congregation, or Kahal, shake plastic
tambourines or mariachis, and sometimes someone plays the keyboard.
"It's the kind of place that in the middle of the service you can ask a question and our leader will answer,"
said Katz.
Chavurat Emet meets once a month, usually on a Friday night. For the High Holy Days, it often rents a room
at the Islandia Marriott Hotel to accommodate the crowd, which has ranged up to 200, said Katz.
The organization's members take on traditional roles such as visiting the sick. "We have become responsive to
those things, also," said Katz.
Chavurat Emet is happy to welcome all, said Spevack. Visit the Web site at www.chavuratemet.org
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