Irvine : Orthodox Group Honors Rabbi for Reaching Out
Rabbi Daniel Epstein, spiritual leader of the 2-year-old Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine, recently received a national award for new communities from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America in Philadelphia.
Epstein, 29, said more than 20 other new communities were considered. Founded by Irvine residents seeking to expand the role of traditional Judaism, he said Beth Jacob has pioneered modern Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxy whose image is contemporary and relevant, in Orange County.
One of the congregation’s goals is to reach unaffiliated Jews, particularly young people, through such classes as Hebrew for beginners, an at-home video series with Jewish themes and social activities.
About 150 families have joined the congregation, and 40 students attend its school, the first modern Orthodox Hebrew school in the county.
Now meeting in a commercial building at Harvard Avenue and Michelson Drive, the congregation is negotiating with the Irvine Co. for land to build its own synagogue, Epstein said.
The four recognized branches of Judaism are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist, of which Orthodox is the most traditional.
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