Boca Raton Synagogue Appoints Mashpia For Chabad Minyan

A unique partnership between Chabad and the broader Orthodox community in Boca Raton is taking another step forward with the appointment of Rabbi Moshe Wolvovsky as mashpia of the Chabad shtiebel minyan at Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS).

By COLlive reporter

A unique partnership between Chabad and the broader Orthodox community in Boca Raton is taking another step forward with the appointment of Rabbi Moshe Wolvovsky as mashpia of the Chabad shtiebel minyan at Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS).

The appointment was marked with a special visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens, where Rabbi Wolvovsky joined BRS Senior Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Associate Rabbi Philip Moskowitz, and members of the community to daven, learn, and reflect on the path ahead.

The Chabad shtiebel is an unusual model. Rather than operating as an independent minyan, it functions as part of BRS, a large Orthodox shul that brings together several distinct kehillos under one roof.

“Our slogan is ‘valuing diversity, celebrating unity,’” Rabbi Goldberg explained. “We have eight minyanim on Shabbos morning, each with its own nusach and character, all on one campus, under one rabbinic leadership and with one shared sense of community. That’s unusual.”

Having a Chabad kehillah as part of a larger Orthodox shul is particularly distinctive, he noted, adding that it reflects the very nature of BRS.

The shtiebel was originally established by Alan Berger, a longtime pillar of the BRS community who became frum through Chabad. What began as a small group of just 12 or 13 mispallelim has since grown into a thriving community.

“It’s grown from a minyan on Shabbos morning to a real community, probably one of the fastest-growing segments of our shul,” Rabbi Goldberg said.

Initially, the minyan davened Nusach Sfard or Nusach Ari. When a separate Nusach Sfard minyan was later established, the shtiebel developed into a distinctly Chabad minyan.

“It became really a Chabad house — warm and welcoming, with farbrengens, observance of the dates on the Chabad calendar, and sit-down kiddushes on Shabbos,” Rabbi Goldberg said.

During the Covid period, a number of Lubavitcher families relocated from Crown Heights to Boca Raton, becoming an important part of the growing kehillah. With an established core of Anash and a continued commitment to welcoming the wider community, the need for a dedicated mashpia became increasingly clear.

Rabbi Wolvovsky brings extensive experience in local Jewish communal work to the position. A longtime shliach with Chabad of Central Boca Raton, he and his wife, Henni, direct The Wisdom Circle, providing Jewish learning and inspiration to seniors throughout the area. He is also actively involved in strengthening the local Chabad community through farbrengens and other initiatives, including a Siyum HaRambam held at BRS.

For Rabbi Goldberg, Rabbi Wolvovsky was a natural choice.

“He is a tremendous baal middos and talmid chacham, incredibly humble, and a very special person,” he said. “He has the respect of everyone in the minyan, is well-versed in Chabad and Torah at large, and has a very close relationship with the rabbanim of the rest of the shul. He is the perfect person for this role, and we’re excited to have him take on this leadership position within the minyan and the greater community.”

Rabbi Goldberg also reflected on the significance of the visit to the Ohel. He and Rabbi Moskowitz make a point of visiting whenever they travel to New York, and seeing Yidden from so many different backgrounds and communities come together there reinforces the kind of atmosphere they hope to cultivate at BRS.

“We want this to be a place where all of Klal Yisroel can feel comfortable — a Klal Yisroel shul, a holy place for all of Klal Yisroel to draw from,” he said.

The visit concluded with a farbrengen attended by members of the kehillah, including Alan Berger and Aaron Klein. Rabbi Goldberg warmly welcomed Rabbi Wolvovsky into his new role as part of the shul’s rabbinic team.

“It’s a tremendous zechus that we have you as part of our rabbinic team,” he said.

Never Miss a Headline!

Sign up for the COLlive Daily News Roundup and never miss a story

Opt In

• I would like to receive the collive newsletter

Follow Us!