Rabbi Hanniel Levenson, 32, is the associate rabbi at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. The center has long sought to integrate religion with vacation, offering Friday night Shabbat services on the beach. This summer, Rabbi Levenson went a few steps further.
When the rabbi learned that two brothers in his Hebrew class were avid surfers back home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., he approached them.
They worked out a deal. One afternoon a week, the students would diligently study Hebrew; one afternoon, they would ride waves. The surf sessions would be open to young and old, male and female — “anyone who wants to get out on the ocean and talk about God,” Rabbi Levenson said.
This is a delightful article. It offers some hope.