44 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 26, 2024-JANUARY 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE As a child in Jerusalem then as a teen in New York, Rabbi Dovid Holtzberg was raised in communities that felt familiar: among observant Hasidic Jews, in his case the Chabad Lubavitch sect. He knew from a young age he wanted to become a spiritual leader: “I always had the aspiration to be a rabbi, asking: How can I make a difference to other people?” He and his wife, Binie Holtzberg, were newly married in New York and Holtzberg was newly ordained when, at 26, he awaited his assignment to oversee or start a Chabad house—it could be anywhere in the world, with over 5,000 locations in over 110 countries. “There is a saying, wherever there is Coca-Cola there is Chabad,” Holtzberg says. In 2003, he found himself living on the Monterey Peninsula. While he’d already experienced a culture change— moving at 13 to New York, speaking only Hebrew and Yiddish—he was surprised to find himself in such a small Jewish community. He started out by walking down Alvarado Street in Monterey, looking for mezuzahs, mounted on doorways of Jewish homes and businesses. He was surprised to see none, but saw an office door of a CPA with a Jewish-sounding name and walked inside to introduce himself. That meeting led to another meeting and slowly, the Holtzbergs built a small community, starting by inviting congregants to their home. Today, they run Chabad of Monterey (located in Pacific Grove). They also cater kosher food, serving mostly observant tourists. In addition to working as a rabbi, Holtzberg taught Hebrew at the Defense Language Institute for 16 years, and now supervises kosher certification at wineries and produce packing facilities in the Salinas Valley. He and his wife live in Salinas with their two youngest children (the elder four are in various stages of Jewish and rabbinical study). He spoke to the Weekly while preparing for Hanukkah, which takes place Dec. 25-Jan. 2 this year. Chabad hosts a community menorah lighting with latkes, donuts and an LED light show at the Del Monte Center in Monterey at 5pm on Sunday, Dec. 29. Weekly: Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees against the Greek army, regaining access to the Temple in Jerusalem. Can you tell me more about the significance of the holiday? Holtzberg: The idea is freedom to practice religion. The Maccabees fought for their principles. The miracle happened that they were able to defeat the Greeks and reestablish the position of the Temple. Hanukkah means “rededication.” You speak about miracles. Are they something that happened in ancient times, or do they still happen today? All the time. We live on cruise control, get up in the morning, do our daily routine. But the fact is, every single day it’s a miracle that we are alive. Was it hard getting used to living here, in the absence of a large observant Jewish community? There’s a lot of sacrifice that takes place to live in such a place. For example, raising our children without a typical school, that’s a challenge—they are homeschooled and attend school online [through Chabad]. Not to have a kosher supermarket or restaurant—we are the kosher source in this town. You created this out of nothing starting 22 years ago. What’s next on your list of goals? To have a beautiful synagogue with a social hall and a mikvah, a ritual bath. It’s more important to have a mikvah than a synagogue in the community, because you can pray anywhere, even in the living room. Why host a public menorah lighting? This is the only holiday when we promote the idea of taking the holiday outside—it’s not inward, it’s outward. The menorah is to publicize the miracle [of oil burning for eight days after the Maccabees rededicated the Temple]. When we kindle the menorah, we try to illuminate the world. There is a concept in Judaism that a little light pushes out darkness. Hanukkah is just a yearly reminder, a starting point. That’s a powerful idea, lighting up the world. We live in a world where there’s a lot of darkness. We need, on an individual and a community level, to try to bring the light, the positive, the goodness to the world. Not only on Hanukkah, but the entire year, we ask: How can I make today better than yesterday? How can I make tomorrow better than today? Really this is our mission in life—to bring light and more light and more light by doing acts of kindness and caring for one another. Be the Light Rabbi Dovid Holtzberg lives by a mission of doing good, during Hanukkah and all times of year. By Sara Rubin Rabbi Dovid Holtzberg is celebrating the next generation of rabbis in his family; one of his sons was ordained on Dec. 12. “It feels fantastic, a dream come true,” he says. DANIEL DREIFUSS Visit the brand new Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 am -5 pm 223 Grand Ave, Suite 1 Paci c Grove 831-718-9122 | www.POMDR.org Toblerone Things to love: 11 years old - 7 pounds - male - Chihuahua mix This mellow, pint-sized cutie is the ultimate nap enthusiast, from sunbathing on the deck to snuggling in your lap. With occasional zoomies to brighten your day, Toblerone adores quiet moments and small, gentle friends. Make your holidays sweeter—adopt Toblerone and share the coziest naps ever! If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.PeaceOfMindDogRescue.org Ad sponsored by Kalman Weinfeld in honor of his late father who taught him the value of volunteering. online adoption questionnaire.
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