Henderson Happenings: Another Slice of Life from the Vegas Wild West

Rabbi Summers' Big Move!

Putting Henderson even more on LA radar, Rabbi Yitzchok Summers of Anshe Emes was recently hired to serve as the rav of Ahavas Torah Center (ATC) in Henderson, NV. Here he shares his thoughts on leaving LA, moving out-of-town and making the transition from Anshe to ATC. 

Q: What was the impetus for leaving LA and moving to Nevada?

A: We wanted a challenge and something new. LA today is not the LA that I grew up in; even for my kids it's not the same LA. There are still many nice things about it and the frum community is amazing, but we wanted something different. I was already teaching at Ateres (the girl's high school in Las Vegas) and I was planning on joining the Summerlin Kollel, when I got a phone call from someone about Henderson.

Q: Tell us how you got introduced to Henderson.

A: A woman who knows me from LA called me on a Friday and said she heard that we're moving to Las Vegas, and asked, “have you thought about Henderson?" She shared that there are two shuls here, both of which need a rav. It was a beautiful message - I still have it on my phone. That Tuesday, a good friend of mine, who is also a prominent rav in LA, called me. He had just been to Henderson for a simcha, and he encouraged me to try ATC as well. "You've got to come here," he told me. Then someone from the shul board reached out, we scheduled a shabbos to come meet the community, and the rest is history.

Q: What made you think this was a community you would want to join?

A:  The first Shabbos we visited we absolutely loved it. We were blown away. The people were just so nice and open and warm, and everyone was so receptive to growing and listening to words of Torah. Structurally, the community is really nice as well - I tell people that the shul is on a quiet boulevard called Arroyo Grande, and it's much less stressful than driving down Cashio. The housing is affordable, and it's just a calmer lifestyle. 

Q: What are you excited about with regards to your move?

A: I'm really looking forward to it. I recently was in Henderson to look at a house, and I was struck again by how quiet and clean the streets are; there is no graffiti, no homelessness, no billboards. I'll have to learn how to deal with 108 degrees in the summer, of course.  But the Henderson community is amazing. There is so much going on in the shul already that I asked the board if there is even an opening for me to give a shiur! People are coming in to visit all the time, and the community is so vibrant. Someone who came to visit Vegas from the OU said that usually what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but people should know what's going on in Vegas! The frum community here is really amazing. 

Q: Do you anticipate any challenges with living out-of-town?

A: Of course there are differences; right now I have Pico and all the kosher options on my doorstep. Just today I stopped at Bibi's Bakery and told them they should start a branch in Vegas!  I come home and I have fresh checked vegetables at my door, certified by the RCC. I'm not going to get that in Henderson (at least not right away). Of course there are differences, but we believe that the positives FAR outweigh the negatives, and we're excited for this next phase.

Q: What will you miss about LA?

A: I'll miss the people. Throughout the years we've built a lot of relationships, and we have a lot of family here. My sisters are here, my daughter lives in the valley, I have a single son who is staying in LA, we have grandchildren here, and of course all the people from our shul - they really are our family. With regards to Anshe Emes, we are keeping the legal entity, and I tell people that we're still open virtually: we still send out a newsletter, I’m in the same time zone with the same phone number, and people are still calling and emailing me. Of course we no longer have a building or minyanim, and it's hard - people are needing to find different shuls. But we are still there for them - that won't change. 

Q: Any final message to the people of LA?

A: Stay in touch, come visit us in Henderson, and don't blame me if you want to move!

Rachel Wizenfeld was the first writer for the original LA Jewish Home, and has since moved to Henderson, NV with her family. For information about Jewish life in Henderson or to schedule a shabbos to come visit, contact one of the shuls: AhavasTorahCenter.org or BaisTefilah.com.