Who We Are

You may have passed the store front in the long block of Lincoln Blvd., just north of Washington Blvd. on a Saturday morning and saw people in various styles of dress.  As you watched people enter, you may have noticed that some were dressed up in business suits, others wore jeans, and still others wore what appeared to be traditional Chasidic attire.  You may have looked at the sign on the building in bewilderment to find that it was The Marina Shul – Beit Menachem.

Clearly, this is a synagogue in the midst of Marina del Rey, but it is not like any you are used to seeing, regardless of the extent of Jewish background you may have.  To those coming to pray on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, the name is appropriately fitting to the community they have created.  So let’s try to understand this phenomenon.

The group is made up of Jews from various backgrounds that live primarily in the Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Venice, and Westchester areas.  That is why the word “Marina” is part of its name.  This, you probably figured out, but the rest of its name could use some explaining.

The Yiddish word “Shul” may be translated as a synagogue, but a Shul is not merely a place of prayer.  Rather it is also a community headquarter that accommodates a Hebrew school on Sundays, weekday lectures on various topics, such as one about the Holocaust by the Shul’s own Holocaust survivors, discussions on Kabbalah, and other topics of interest to the Jewish community.  For thousands of years Jews found the Shul to be a place of warmth and refuge from external dangers, and a magnet cohesively bonding its members.  The Shul is where problems get solved, whether they are spiritual, emotional, or financial.  The Shul is where people come together often simply for companionship, and in a Shul there is always someone ready to listen, many who care, and some who can actually help.  At the core of a Shul is the Rabbi who sets the tone of the group by his convictions and knowledge of the Torah, and other Jewish laws and customs.  The Rabbi at The Marina Shul, Rabbi Yossi Naparstek fits the role of the classic Shul Rabbi perfectly.  While a young man with several small children, when you talk to him, you feel as if he had first-hand knowledge of Moses bringing the Jews out of bondage in Egypt.  His knowledge of Judaism is so deep that he can connect current events to those of several thousand years ago as if the world had not changed at all since the Torah was written.  Yet Rabbi Yoske, as he is affectionately called, does not live in the past.  He emails his interpretation of the weekly Torah portion to a mailing list far larger than those who attend a Shabbat service, including many out of town and out of country guests who visited the Shul and want to remain connected.  Typically, his emails inform congregants on what they can do to help victims of Tsunamis, Hurricanes, terrorist acts and how to help someone who fell ill in the congregation. 

So how is all this different than any other synagogue in the greater Los Angeles area?  The first difference is that The Marina Shul is not affiliated with any formal religious organization.  While The Marina Shul runs a traditional Orthodox service in Hebrew, at the end of the service everyone sits and eat together, discussing Torah and current events.  Those well versed in Torah learning and those who may not even be able to read Hebrew are given equal status to offer their opinions on how the weekly Torah portion affects our modern lives.

There is also a great deal of happiness, singing and enjoyment of the Shabbat in Chabad style.  This is because Rabbi Yoske, and other members of The Marina Shul are disciples of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and have adopted a life style based on his teachings.  Due to the great respect for the Lubavitcher Rebbe the congregation added to its name - Beit Menachem - meaning the House of Menachem.  The Marina Shul has developed its own character, accepting of differences in appearance and in views, yet unifying the congregation by sticking to a traditional Orthodox service.

If there is no affiliation to any group, where is the funding coming from?   Well here, we must also highlight the second difference.  There is no set membership. Anyone can come to The Marina Shul without membership fee, without buying tickets for High Holiday services, without any required fees whatsoever.  To be a member of The Marina Shul, all one need to do is show up.  Those who can afford it, make contributions to The Marina Shul.  No two people pay the same amount, many pay nothing, and only a few people – on a need to know bases – know who paid what amount.  For the past 3 years since the Shul was formed, everyone who has attended The Marina Shul is considered a member.

The focus is not on finances but on the community.  For the High Holidays, The Marina Shul holds services and expects hundreds to show up, yet not one person will have or need a ticket to attend. Many come once a year, some come every week others come once in a while.  But one thing everyone notices when they go to The Marina Shul is that they are showered with an outpouring of warmth and friendship they may not receive at larger synagogues.  Without focusing on organizational and financial matters, The Marina Shul has been able to achieve something that money can’t buy – the love and respect they have for each other and for their faith. 

Our address is:
The Marina Shul
2532 Lincoln Blvd
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Tel: (310)305-3200
Directions to the Shul