Rabbi Rallies Support for Beit Midrash

When Rabbi Randall Konigsburg was a rabbinical student, JTS had no beit midrash. “We created our own study group, found a table in the library, and studied where we could,” he said.  But the dedicated study space that exists today is meaningful to him nonetheless. “I sent three of my own children to JTS, and all of them used the beit midrash. So even though I didn’t get to use it myself, it benefitted my family.”

Rabbi Konigsburg, who has led synagogues in Florida, Alabama, and Minnesota, and is currently senior rabbi at Beth Sholom B’nai Israel in Manchester, CT, wanted to do more to support JTS than he could afford to do on his own. Instead of an individual gift, he thought, why not organize a class gift and make a bigger impact?

So he got a list of the 20 people in his 1983 graduating class and began contacting them. “Some have reached retirement, some are still working. Some have moved around, some have been in the same place all these years.” He enjoyed reconnecting with his classmates and got many positive responses. 

Their class gift is being directed to the Eisenfeld-Duker Beit Midrash Fund to help refurbish the room, keep its collection of sefarim current, and provide a vibrant, dedicated space for the rabbinical students of today and tomorrow. A plaque on the wall will let those students know that the class of 1983 is with them in spirit.

Learn how your class can support the Beit Midrash