92 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MAY 17, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPS-
YUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
ETS
m
A remarkable rabbi
marks special milestones
“There’s no business like ‘shul’
business,” Rabbi Hy Levine said
while delivering his sermon to
a standing-room-only crowd at
the Bay Terrace Garden Jewish
Center during a May 12 service
that marked Levine’s 60 years as
a rabbi — and, coincidentally, his
90th birthday.
Later that evening, I enjoyed
dinner at the rectory of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Church
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn,
where Monsignor Jamie
Gigantiello has taken the reins
as pastor. Through the generosity
of Joe and Mary Ann Mattone,
Gigantiello had the entire rectory
remodeled, making it a wonderful
refuge for him and his colleagues.
The religious service ended
with Rabbi Levine’s congregants
telling their stories of his kind,
creative energy, which made the
synagogue a special place for
learning and welcoming.
For me, I will never forget his
kindness and support when my
husband and I wanted to have
a bat mitzvah for our first born,
Lara. Most people thought we
were crazy, but we believed that
even if she was developmentally
a 3 month old, she should be part
of our Jewish heritage.
Many on the synagogues
board were skeptical, but with
Levine’s wisdom and power, he
supported our desire — and
soon enough, we had Lara on
the bimah (stage).
Somehow, Lara seemed to
beam with a smile as the prayers
were sung and recited. I never
knew what she took in from that
day’s service, but I like to think
her little smile was because she
knew more than we thought.
I was just one of many whose
life was touched by Rabbi Levine,
a most gracious, brilliant religious
leader.
I learned from his celebratory
service that, as a child, he had
resisted going into the rabbinate
even though he came from a
family of rabbis. Born and raised
in Springfield, MA, his family
sent him to a seminary in New
York. In short order, after being
ordained a rabbi, he met a rabbi
from the Clearview Jewish
Center who told him that
there was a young congregation
forming in Bay
a
thas
Terrace and they needed rabbi.
“I was told they knew nothing
and I knew nothing as a
novice rabbi so it would a good fit! And I didn’t many options,” Levine modestly
admitted. So began what
would become 60 years of mutual
admiration.
For nearly the first five years,
however, the Bay Terrace congregation
didn’t have a home.
They wandered from Fort Totten
to basements in the nearby co-op
buildings and even to Rabbi
Levine’s living room.
Then, almost like a miracle,
Rabbi Levine found a home for
homeless congregation. One
Shavous, he found himself sitting
next to Hyman Muss (and whose
Josh, now runs the family’s
real estate empire), and during
the service, Muss turned to
Levine and said, “I hear you
need some property to build
a synagogue. I have some
on Bell Boulevard where
I’m building a group of
homes. Would you like the
parcel?”
“Without hesitation I
said, ‘Yes but at what price?’”
Levine recalled. “While the
service continued, Muss said
74,000. I then said $70,000, and
deal was done.”
Finally, the Bay Terrace Jewish
Center had a home — and
through it all, Levine has been a
beloved fixture for both the congregation
and the community.
Mother’s Day together
My kids and I came together for a Mother’s Day brunch
on a day dedicated to putting the spotlight on us as
mothers. The best gift I could receive was to see how
the little cousins enjoyed each other’s company. It made my day.
I hope you shared the day with your loved ones as well.
Legends of the diocese
I was delighted to see how
Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello
has taken on his new mission
of rebuilding and expanding
the congregation of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Church
in the middle of the gentrifying
Williamsburg community.
It blends old residents with the
new.
Gigantiello is well on his way
to drawing young people into
the church with Masses geared
toward millennials. His creativity
and charisma is sure
to make the community know
how welcoming the church is
to the neighborhood.
It was my privilege to have
dinner with Gigantiello and
his close friend, Monsignor
David Cassato, at the Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Rectory.
Cassato, who traded parishes
with Gigantiello, now leads
St. Athanasius Church in
Bensonhurst, which remarkably
welcomes more than 1,600
Spanish-speaking families
every Sunday.
Their key to success follows
the wise words of Pope
Francis, who said during an
interview with “60 Minutes”
on Sunday night: “Listen to
your people, talk little and
look them in the eye.” He then
added, “Laugh and bring joy
into your life.”
Certainly, that’s what
Monsignors Gigantiello and
Cassato — two legends of
the Diocese of Brooklyn and
Queens — are doing for their
parishioners.
My grandkids found a niche under the bar to enjoy their ice cream dessert
on Mother’s Day
Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello said a prayer of thanks to the Mattones, who helped him restore and renovate the Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Rectory in Brooklyn
a
d be
have
his h
Shavo
next
son,
real
the
L
n
sa
Lev
serv
$74,0
the d
Fin
Cent
Rabbi Hy Levine
Greeting Rabbi Levine after he delivered
his sermon marking his 90th
birthday and 60 years with the Bay
Terrace Garden Jewish Center
link
