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Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian
Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian with his
wife Marian and their daughter,
born in June
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
Courtesy of Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian
F or Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian, Congregation Mikveh Israel, the
Philadelphia Jewish community and the job of assistant rabbi
are all new.

Th e 27-year-old arrived in the city a year ago, starting his position
on Sept. 6, 2021. Before that, he had never visited the area. It was also
very diff erent — from the synagogue melodies to the cuisine to the
language — from the Great Neck, New York, community of Iranian
Jews, most of them fi rst-generation Americans, where he grew up.

Zarnighian found the adjustment to be a challenge. He had to
build relationships with congregants, make new friends and establish
a young household with his wife Marian, all at the same time. He
also had to learn how to handle rabbinical duties, from sermons to
life cycle events to bar and bat mitzvah classes, from his mentor at
Mikveh Israel, Rabbi Albert Gabbai.

But as Zarnighian greeted everyone he met with a “happy, welcom-
ing face,” as he described it, he found that locals greeted him back the
same way. So, more than a year in, he may have found a new home.

“So far, it has been phenomenal,” he said.

Mikveh Israel is a 200-household congregation with a history that dates
to Colonial times. Gabbai became the rabbi in 1988. But Zarnighian is
his fi rst assistant rabbi — and the synagogue’s fi rst in 40 years.

Aft er his hiring, Zarnighian was presented as his elder’s possible
successor. He also was considered part of an expansion plan that
included a new social hall/event space with the capability of promot-
ing the shul to nonmembers. Gabbai stated then that his goal was to
increase the congregation’s size back
closer to its mid-20th century peak of
about 500.

Also at the time, the older rabbi said
he had no plan to retire. A little over
a year later, though, he is singing a
slightly diff erent tune. Gabbai said he
is not going to retire yet, but “it’s going
to come soon.”
Th e reason for this development?
Zarnighian. Th e younger rabbi is already tak-
ing over “most of my responsibilities,”
Gabbai said. He’s giving sermons on
the Sabbath and on holidays; he’s han-
dling the bar and bat mitzvah prep pro-
gram; he’s offi ciating at circumcisions,
weddings and funerals. Zarnighian has
proven to be a faster learner than his
mentor expected.

“For some people, it’s very quick, and
for some it takes time. For him, it’s very
quick,” Gabbai said.

When he arrived at Mikveh Israel,
Zarnighian understood the challenge
of growing into a successor to Gabbai.

He also faced a congregation that was
both more diverse, with Moroccans,
Yemenis and Syrians, among others,
and more transient, with city people
as young as college students, than the
community he came from.

Zarnighian said there was only one
way to approach the challenge: Talk to
everyone who walks through the door,
and show them you care.

And not just smile, either. But really
talk to people. Even if someone is just
walking in and out.

“Th e care for each individual really
makes the diff erence,” he said. “I’m a
fi rm believer in that.”
According to Gabbai, Zarnighian
“has a charm” and is “honest.” He
also “cares about people” and “attracts
young people.”
“When I’m ready to retire, that’s
when he’ll be ready to take over every-
thing,” Gabbai said.

Zarnighian, for his part, said he
wants that responsibility.

He called Philadelphia “a growing
community” and said he sees people
moving to the city “for work, for uni-
versity, for higher studies.” He thinks
the COVID-era trend of people mov-
ing from New York to Philadelphia for
better prices may continue. Zarnighian
sees that as a potential opportunity for
Mikveh Israel to “expose its heritage to
a much broader audience.”
But even if the audience stays
the same, he may be happy with it.

Zarnighian would not be warming to
his new community if it wasn’t for the
people around him.

“I’ve settled into the role very well
in the sense that the people here are
incredibly, incredibly welcoming,
wholesome, kind, good people,” he
said. “I’m new, but they also give me
the opportunity to get to know them
— to reach out to them outside of syn-
agogue.” In June, Zarnighian and his wife
welcomed a daughter into the world
and their Center City home. Since then,
they’ve been in “parenting mode,” in
addition to synagogue mode.

But he called that a blessing, too.

“Raising your precious little one
changes you,” he said. “It really com-
pletes you as a person in a way that’s
meaningful.” JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
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