July 21, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
As the new rabbi of Congregation Sha’aray Shalom in Hingham, Eric Berk will serve as spiritual leader to about 285 families -- teaching, counseling, and helping to lead worship services.
"'Sha'aray Shalom' means 'Gates of Peace,' and our congregation lives up to its name as a peaceful, welcoming, and committed community," he told the Hingham Anchor.
One of the things that attracted him most to Congregation Sha'aray Shalom was the dynamic clergy team of Rabbi Shira Joseph -- who recently retired after 19 years serving the congregation -- and Cantor Steven Weiss as well as its vibrant and inclusive religious education program for adults and children.
"Rabbi Joseph set a very high bar with her long tenure and everything that she did for our community, working alongside Cantor Weiss, and that was very appealing to me," Berk said.
The temple's "open door" tradition welcomes every family member — Jews by birth, Jews by choice, and non-Jewish family members — and strives to integrate them into its community.
Goal number one, Berk said, is to "deepen the connections with the families and congregants who are already a part of Congregation Sha'aray Shalom while also attracting new families and congregants.
"I know there are many Jewish people who are not affiliated with a particular synagogue, and I hope they will choose to join us," he said.
Ordained as rabbi in 2008
Berk, originally from Dallas, Texas, graduated from NYU in 1998 with an MFA in film and TV production from the Tisch school. He went on to earn his master's in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 and was ordained as a rabbi in 2008 by the Hebrew Union College.
He then took a position as a spiritual counselor at Skirball Hospice in Los Angeles for eight years, while also serving a small congregation outside of the city for most of that time.
Four years ago, Berk and his wife, Shira, made the decision to move from Los Angeles to Huntsville, Alabama, where he served as a rabbi at Temple B'nai Sholom before accepting his current position with Congregation Sha'aray Shalom.
"We'll miss the Huntsville congregation, but it's terrific being here in Hingham," Berk said. He led his first Shabbat service with Weiss on July 1, and more than 120 people attended the service and dinner.
The good turnout was "exactly as I had hoped and expected from such a welcoming congregation," Berk said. "Working with Cantor Weiss has been terrific. I'm learning a great deal from him, and we have great things planned for the year ahead."
Berk has also received helpful guidance from Joseph, who as Rabbi Emerita remains connected with the congregation -- as he settles into his new role.
The temple's location is a "terrific bonus" because Shira's parents, who live in Hopkinton, are now only an hour's drive from their home in Hanover.
Warm welcome in Hingham
Looking back to the search process for a new rabbi to replace Joseph, Berk recalls the cold weather while visiting Hingham in January for an interview after growing up in Dallas with its mild climate.
That said, the warmth of the people he met from the congregation and around town more than made up for the cold temperatures. "Everyone was very welcoming," Berk said.
Search Committee Co-Chairs Grace Strake and Debbie Farber explained the process, which lasted about nine months. A committee of 12 interviewed 15 candidates virtually, with five advancing to the second round. Berk was among the three finalists.
After two full days of meeting members of the congregation and teaching religious education classes for all ages to see how he interacted with the different age groups, meeting with the temple's leaders, and conducting a mock service with Cantor Weiss for the search committee and board of trustees, Berk was chosen to fill the position.
"We were looking for someone to educate, engage, and elevate us," Strake explained. "Rabbi Berk is highly intelligent, educated, and knowledgeable in all things about Judaism -- including the Torah -- and has a good sense of humor. I think he will be everybody's friend while at the same time being a great spiritual leader of our community."
'An amazing listener'
What stood out to Farber was that Berk is "an amazing listener, a gentle person, and a great educator."
What was most impressive, Farber and Strake agreed, is the "chemistry between Rabbi Berk and Cantor Weiss. They are so good together," Strake said.
Weiss, now in his 19th year with the temple, said he's "thrilled" to welcome Berk as the new rabbi. "He is a wonderful addition, bringing a new sense of excitement, warmth, and energy to the congregation. I'm very excited to have him as my co-clergy partner."
Weiss is looking forward to listening to Berk's new ideas and working with him on ways to do more outreach to younger families and other prospective members. "Rabbi Berk is following in the footsteps of our wonderful Rabbi Joseph and will be a great addition to our community. I hope that he will have a long tenure in Hingham as well."
After being accepted as the new rabbi, Berk participated in a remote meeting of the Hingham Hull Religious Leaders Association, which was an opportunity to get to know some of the local clergy and to work with them to better the community in the future.
'Thriving Jewish community'
What makes Congregation Sha'aray Shalom unique, he said, is that it is "a thriving Jewish community in an area that is not known to be particularly Jewish that offers education, programming, and worship services and is attractive to people for those reasons."
Education is a strong Jewish value, reflected in the word "rabbi," which means "my teacher."
Another important Jewish value that the temple takes very seriously, Berk explained, is "Tikun Olam" (repairing the world) -- "doing our part to make the world a better place and to address its brokenness."
When asked what qualities he expresses that he believes will fit well with his new role, Berk said he likes to think of himself as empathetic. "I take what I do very seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously," he added. "I greatly enjoy what I do."
Welcome Rabbi Berk! We are so excited to have you and Shira here!