A new rabbi for Little Neck

Rabbi Gordon Yaffe is a man with a mission.

Fresh off his installation ceremony at Little Neck Jewish Center on Nov. 7, Yaffe looks to usher in a new era of growth at this 56-year-old mainstay of local Conservative Judaism.

"For a number of years, we have lost members due to migration out of the neighborhood and for other reasons," Yaffe said. "My job is to restore vibrancy to the congregation... a vibrancy that had begun to wane over the last couple years."

Beyond bringing a new energy to Little Neck Jewish Center's long established religious services and programs, Yaffe also hopes to bring in another valuable resource: people. 

Tops on Yaffe's "to-do" list includes expanding on the center's congregation – currently pegged at about 200 families.

Part of a new "team" at Little Neck Jewish Center, Yaffe, 50, joins the temple's new cantor, Josh Shron, and a recently-hired Hebrew school director, Ellen Marcus. 

According to Schron, Yaffe's short tenure has been a success  –  so far, at least. "Rabbi Yaffe's arrival seems to be a spark that's ignited the community to bring itself to the next level," he said. "Attendance at events and services is way up, we're attracting more members and there's a great feeling of excitement in general."

Succeeding Rabbi Joseph Prouser, Yaffe takes the helm at Little Neck Jewish Center during a watershed moment for many adherents of Conservative Judaism, with issues such as gay marriage dividing many congregants. 

While Yaffe declined to state his opinion on whether same-sex marriage should be legal in New York State, he said his "door was open" to anyone looking for spiritual guidance.

"Our Judaism needs to be sensitive to all members of the community," he said.