Moving into our newly purchased house on Sunday, June 3, 1973, our first task was to kasher a kitchen that had been used for five years by the previous owners. This activity required rabbinical supervision. I dialed the number of Rabbi Yaakov (Jay) Marcus of the Young Israel of Staten Island (YISI) and explained our predicament. Although we had never met, he said he would be right over. Before I put the phone back into its cradle (pre-cell phones), the doorbell rang and Rabbi Marcus came into our house and, more importantly, into our lives.
In 1973, Staten Island was not yet known as a focal point of Modern Orthodox Judaism. Two years earlier, Rabbi Marcus had assumed the position of the Moreh D’asra of YISI with about 40 families. It was his first and only pulpit. When we joined the shul in 1973, we were approximately the 120th member. Most families were young, in the birthing phase, and the community was filled with energy and optimism. Leading us was the dynamic Rabbi Marcus, who made sure that the week was filled with classes, shiurim, and community activities. From the start, he emphasized the symbiosis of a Torah and Mada existence. Not only was he our Rav, he was also our friend. He was at every milestone ceremony — starting with berisos, then Bar and Bas Mitzvahs, then weddings. As the years passed, there were also losses, and the Rav cried together with us and provided the wisdom and support we needed to go forward.
It is hard to summarize the seminal contributions that Rav Marcus made to Staten Island Jewry and to Modern Orthodoxy in general. Under his leadership, the YISI grew to be one of the largest Young Israels in the United States. A critical point occurred in the late 1970s. Given its nearly exponential growth, our congregation had reached the physical limits of the first shul. The lay leadership discussed plans for expansion under a cloud of dissension and deliberated the plethora of ideas of the congregants. Ultimately, and sadly, the membership voted against a new building; given our resources, they posited it “could not be done.” That Shabbos, the Rav came into shul and gave an inspiring drashah. He proclaimed his disappointment over the lack of vision that would stymie the growth of Jewry on Staten Island. He informed us of his decision to take sole responsibility for building a new sanctuary, and he did. The YISI moved into its new building in 1980, and the shul and Jewry on Staten Island continued to grow.
This small vignette captures one of the many strengths of Rabbi Yaakov Zvi Marcus. He was a founder and a builder. Space limits detailing all the institutions he started, directed, or supported. He was a driving force in bringing the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva for boys and girls to Staten Island. He was a presence at the Staten Island Borough Hall, making sure that Yiddishkeit was recognized on a predominantly Christian island. He gave shiurim to Jewish leaders on Wall Street and in the halls of Congress. More than once, we would have visitors at the YISI who would refer proudly to their Rabbi Jay. He was a founder and director of the Genesis Foundation and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
At its peak, under the guidance of Rabbi Marcus, the YISI had six or seven minyanim on a Shabbos morning. Believe it or not, the Rav tried to speak at each and every one of these minyanim. His concern for the diverse makeup of the membership was manifested by the fact that the YISI was among the first Young Israels to have a nusach Sefard minyan, complete with tables and chairs, V’yatzmach Purkanei, and a weekly kiddush. Almost miraculously, Rabbi Marcus knew the name of every child in the community, as well as those of grandparents, whom he warmly welcomed to our shul. He found a way to accommodate different viewpoints and traditions, and this led to a feeling of community in Willowbrook that was not common in other parts of NYC.
Throughout his years as our Moreh D’asra, a focus of Rabbi Marcus was Jewish responsibility. The Rav lived the pasuk “Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh Lazeh.” He led us on marches for Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian Jewry. He made sure the YISI was a presence at the yearly Israel Day Parade up Fifth Avenue. He twinned the YISI with the city of Rehovot, led by HaRav Simcha HaKohen Kook, and our membership played a significant role in building Yeshivat Meor HaTalmud in Rehovot. When concerns were raised about funds leaving the Staten Island community, he assured us that we could do more — and we did. At his shivah in the auditorium of Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, Rav Marcus’s sons Ari, Eli, Doni, and Chaim, and his Rebbetzin Barbara and daughter Ora, were surrounded by a group of visitors wearing black hats, led by Rav Kook’s son Aryeh. These chareidi rabbanim had traveled from Rehovot to show respect for a kippah serugah–wearing rosh yeshivah, whom Rav Simcha HaKohen Kook, Rav HaReishi of Rehovot, admired and loved.
Despite all his commitments in Staten Island and the U.S., Rabbi Marcus was always focused on Eretz Yisrael. He never missed an opportunity to emphasize the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael and wholeheartedly supported Nachmanides’s (Ramban’s) counting of living in Eretz Yisrael as a positive commandment. He frequently visited Israel and led the shul in missions to the Holy Land. As always, Rav Marcus had unlimited energy. I recall visiting the kever of the Rambam in the dark using flashlights because our Rabbi said we could not leave Tiveria without visiting this Torah giant. On the way back, the bus broke down and we had to return to Jerusalem with a military escort, also arranged by the Rav. We went to sleep exhausted, but elevated by an unforgettable day thanks to Rabbi Yaakov Zvi.
Perhaps the capstone of the Rabbi’s accomplishments was the founding of Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim. Given his strong Zionistic philosophy, Rav Marcus always believed he should live in Eretz Yisrael. Starting in the 1980s, he planted the foundation of a yeshivah that would allow him and his children to realize this dream. The yeshivah began in a small space that Rav Marcus had acquired through the Genesis Foundation in the Old City. Commencing in 1998, Reishit occupied a beautiful new building in Beit Shemesh thanks to generous donations from Jews around the world raised by Rabbi Marcus. Rav Marcus and Barbara officially made aliyah in 2001. In doing so, they joined hundreds of former YISI congregants who were motivated by the Rabbi to move to Israel. In its 25-year existence, the carefully nurtured and trained Reishit staff has inspired more than 1,200 talmidim who graduated the program. Following Rav Marcus’s philosophy, Reishit enables its alumni to function as Torah Jews in the real world — a synthesis of Torah and Mada learning that results in young men who have become leaders in their communities.
On a personal note, I and my family have unlimited hakaras ha’tov to Rav Marcus and his wife, Barbara. When I moved to Staten Island, I had very little formal education in Judaism. Although I was always Shomer Shabbos and Shomer Kashrus, I was a product of a secular public-school and university education. The Rav taught me how to read Rashi, he learned Mishnayos with me, and introduced me to biblical and halachic exegesis. Succinctly, he taught me how to learn and opened my eyes to the world of Torah. He became a friend to me and my family. Perhaps my one regret is that I never properly thanked him for the great gift he gave us. Rabbi Yaakov Zvi Marcus — you left us too soon. We will miss you. You were like a shooting star lighting up the skies and our lives. As with that shooting star, your light will continue to shine for us into the future. Thank you, Rabbi Marcus.
By Dr. Fred Naider
