KiDMa changes focus - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

by Leisah Woldoff

KiDMa - The Southwest Community will no longer hold regular Shabbat or holiday services, Rabbi Darren Kleinberg, founder, announced last week. Instead, the Modern Orthodox congregation will become a "synagogue without walls."KiDMa will continue its educational component, which includes classes, lectures and guest scholars, Kleinberg said.The synagogue will also host occasional Shabbat services, most likely in private homes throughout the Valley.Why the change?"The first and most important reason was that I was just doing too much," Kleinberg said. He is a full-time Judaic faculty member at Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School and was also working full-time trying to grow the congregation. "I needed to scale back, set some boundaries, set some limits and allocate more time for my family," he said. He and his wife, Debra, director of the Women's Department of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, have one preschool-age daughter and are expecting a baby this spring."We look forward to his continued positive impact in the area of Jewish education," said Elana Storch, a KiDMa participant. "My child has benefited and grown tremendously with him as her teacher (at the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School), and I know that many members ... from all facets of our Jewish community look forward to growing and learning with him."Kleinberg and his family moved to Phoenix in the summer of 2005, after he graduated from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. He founded KiDMa in November of that year.In January 2006, the congregation signed a lease for a storefront at Glendale Avenue and Seventh Street in Phoenix. The lease ends in April.As a "synagogue without walls," KiDMa will maintain its Sefer Torah, ark and prayer books for use at future services."I very much plan to continue my teaching and my writing and working throughout the community with organizations," Kleinberg said. "We don't see this as being a step back, but a refocusing of KiDMa's role in the Greater Phoenix Jewish community."