When Rabbi Marty Scharf announced last year to the High Holy Day crowd at Kivel Campus of Care that he would not be able to continue doing services for them after 20 years, a low rumble could be heard throughout. At the Yom Kippur break, Kivel residents and family members were visibly shaken by the announcement. “Say it isn’t so!” seemed to be the general sentiment.
It was during the break in prayers that the Scharf children, Raquel Scharf-Anderson and Philip Scharf, came up with an idea. Their father always put all his strength and energy into making the services meaningful – to the point of near emotional and physical exhaustion. But, if they could take over portions of the service, maybe they could convince Marty to continue to lead services for the Kivel community, who had become so dependent upon him and his inspiration.
They approached Marty and made their proposition: If Marty would do the Torah readings, they would handle the rest of the services. Touched by their sensitivity and caring, he had little choice but to agree. When services reconvened, the crowd was still muttering in dismay. When Rabbi Scharf announced the new concept, the entire room burst into applause!
The Scharf family is now preparing for the 2014 High Holy Days Services at Kivel Campus of Care. Raquel, who is five years older than Phillip and the assistant head of school at Pardes Jewish Day School, has performed at Kivel as the cantorial soloist for 11 years. Since Phillip’s freshman year in high school, he has carried the Torah through the aisles, being careful to ensure that the holy scrolls were available to each congregant. Phillip is now the senior director of retention and advisement for the College of Arts and Sciences at ASU. Raquel’s husband, Eric Anderson, and their children, Sam, a Pardes graduate and now a sophomore at Tesseract, and Tzipporah, a Pardes fifth-grader, have always attended and helped out as well. They all will be in full assistance mode this month.
Phillip plays the guitar and the two siblings have often sung together. Plus they’ve been a part of synagogue life since birth. Rabbi Scharf and his wife of 45 years, Roberta, have led congregations in several states. Often times Roberta would serve as the religious school director, and the kids would know they could always find their parents at the synagogue. The family still retains decades-long friendships with families from their first congregations. This kind of devotion and camaraderie was not lost on the younger Scharfs. Kivel president and CEO Ira Shulman emphasized just how meaningful Rabbi Scharf ’s presence has been to the residents and their families: “Over the years Rabbi Scharf served thousands of residents, both Jewish and non-Jewish. He was not only an employee of Kivel but a piece of Kivel. His caring and dedication made him an invaluable part of what Kivel stands for in the Jewish community. His weekly services with the Kivel residents were always a happy and memorable time. His services on the High Holidays were very special occasions. Not only did he serve the Kivel residents, but it was a time when a large number of community people came to Kivel not only to celebrate the holiday but also to be with Rabbi Scharf. These services were even more special because many members of Rabbi Scharf ‘s family participated. This is especially true of his daughter Raquel Scharf-Anderson, whose beautiful voice made every holiday service extra special. We are extremely happy that his family has decided to continue the Scharf tradition and lead the services at Kivel Campus of Care.”
Ira also mentioned that the community is invited to share in their services. There is no cost, but donations are appreciated.
