Rabbi Chaim & Aidel Zaklos: Bringing Together The Patchwork Community Of Solano County

00:00 Speaker 1 Alexandra Stockwell is a doctor. She lives with her family just north of the Bay Area.

00:05 Speaker 2 My husband and I have lived in eight different homes in the 26 years that we've been married, and every single place that we lived, we looked around for a synagogue. But every place we went, it felt superficial in different ways.

00:22 Speaker 1 But then in the spring of 2021, they walked through the doors of Chabad of Solano County in Vacaville, California. At first, she didn't know if she and her family would be accepted by the rabbi and the rebbetzin, but-

00:36 Speaker 2 They respected each one of us as an interesting person with a biography that had already been lived, and were just interested to know what our level of observance was, what we wanted to experience there.

00:53 Speaker 1 Not only were Alexandra and her family accepted, but in a very short time they've become active members of the community. That's part of the larger vision of Chaim and Edel Zaklos to build a center in which each person is encouraged to share his or her special skills. That's been the key to bolstering Jewish life in a location where many thought that could never be done. I'm Gary Wolek, and this is Lamplighters, stories from Chabad emissaries on the Jewish frontier. Life as a Chabad emissary is often joyous, but it can be unpredictable and even dangerous. Chabad has become a ubiquitous presence in every corner of the world, but behind every Chabad house are emissaries, regular people striving to transcend their circumstances, and the community that supports and relies on them. These are their stories. In late 2008, Rabbi Chaim Zaklos and his wife Edel wanted to find a community in which the young newlyweds would serve as Chabad emissaries.

02:07 Speaker 3 We were looking for a place to be able to contribute, anywhere that, uh, our services would be needed. We were basically open to anything.

02:17 Speaker 1 The Zakloses were considering northern California. It was suggested to them that Solano County might be a good choice. But even though it's one of the nine Bay Area counties, it's isolated. The Bay Area Rapid Transit system doesn't extend to Solano County, which is 900 square miles of mostly rural country with very little Jewish infrastructure. The Zakloses reached out to Jewish federations for demographic information, but-

02:45 Speaker 3 They all discouraged us and said that this is a very n- non-populated Jewish place, and, uh, there's really nothing to do there. There isn't really much.

02:54 Speaker 1 So Edel and Chaim Zaklos got down to the business of information gathering. They had a data provider generate a list of Jewish-sounding names in the area. It suggested that there were possibly as many as 2,000 Jews out of a county population of about half a million, but nobody was sure of that. So in early 2009, the Zakloses made two trips to the area to meet as many as they could.

03:20 Speaker 3 And we were there to listen. We made it a point in trying to meet face-to-face personally with every Jewish person in the community that we can find, and have a heart-to-heart conversation, and get the pulse of their Jewish journey, and where we could take them to the next level.

03:41 Speaker 1 They were impressed by the enthusiasm and earnestness of the people they met. And even though they still had the option of considering locations populated by more Jews, Chaim and Edel Zaklos made a decision to locate in Vacaville, one of Solano County's larger cities, but-

03:59 Speaker 3 We figured out that it would be best if we catered to the entire Solano County because of the low number of the Jewish population here.

04:06 Speaker 1 Note the language that Rabbi Zaklos uses. He didn't say despite the low number, he said because of the low number. Emphasizing quality over quantity would be the approach that would be a key to Chabad of Solano County's success. The Zakloses moved to Vacaville in the fall of 2009.

04:28 Speaker 4 We were very excited. We were very open.

04:31 Speaker 1 That's Rebbetzin Edel Zaklos. She and Rabbi Chaim began meeting new people right away at High Holiday services, and at a menorah lighting on Main Street.

04:40 Speaker 3 You're dealing with Jews who have a clean slate. They have r- no preconceived notions, no stereotypes, a Jewish soul to a Jewish soul.

04:49 Speaker 4 I have to say, that probably was the most exciting part, feeling like you can give them something that they never had before, and really feeling a thirst that they had, and watching them just drink it up.

05:03 Speaker 1 In spring of 2010, they met a man named Glenn.

05:07 Speaker 3 I just saw the name Goldstein on my Jewish-sounding last names list, and called him to find out if I can meet up with him.

05:20 Speaker 5 We were home, and, uh, the home phone rang, and we usually just let it go to message, but my wife picked it up for whatever reason.

05:28 Speaker 3 I asked if there was somebody Jewish in the household, and she said yes. And I said that I happened to be in the area delivering matzah, and I said I wanted to come by to gift you with a pack of handmade shmurah matzah for the holiday of Passover. She agreed that I can come over.

05:45 Speaker 5 And, uh, then she says a few words and hangs up, and she goes, "Quick, clean up. A rabbi's coming over." And, uh, Rabbi showed up, and, um, he was all dressed in black.

05:59 Speaker 3 And I was greeted by this huge dog, Butch, who came charging at me.

06:06 Speaker 5 And, uh, my big furry white dog molested him. He was covered with fur

06:12 Speaker 3 And, uh, trailing behind him was, uh, Glenn and, uh, the rest of his family. And, uh, he sat for a little bit on the couch and gifted him the, uh, shmurah matzah. He took it reluctantly to some degree. I think he was a little bit suspicious or unsure who I was and what I wanted. I wasn't sure where it was gonna go.

06:33 Speaker 1 But Zaklos had learned that Glenn Goldstein grew up on Long Island and had been raised with some Jewish learning and observance. Over 30 years ago, he and his wife had moved to the county. Glenn, now retired, was an electrician and mechanic for the Marin County Water District. The Goldsteins tried out a few different synagogues, but never felt home in any of them, so they stopped going to shul many years ago. But that was about to change. Rabbi Zaklos called Glenn just before the following Rosh Hashanah.

07:05 Speaker 3 And I asked if I can come by again, this time to deliver a honey cake. And when I was welcomed in again, this time even more warmly than last, I took the initiative to ask if he would agree to do a prayer with me by putting on the tefillin.

07:20 Speaker 5 And, uh, he wrapped me up with tefillin, and, uh, that was it. I was, uh, I was hooked.

07:30 Speaker 3 And, um, shortly thereafter, he joined us at a Friday night dinner together with his family, and there was a excitement and enthusiasm for somebody who had come home after years that he hadn't stepped foot in a synagogue.

07:46 Speaker 5 And, uh, you know, really, uh, haven't missed too many Shabboses since, and, uh, just, uh, been involved, uh, as much as I can.

07:57 Speaker 1 Glenn has served Chabad of Solano County in a number of capacities, including as the official supplier of men's headwear.

08:05 Speaker 5 I'm in charge of, uh, kippahs. Uh, the kippahs always have a humorous, uh, message inside. So, uh, we started with, uh, "Stolen from Chabad of, uh, Solano County." Then the next batch was, "Help, I'm being held prisoner in a kippah factory." "Kippah, it's the Jewish cure for baldness." And, uh, "This is not a kippah, it's a loaner."

08:33 Speaker 1 Who's responsible for these messages?

08:35 Speaker 5 Oh, that's me. Every time I have a dumb idea, it costs me two or 300 bucks for, uh, an order of them.

08:43 Speaker 1 There were many more like Glenn who yearned for a connection to authentic Judaism. After only a couple years in Vacaville, Chabad of Solano County was growing, and the Zakloses were noticing something very important. People like Glenn were enthusiastic about sharing their own special skills with the community, which led to opportunities the couple hadn't anticipated and levels of dedication that astonished them.

09:09 Speaker 3 And every person in the community knows that they are an indispensable part of the community. The community would not be able to be the same without them.

09:18 Speaker 1 That dedication is seen perhaps most dramatically in the building that houses Chabad of Solano County. In December of 2014, the Zakloses purchased an 8,300-square-foot building with funds donated by community members and local businesses, and then the shul community got to work with helping design and renovate it.

09:40 Speaker 3 We have people in the community who feel so passionate about it in ways even more passionate than I do. They consider it their baby. They consider it their Chabad house.

09:50 Speaker 1 Renovation was completed a couple years ago. The center now features a full social hall and kitchen, a children's center, a library, and a mikvah. The sanctuary is furnished with custom-made furniture from Israel. Chaim Zaklos says the building would never have been a reality without members of the community donating their resources, time, hard work, and skill.

10:13 Speaker 3 They give it their all, and they embrace it with love.

10:15 Speaker 1 This model has worked well for Chabad of Solano County. Take the example of Dr. Alexandra Stockwell. Stockwell grew up in a family with a rather complex mixture of faith traditions. Her mother, who was born Jewish, had converted, so they discussed Christianity at home as much as they did Judaism. Much later, when she was married and had children, Alexandra's family celebrated Christian holidays, but when her mother died-

10:44 Speaker 2 It was like I just took off an ill-fitting coat. I wasn't gonna squander the gift that I had inherited, and I wanted to reconnect with the generations upon generations of Jews that I am in line with.

11:00 Speaker 1 But the problem was that, like Glenn Goldstein and his family, Alexandra and her family were having a hard time finding a synagogue they felt comfortable in.

11:09 Speaker 2 My husband and I have lived in eight different homes in the 26 years that we've been married, and every single place that we lived, we looked around for a synagogue, but every time we were looking for community, looking for a meaningful spirituality, we found something political, found something where it just seemed like the people didn't believe what they were saying anyway. It just honestly felt superficial in different ways.

11:39 Speaker 1 Then, in late winter of 2021, Stockwell's daughter, who was studying in Cleveland and attending Chabad events there, had her rebbetzin send Alexandra a list of Chabad houses that would be hosting Purim events near them. Alexandra and her husband chose to attend a Megillah reading at Chabad of Solano County.

11:59 Speaker 2 When we came in, it was this very warm welcome coupled with this incredible frenetic energy to make sure that we got a Megillah read in time.

12:10 Speaker 1 The Stockwells had never experienced anything quite like that before. They were a little unfamiliar with where to sit and what to do, but-

12:19 Speaker 2 Our experience mostly was that ev- It didn't matter that we were unfamiliar. That wasn't an impediment. There was a lot of warmth, and I think one of the things that Rabbi Chaim and Rebbetzin Adel do so brilliantly is they connected with each one of us as human beings. When we introduced ourselves at the first Shabbos meal we were at, I shared about my mother having converted, and once I felt like I wasn't hiding something, I wasn't at all concerned about judgments. They respected each one of us as an interesting person with a biography that had already been lived, and were just interested to know what our level of observance was, what we wanted to experience there. There were five of the six members of my family who went that evening, and over the next few days, we talked about whether or not we'd like to go again. And in a way that surprised both my husband and me, each of the five of us said, "Yes, I'd like to go back."

13:37 Speaker 3 She's been coming ever since.

13:39 Speaker 1 Alexandra is a doctor specializing in marital intimacy, so she wasn't totally sure she'd be accepted at Chabad.

13:46 Speaker 2 And the majority of things that I have conviction about and that I teach in my professional life, it turns out that they correlate with the Torah teaching, and I didn't know that until I became active with Chabad.

14:01 Speaker 1 Not only is the community comfortable with Alexandra's calling, it welcomes her input. A few months ago, Alexandra and Rabbi Chaim taught a course at a local high school called Ask the Rabbi, Ask the Doctor.

14:15 Speaker 2 And he would answer based on Torah teaching, and I would answer based on what I know about psychology and relationships. And sometimes he would answer first, and sometimes I would answer first. And 100% of the time, we either gave the same answer in different ways, or we gave answers that were so complimentary, and we both learned so much from it.

14:36 Speaker 1 The Stockwells regularly attend Friday night dinners. Alexandra's husband wraps tefillin and studies Torah with Rabbi Chaim. Her son wears a kippah and tzitzits to the public school he attends. The Stockwells have affixed mezuzahs on their doorposts, and they're learning about the weekly parsha, thanks in large part to 12-year-old Musia Zakkloos and her words of Torah.

15:00 Speaker 2 And that really contributed to my comfort and growth.

15:03 Speaker 1 Alexandra acknowledges that there's more to learn, but she's okay with that. The same with Rabbi Zakkloos.

15:10 Speaker 2 And one of the things he said is that he'd rather we take our time, and that really made a big difference. It, it gave us permission to each of us and all of us as a family evolve at the pace that we're drawn to, which has turned out to be faster than I would have anticipated, but I think that's partly because of the warmth and acceptance and lack of pressure.

15:41 Speaker 1 Glenn, if you had never met Rabbi Chaim or Rebbetzin Adel, what would be missing for you right now?

15:47 Speaker 5 Uh, pretty much Judaism. I think the most impactful thing has been, uh, on my children as, uh, they've, they've seen the example from Rabbi. And then before the rabbi came into our life, pretty much, uh, making the kids watch, uh, reruns of The Nanny was, uh, about the most Jewish, uh, learning that they got, 'cause, uh, we were pretty much about as off the reservation as you could be. And, uh, if the rabbi hadn't come into our life, uh, I don't know where the family would have been at this point.

16:21 Speaker 1 Retired water district worker Glenn Goldstein and Dr. Alexandra Stockwell and Barbara the Challah Expert and their families are just some of the people who make up the Chabad of Solano County community. Rabbi Zakkloos now estimates he works with 50 core families, but points out he's made contact with Jewish members of about 500 families. Remember that only 13 years ago, he and Adel were told by some that there was no reason to go there, that there weren't many Jews there, and the ones that did made up a patchwork community. So how have they made it work?

16:59 Speaker 3 And the answer is, I think, is that whatever resources there are here, we appreciate it, and we celebrate it, and we encourage it for people to take initiative and to become active members in the community. Not only are they participating, but they're becoming Lamplighters themselves. We feel privileged to be here, and we feel privileged to be amongst the quality Jews that there are here in Solano County. I can't think of a better group of Jewish people to be surrounded by.

17:33 Speaker 4 There is tremendous amounts of spiritual wealth here.

17:38 Speaker 2 I would call it a patchwork community with a strong center.

17:41 Speaker 5 We are definitely where we're meant to be.

17:47 Speaker 1 I'm Gary Wollek. Thanks for listening to Lamplighters: Stories from Chabad Emissaries on the Jewish Frontier. We welcome your questions and comments about what you've just heard on Lamplighters. Please email us at podcast@lubavitch.com. And if you know of a great story involving Chabad emissaries or the people they inspire, please let us know about them. That's podcast at L-U-B-A-V-I-T-C-H.com. To subscribe digitally to Lubavitch International Magazine or to receive it at your doorstep, please visit lubavitch.com/subscribe. This is a Lubavitch International podcast.