A Global Congregation

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Sr., spends his time surrounded by pre-school kids, heads of state, the average New Yorker and internationally renowned celebrity philanthropists. As senior rabbi of the Park East Synagogue, Schneier wears many hats's some fancier than others, but all are important to him. â??Bono came to see me Friday, came to have lunch, Schneier said, referring to U2"s front man and advocate for foreign aid in impoverished countries. â??The kids and the parents were ecstatic when he visited the synagogue. While the rabbi maintains an impressive guest list's he hosted Pope Benedict in 2008 for the first papal visit to an American synagogue's he devotes equal attention to his own East Side community. â??I"m also very proud of having established the Park East Day School, he said, which teaches pre-school through 8th grade. â??It"s very uplifting, exciting to walk into our school building and hear the voices of children with their enthusiasm, which is infectious. On a day-to-day basis, the rabbi might fill many roles. â??I am still a general practitioner, which means I deal with everything as a pastor, from the cradle to the grave, he said. He is also a husband, father and grandfather. Barry Schneider, a member of Community Board 8 and president of the East Sixties Neighborhood Association, and his wife have been attending the East 67th Street synagogue for about 40 years. The Schneiders remember that as newlyweds, Schneier formed a group for young married couples to help them fit in to the congregation. â??He has a unique ability to communicate with everyone, not just his flock but he reaches out even further; he has been an absolute pillar in the community, Schneider said. As a Holocaust survivor who was born in Vienna, Austria, and immigrated to the United States in 1947, Schneier has always believed tolerance and dialogue to be paramount for a peaceful society. That"s why he founded the Appeal of Conscience foundation in 1965, an organization that promotes religious freedom and human rights around the world. â??Now interfaith dialogue and conversation is very fashionable, but when I first started in 1965, it was not â??in," the rabbi said. Through the foundation, he has worked to bring religious freedom everywhere from China to the Balkan states, served as a representative to the United Nations and encouraged world leaders to fight terrorism with understanding. â??Religion is like fire, Schneier said. â??It can warm, it can heat, but it can also destroy. His foundation works specifically to end violence in the name of religion. The rabbi describes his congregation as â??eclectic, consisting of a diverse cross-section of heritage, profession and orthodoxy. What makes the East Side synagogue special, he says, is that it serves many people who are in positions to make a difference. â??I"m very proud of my congregants that they have gotten the message, he said. â??Do not be indifferent, do not be silent, and be engaged, be involved. A difficult mandate, for sure, but Schneier proves it possible every day.