Aron Tendler's Former Shul Moves Right?

An LA reader writes:

I've been told that Rabbi Yitzchock Summer, the rabbi of Anshei Emes in LA, was offered and now has accepted the position of rabbi of Shaarey Tzedek – Aron Tendler's former synagogue. Anshei Emes is way more black hat than Shaarey Tzedek. Anshei Emes is the shul Rabbi Summer's father built. His mother still owns the property …

Is Shaarey Tzedek moving right in the wake of the West Coast Tendler scandal? Readers?

Comments

[Anonymous]

You may want to update his last name is Summers -- but interestingly they hold ordination from the same person--Rabbi Feinstein tz"l

[Anon]

That is true that they hold Smicha from the person Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l yet Rav Summers studied in Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim for many year with close and also has close ties to Chicago particularly Rabbi Feurst who is a Posek there.

[Pico Robertson Jew]

I wouldnt' say that SZ is moving right. Let's face it--Anshe is "black" compared to all of the MO shuls in the "Teaneck of the West Coast" aka the Pico Robertson area.

I think it is less political and more character driven. In character, the tame hearted Summers is a complete 180 from what Aron Tendler is / was.

It is less hashkafic and more about the personality of the Rav that SZ wants.

[LA Jew]

At the Town Hall Meeting that this news was broken at—the president of Anshe Emes suggested that Anshe consider keeping Rabbi Summers by establishing relationships with high paying people outside of it's walls who want to learn privately with the Rav—and by extension would then increase his salary to the one offered by the Valley Shul. Unfortunately, Anshe does not have, nor has it ever had in recent years an infrastructure that is necessary to produce outreach or appointment booking for it's solo Rav to learn outside of the Shul boundaries. It is a basic davening location, where it's members are pious and unfortunately straped for cash, time and energy. The vast majority of them live in apartments, and some homes in the area. The physical workings of the Shul are maintained by the handiwork of a few individuals who are dedicated. The real question is—will the Shul be continuing w/o R. Summers?

[anshe member]

Rabbi Summers has not even had his shabbos interview at SZ. I know R' Brander has and I highly doubt that they would offer him the job before he spent a shabbos with them. I was also at the town hall meeting. and I know the results of the money that they are trying to raise. If all it came down to were dollars and cents Rabbi summers will be staying at Anshe. so i think it is a bit pre mature to say he is going to SZ let alone that they have offered him the Job. also do you think any schull would hire some one in the 3 weeks???

[mb]

It's completely false. They haven't finished interviewing yet.
WK Member.

[Anon]

LA Jew the Shul will probably continue with out a doubt just as Mogen David did for years with out a Rabbi. I do not think Rabbi Summers mother will sell the property. anshe member good points however if what people heard is true at the meeting that took place he may have been offered or is just a serious candidate.

[Anonymous]

I heard Rav Summers was not in Shul this Week any word on that?

[Former Anshe Person]

For you saying Rabbi Summers is "Tame-hearted," let me tell you that he has alienated many people in his shul because of his super right wing Yeshivish attitudes, including several who were very close to him. He says major Lashon Hara about people who leave the shul (I know because he told me some really nasty things about ex-members before I left), believes his "Emes" is the only Emes, and cannot abide by any other type of Frumkeit if it does not match up with his own. His shul is on the decline, according to members to whom I have recently spoken. After I left, many more families left, leaving the shul with little resources and less members than they've had in over 15 or 20 years. In order to try to keep him, the shul wants to raise the yearly dues to $1400 per year, $100 less than YICC and the same as Beth Jacob, two very wealthy area shuls. Those shuls offer daily Shiurim, events, and social activities for kids and adults. Anshe only offers davening and the occassional shiur and charges a fortune for kiddushim. That's pretty sad. Frankly, Rabbi Y. Summers is not worth that kind of money. He is intolerant of others and through that intolerance has alienated many influential members of his shul. He rails against moving to the somewhat more affordable Valley where people could afford to buy houses several years ago, claiming there was no real "Emes" shul there, and how can one sacrifice his/her spirituality for a house. He tells members to ignore their financial problems, telling them to learn Mussar and have Emunah and Bitachon (direct quote from him to me, not hearsay!). Well, now he's having some financial issues and is ready to abandon his father's shul because of money, instead of having Emunah and Bitachon that all will be well. He hates the Modern Orthodox movement, has told me how traif it is, and has given more than one drasha to that effect. He proclaims things about which he knows absolutely nothing to be anti-frum. If anyone from Shaarei Zedek is reading this post, please keep this in mind when interviewing this man. He is a fraud and it would be disasterous for you to hire him. I'm sorry if I sound like I'm ranting, but this man has done far more damage than good over the years. He lied to a dear friend of mine, who came home one shabbos in tears because of a lie Rabbi Summers told him. It's pretty sad that R. Summers has become this bitter hateful person who has alienated not only many members of his Kehila, but has even alienated his own son, Avromie. I watched it happen when Rabbi Summers could not accept that his Bechor was simply not interested in following in his father's footsteps. This kid has since proven, though his father would never admit it, that can be interested in music, have a band, go to college, work hard, and still remain a perfectly frum Jew. Trust me, I'm not some random person from the outside who looked and thought "Gosh, this is terrible." I was way on the inside and still have plenty of sources who are more than happy to keep me updated on the goings-on in the shul. I don't think I have ever posted on any blog or bulletin board in my life, but I feel this is serious enough to break my silence.

Take this post as you will.

[Former Anshe Person]

P.S. R. Summers' Rabbinic Ordination is actually from Chofetz Chaim. He Semicha from Rav Feinstein is only in Mar'os, Halachas dealing with Niddah. I've seen the Semicha on his wall.

[Another Former Anshe Member]

IfSummers becomes the Rabbi at SZ, I give it two months tops. Meanwhile, Anshe Emes will completely fall apart. It will be interesting to see what happens at SZ the first time Summers possels Rabbi Soleveitchik from the bimah.