DERRY — After a decade of bringing the community together, the rabbi of Etz Hayim Synagogue is retiring.
Rabbi Peter Levy devoted the last decade of his life to continuing the traditions at Etz Hayim, 1-1/2 Hood Road, Derr,y encouraging inclusivity within the synagogue and acceptance and curiosity about Judaism in the community at-large.
“That was the ultimate goal of my tenure at the synagogue, to be a meaningful member of the community,” Levy said. “So, God forbid, if the synagogue wasn’t there, people would wonder where we were. That’s the kind of presence that I’ve tried to help maintain.”
The path to becoming a rabbi took longer than Levy had wanted it to. Growing up, he knew he had a close connection to his faith, and said several of his childhood friends went on to rabbinical school.
He originally began working in the commodities business after graduating from college. After four years in commodities, he ran his family’s textile business in New York for the next 35 years, before beginning his rabbinical studies in 2007.
“I guess it’s appropriate, the 40-year number,” Levy said. “Like the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years before they entered their promised land.”
He and his wife Amy Dattner-Levy came to Derry in 2014. Levy said the community has welcomed him with open arms, and he was truly amazed by the support he has received.
“I have Multiple Sclerosis, and when I got here 10 years ago, I walked in on two feet and a stick, now I roll out on four wheels,” Levy said. “Yet on Tuesday nights, when I roll up the front walk, a bunch of kids will come running to the door to open it for me.”
Levy said he was surprised when the synagogue put in handrails and a ramp when he was wheelchair-bound that gave him access to the bema, or the podium where he delivered sermons.
He said he was pleased when he saw this change help other elders be able to participate in ceremonies, like bat and bar mitzvahs, because this meant the change was a small bit of good he provided the community.
There were also times when Levy would go out of his way to educate the community that wasn’t Jewish in the greater-Derry area.
At different town festivals, like Old Home Days in Londonderry or Derryfest, Levy would rent a booth and hold sessions he called, “Ask a Rabbi anything.”
To Levy, communicating the messages about Judaism and the Jewish culture to the rest of the community is just as important as practicing it. He said it doesn’t matter what road a person takes to get to God, but that people should want to get there.
“My belief is that there are many paths to God, to the mountaintop,” Levy said. “Whether it’s the Torah, whether it’s Jesus, whether it’s the Quran, the ultimate goal is oneness with God. How you get there isn’t that important; getting there is.”
Levy’s last day at Etz Hayim was June 30. He’ll still be around throughout July for emergencies before his successor takes over on Aug. 1. Levy and Amy are moving to Lee, Massachusetts and have been spending some time there setting up their new home.
Despite the move, Levy said he will dearly miss everyone in the community.
“Of course I wish the community well; I wish them the continuation of the spiritual beauty and the appreciation of the awesomeness of the journey of which we have embarked,” Levy said. “It’s not going to be easy to walk away. I’m going to miss them dearly and I truly wish them well.”