Getting to know Rabbi Marc Mandel

Marc Mandel, rabbi at Newport’s historic Touro Synagogue, grew up in New York City and attended Yeshiva University for both his undergraduate studies and rabbinical school, graduating in 1988. He served congregations in Memphis, Tennessee; Portland, Maine; and Beverly Hills, California, before coming to Newport.

While in Maine, Mandel earned a Doctor of Ministry degree at the Bangor Theological Seminary. While working in California, he was a Hebrew translator for Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation.

Mandel and his family arrived at Touro Synagogue four years ago. Mandel met his wife, Jackie, at a Kosher pizza shop in New York. The couple have six children.   

Following are a few of his favorite things:

Q: Favorite Jewish food?

A: Chicken soup (for the soul).

Q: Favorite Jewish holiday?

A: Hanukkah. Isn’t Hanukkah everyone’s favorite Jewish holiday?

Q: Favorite Jewish song?

A: “Hatikvah.” It gives me the chills every time I hear it.

Q: Favorite Jewish movie?

A: “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Q: Favorite Jewish celebrity?

A: Michael Bloomberg. He’s an impressive guy.

Q: Favorite Israeli city to visit?

A: Tel Aviv. It reminds me of New York, where I grew up.

Q: Favorite Israeli city to live?

A: Beit Shemesh. It has beautiful scenery, and it is close to Jerusalem. 

Q: Favorite Hebrew word?

A: Siddur. It reminds me of the word shul, which gives me a good feeling.

Q: Favorite Yiddish word?

A: Schlep. I just love the way it sounds. 

Q: Best part of keeping Kosher, worst part of keeping Kosher? 

A: Best part: It makes you food-conscious. You have to know what is inside everything and how it is cooked. Worst part: The price is not always right.

Q: Favorite part of being Jewish?

A: Trying to figure out the meaning of life. It makes you question the meaning of life and what our purpose is here on this planet. It’s a journey.

Q: Favorite part of being a rabbi?

A: Meeting so many inspiring people.

Q: Favorite Jewish memory?

A: Greeting Golda Meir at Kennedy Airport when I was a young boy with my family. It is something that has stayed with me. I still remember the excitement of that day.

Q: Best advice you’ve ever received?

A: From my wife Jackie: Say what you mean, mean what you say. 

Q: If you could have three dinner guests, living or from history, who would they be and why?

A: Isaac Touro, Judah Touro and Abraham Touro. I have many questions about the history of Touro and they were the founders. So, I think they could answer all of my questions about the synagogue. We have some history books and some notes, but there still remains a lot of questions. I always wonder what it was really like here in the 1700s and why did it take so long to build the synagogue if people were here in the 1600s? I’d just love to learn more about the early days here.

SAM SERBY is a native of East Greenwich and attended Temple Sinai in Cranston for many years. He is a recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University.