Rabbis of LA | Rabbi Sofia Zway: War Forced Her to Adjust
by Ari L. Noonan
Building a congregation is hard work, even in the best of circumstances. But when Rabbi Sofia Zway, Moishe House’s new Base Rabbi, saw how Hamas’ attack on Israel Oct. 7 affected her members, she knew she had to make adjustments.
Base is a network of congregations for young Jews in their 20s and 30s. “Base is run by a rabbinic couple out of their home,” Rabbi Zway explained in her soft South African accent. “We have three core pillars: Shabbat and holiday hospitality, deep Jewish learning and acts of service. Our programming is for Jews up to age 40.”
When she saw the young men and women who entered her living room on the first Shabbat after Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 assault, the rabbi was struck by their overwhelming sense of grief, anger and loneliness. She made the decision to make her home a grieving/processing space for the young men and women.
