Die Presse, June 28, 2020
By Judith Hecht
German original: https://www.diepresse.com/5831821/paul-chaim-eisenberg-ich-kann-mehr-als-witze-reissen
Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg turned 70 years old on Friday. He does not want to slow down. Rather, he is planning on becoming an influencer and is opening his large apartment for both young and old around the clock.
You turned 70 years old on Friday and – from what I hear - you have big plans.
Paul Chaim Eisenberg: I want to open a house of learning (Lehrhaus) in my apartment.
A house of learning. What should I imagine this to be?
I did just say a house of learning, but I give it a different name each day. I have always held bible hours here at my apartment. Three times a week in recent times. Once only for ladies, once only for gentlemen, and one time for both. And when I was asked recently if non-Jews may join I answered: “Girls and boys. Jews and Gois.” (“Goi” is a yiddish term for a non-Jew). But it is mostly people from the Community joining. But now I would like to create some sort of holy room out of the apartment. It is big, because I lived here with six children. The kids’ beds all remain so they can always come and visit. Here at the big table guests can eat, but as a Rabbi I also feed mental food to guests here. But I have always done that.
So what will change then?
I now have the individual rooms thematically concentrated. Do you want to walk around here a bit?
Gladly, then I can get a better idea. But are we on a first name basis?
I’m on a first name basis with everyone I work with. But I really don’t care. You can always address me by my last name, and I address you by your first name. I would like that.
Then that will work for me.
Ok, then let’s walk. The doctor told me to walk more anyway. But wash your hands before. Look, there is soap and also a disinfectant (wash break). A lot of my books are in this room here, mostly English and Jewish – and of course my own, the ones I wrote. Of course those are the best. In any case, those visitors who do not speak Hebrew will be o.k. here as well (Eisenberg walks into the next room). This room is designated for music. Do you even know what that is (points to a tape machine)?
Yes, of course
But I also have a cassette tape deck and a CD player.
And a lot of long-playing records, as I can see.
Yes, those are my Jewish records. And you see, there are pictures of my family all over the apartment. I have six children, six children-in-law and 30 grandkids. But let’s walk on. In this room are a lot of children’s and youth books, my three daughters lived here. In short, it will take another two, three days until everyhting has been perpared and is ready. But I think that everything is wow already!
So your plan is to turn your private apartment into an open house, correct?
With the exception of my bedroom, nobody gets in there – unless someone pays a lot of money. The kitchen and the bathroom are private, too. The difference compared to other libraries and places of public learning (Lehrhaus) is that this one will be open 24/7 because I live here.
Are you sure that you want to have people here around the clock? Won’t you feel disturbed?
We will see.
I envision that as being very exhausting. Can you manage your energy well?
No, not at all.
But why are you doing this?
The answer is: because I search for meaning in life. I also can’t stand being alone. I was always used to having a lot of kids around me. And – what you don’t know – I want to do a new job. I want to be an influencer.
You have been that in a certain way already.
That’s true. Rabbis have always been influencers because they want to make good people out of the Community. And if one is very orthodox, you also want people to eat kosher and to observe the Sabbath. Some Jews do that anyway, and other can be influenced in a certain way. But we don’t missionize anyone.
Isn’t influencing a subtler missionizing?
No, missionizing means I impose something on people what they are not. As an influencer I just show somebody a good way. That person remains free in his decision. I don’t want to sell anything. Or maybe I do. My product is: peace and humanity. This is what I can offer, this is where I see my task as long as somebody is listening to me. Because if somebody thinks all I can do is crack jokes they did not understand me. I can do more than that. I care about wisdom, even if I am not Mahatma Gandhi (pause). We do not have to worry about anti-Semitism alone, we also have to worry about “Black Lives Matter.”
Sure.
A man returned home from the synagogue. His wife asked him: “Did the Rabbi give a good speech?” “Yes, he spoke very beautifully,” he answered. “About what?” she wants to know. “About anti-Semitism.” “That is interesting. Wat did he say,” she asks. “He was against it” (Eisenberg laughs). That’s clear! I am not the judge of the world, but I am not just against anti-Semitism. I also do not want that African-Americans and others are treated unjustly. And I am also against Palestinians – and they do exist – being treated unfairly within the framework of the Middle East conflict. But do not misunderstand me: I am not at all against Israel. Three of my children live there, and I almost moved there myself five years ago. Many retiring Rabbis do that.
And why didn’t you?
Private reasons on one hand that are none of your business. On the other hand I did see and still do see a purpose for myself here. And I didn’t want to leave this beautiful apartment. My parents have lived here since 1965.
For something different: It is noteworthy that more and more films and TV series over the past years have been critically examining (ultra-) orthodox Judaism. Do you have an explanation?
No (pause). Do you mean “Shtisel” (an Israeli Netflix series) and “Unorthodox” (Netflix shot series, 2020). Have you seen those?
Yes, both.
Me, too. But there is too much smoking for my taste in “Shtisel.” As an influencer I will write to all film studios and actors that no film may be produced that shows smoking.
OK, but how did you like these series?
You want to talk about Jews yet again, but why? Never mind. I did think both series are highly interesting and to a large degree authentic.
The viewers learn a lot about orthodox Judaism, for example about marriages arranged by parents and strict rituals.
In “Shtisel” the father is angry at his son because he painted a picture of his mother that shows a strain of her hair. The father prevents the painting from being displayed and buys it for a lot of money in order to paint over the strain of hair himself. He is not against art, but he does see a danger in it. Eventually, his wife has hidden her hair all of her life and always wore a cover or a wig, also at home.
In order to be able to purchase the painting he even sells his grave next to his wife’s and his mother’s.
Well, a goi cannot understand that. But I think it is very good that such series exist, because it shows openness.
Speaking of openness: How would you have reacted if one of your children had married a non-Jew?
Let me tell you one thing: I would have never shunned a child of mine for that, but continued to love it like always.
But the “problem” never arose?
Are you nuts, no! All my children are very orthodox – and very open at the same time. That exists.
Mr. Eisenberg, may I also ask you…
1… how you celebrated your 70th birthday?
Initially I wanted to throw a big party in the school, but that didn’t work out due to Corona. Now I celebrate here four times in a smaller circle and open my Lehrhaus at the same time.
2… if you are working less since you retired?
No, I am working more than ever, I am still the Chief Rabbi of Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz. But some nerve-wrecking tasks, like fixed office hours, have been dropped.
3… if you are modest?
I am the most modest person in the world. So much that nobody recognizes that I am modest.
About:
Paul Chaim Eisenberg was born in Vienna on June 26, 1950.
He comes from a family of rabbis. His father, Akiba Eisenberg, served as Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG) until his death in 1983.
Paul Chaim Eisenberg studied mathematics and statistics for two semesters at the University of Vienna. Afterwards he completed rabbinical studies in Jerusalem.
After his father’s death he took over the position of Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community Vienna and remained until June 2016.
He remains the Chief Rabbi of the Federal Association of the Austrian Jewish Communities.
Eisenberg continues to perform as a singer. The gifted teller of jokes has already written two books.
„Auf das Leben! - Witz und Weisheit eines Oberrabbiners“ (2017) and
„Das ABC vom Glück: Jüdische Weisheiten für jede Lebenslage“(2019).
The third one is in the works.