Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?
22 years ago, Rabbi Itchel and Pearl Krasnjansky and their toddler and infant, uprooted themselves to move 5000 miles away from home, to dedicate themselves to the ideal of creating a vibrant, active Jewish community in the beautiful Hawaiian islands. With limited Jewish resources, but with tremendous energy and perpetual enthusiasm, the Krasnjanskys have brought the beauty and joy of our heritage to Jews all across the spectrum of affiliation - or lack thereof! Pearl’s passionate and tireless commitment to Jewish continuity and devotion to the spiritual needs of our people has manifested itself in myriad ways over the past 22 years that she and Rabbi Itchel have been co-directing Chabad of Hawaii: constantly teaching children and adults – whether it be one child or addressing hundreds, cooking countless Shabbat holiday meals to be served at Chabad House (where anywhere between 35 and 200 could show up for a holiday or Shabbat meal); gently guiding, counseling, assisting kosher burials –and with so many other acts of giving and sharing, Pearl has dedicated her life to bringing the joy of Judaism and the beauty of our 5000- year-old heritage closer to every Jew she meets, with her ever-ready smile, warmth and passion. Juggling her permanently unending workload with her domestic responsibilities, Pearl has raised seven beautiful children in Honolulu, provided them all with a strong, solid Jewish education and inspired 2 of her daughters and son-in-laws to join Rabbi Itchel and herself in their outreach work throughout the Hawaiian islands - wow!
