By the time lunch began on the second day of Rosh HaShanah at the Fuzaylov home in Forest Hills, the guest list had taken on a life of its own. Young men kept arriving, chairs were added, furniture was moved, and more food was quickly prepared. In the end, 24 Emet students gathered around the tables. For Rabbi Michael Fuzaylov, Emet’s Level Two Men’s Director, and his wife, Dina, a house filled with students is hardly unusual. Nearly every Shabbos and Yom Tov throughout the year, their home becomes a gathering place for Emet students and alumni who come to daven, share meals, learn, reconnect with friends, and simply spend time in a warm Jewish environment.
That was exactly what the Fuzaylovs envisioned when they moved from Kew Gardens to Forest Hills in June 2019. Many Emet students lived in the Forest Hills/Rego Park area, and Rabbi Fuzaylov saw how difficult it could be for even motivated students to experience a full Shabbos without a welcoming place nearby. The family left a close-knit community filled with relatives and friends in order to open their home to students.
Daniel Badals remembers hoping for exactly that. “I remember when Rabbi Fuzaylov used to live in Kew Gardens, and I would pray that one day he’d move closer to me,” he said. “Now he’s literally my neighbor on the same block. Funny how that worked out!”
Hospitality came first. Then students began asking for something more. They wanted a place to daven where they could learn, ask questions, and not feel intimidated or judged. On Chanukah 2022, the weekly Emet Forest Hills Minyan was born.
“We moved to a place where we didn’t really have family nearby,” Rabbi Fuzaylov said. “My kids had cousins back in Kew Gardens, but the students really became their extended family.” That sense of family was especially evident this Rosh HaShanah. About 20 students participated in Emet’s minyan, which moved from the Fuzaylovs’ basement to a room at the Queens Jewish Center to accommodate the larger Yom Tov crowd. Throughout the day, other students arrived at the Fuzaylov home, some bringing friends who had not yet heard shofar. Rabbi Fuzaylov ultimately blew shofar for several different groups.
For longtime participant Jonah Aulov, the minyan has become an integral part of his week. “I’ve been with Rabbi Fuzaylov’s minyan since it started on Chanukah 2022,” Jonah said. “At first, what kept me coming back was Rabbi Fuzaylov’s energy and hospitality. But now, I return because his shul feels like my home. This minyan is different from any other minyan I’ve ever joined—not only because of the home-like environment, but because it’s filled with all my friends. Spending Shabbos at Rabbi’s home is a chance for me to reconnect with my friends after a long week of work. It’s like a refresher. Missing one Shabbos at the Fuzaylov home would completely throw off my week.”
The impact extends beyond the minyan itself. About two years ago, Rabbi Fuzaylov encouraged Jonah to take his first steps into yeshiva. Today, he has been learning at Yeshiva Gedola Ateret Gavriel in Kew Gardens for more than two years, dedicating three hours every morning to learning. “That has influenced my religious observance in other areas as well,” Jonah said, “and helped me reshape my life to think of my relationship with Hashem before all else.”
Rosh HaShanah brought that focus on growth directly to the holiday table. Rabbi Fuzaylov asked each student to choose one small mitzvah or area of improvement for the coming year. “We went around the table with each one saying what small thing they wanted to take on,” he shared. “Even though I told them to make it very small, many of them took on significant mitzvos and were adamant about it.” Students spoke about davening more regularly, going to shul, putting on tefillin, and giving more tzedakah. Rabbi Fuzaylov then asked everyone to share something they hoped to accomplish or receive in the coming year as the group answered “Amen.”
For Mrs. Fuzaylov, who is also an Emet Mekareves, watching the students express their hopes and commitments made the crowded tables and last-minute cooking worthwhile. “It was very powerful, and I felt emotional,” she said. “Having an open home and hosting like this is really a dream come true for me. When my husband and I were students, we were inspired by being guests at Rabbi Nerya Aminov’s table. It feels full circle because now many of the guys have said that they also want to open their homes one day and share the beauty of Shabbos and Yom Tov with others.”
The hosting continues straight through the holiday season—and, of course, every Shabbos. Last year, the Fuzaylovs served over 100 meals over the course of Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot alone. In fact, Mrs. Fuzaylov was already preparing for Sukkot as this year’s Rosh HaShanah ended.
“What Rabbi and Mrs. Fuzaylov have created in Forest Hills is really the essence of Emet,” said Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet Co-Founder and CEO. “It’s not just a weekly minyan or a meal. It’s a place where students know they belong, where relationships grow week after week, and where that sense of connection can lead to meaningful Jewish growth.”
