Welcome to the Website of Rabbi Cy Stanway

I also wanted to write you a reflection of all my time (practically my whole life hehe)...Knowing you since I was a kid, you have held this image of the “fun Rabbi,” someone who really gets one involved in the temple community, encouraging them to try new things and make new connections. I would always (and still do) marvel at your presence, a combination of “go-with-the flow” humor, encapsulated in years of wisdom. I admire these traits, among many others: your drive to motivate people, your guitar playing skills, your goofy “win a trip to Belmar” jokes, your dedication to teaching– simply the impact you have made on hundreds of lives.

This email cannot even reach the level of gratitude I feel for having met someone so one-of-a-kind, who I have laughed with and learned many things from. Condensing the almost 20 years (oh wow) that I have known you into a run-on sentence, I recall the time you and Stella selflessly let my mom and I stay at your home during Hurricane Sandy, all the times you would pop into one of my Hebrew classes just to see how we were doing, my bat-mitzvah, the time you let me interview you for a middle school project about who my hero was, all of our enriching Teen Academy sessions, and most recently, when the two of us led a Shabbat service together over my winter break, during January.

To add on to this last point, when I walked into the sanctuary and you immediately called me up to say the Kiddush, I was like “okay, sure,” but I was caught by surprise when I ended up standing and singing alongside you for the rest of the service. Though I was initially reluctant to stay on the bima because I doubted my stage presence and wanted to simply blend in with the audience, you made it such a beyond fun experience, that made me feel like I was truly capable of doing anything– one of my all-time favorite memories.

All these highlights in my life prove why beyond a Rabbi, you are such an incredible human being. Besides your own family, you have also raised the community like an extension of it, watching so many of us grow up and become young adults, pursue college degrees, get married, have kids, and turn into dust. You have played a huge part in every one of life’s stages, and continue through the values you have ingrained in our hearts, souls, and strength, which we pass down to each generation. Your רוח, compassion towards others and passion to contribute to the Jewish community on both a local and international scale is extremely commendable. When I recall my times at Temple Beth Miriam, I will always be sure to remember and cherish your impact on my life. Again, thank you for everything. ~

Lia Bram