Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, the charismatic spiritual leader of Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc, is no longer the most eligible bachelor among the local Jewish clergy. He recently walked down the aisle with the gorgeous Mindy Shear, a high profile makeup artist/entrepreneur in the community. The happy couple are pictured below at their nuptials.
In 1986 Pittsburgh native Rabbi Poupko, then 27, arrived via New York . From the start, everyone who met him knew he was not your average spiritual leader. At the pulpit his tremendous oratory skills, both in praise of Judaism and Torah and in the defence of Zionism and the modern State of Israel, provided audiences with a tremendous lift. He also showed an extraordinary sense of humour, prompting many to suggest he should consider a sideline as a standup comedien. In fact, he got rave reviews for his performance in the nationally televised Schmelvis: The Search for the King’s Jewish Roots, a documentary investigating Elvis Presley’s supposed Jewish roots.
From the moment he arrived in Montreal, students turned to him for guidance and leadership. So did the community at large and over the past 21 years he has served in some high ranking leadership positions. He remains a media darling in this city, with the press constantly at his doorstep for what they know will be a catchy soundbite. He has been on more than a dozen March of the Living trips and visited Israel more than 100 times.
I have known Mindy since she was a teenager and was part of the same mission to Israel with her about 20 years ago. That just happened to mark her first trip to the Jewish homeland and from that point on her devotion to Judaism grew. In 1987 she established Mindy Shear Makeup Studio with the aim of bringing superior performance and elegance to the daily ritual of make up. After extensive beauty industry training and of her completion of a fine arts degree, she set out to approach the make up business with an artist’s eye. Over the years she has had the opportunity to work with various actors, models, photographers and fashion designers in different countries. She now has her own line of makeup products.
While Rabbi Poupko's five children and seven grandchildren all live out of town, he now has a new youngster in his life: Mindy's young son Shalev Shear Yaacov.
"We've known each other for many years as we are both involved in community," said Mindy. "We had a long friendship, but we lost touch for a few years. About a year ago we ran into each other and went out for dinner to catch up. Slowly over time, we started spending more time together and our friendship blossomed into a more serious relationship. And the rest is history!"
Good luck to the happy couple!