When I moved to Baltimore in 1979, you could count the number of shuls on one or two hands. If a fellow congregant didn’t show up for a minyan, you worried. I venture to say the number of shuls have quadrupled, at least, are bursting at the seams. Many of them have expanded or are in the midst of expansion. Nowadays, there is no need to worry if Tom, Dick, Moshe, or Miriam are not in shul. No doubt, they are at another local shul enjoying a simcha!
In this multi-part series, I’ve polled local shul-goers
and asked, “What is your favorite shul and why?” Here are some of their
answers.
Through Thick and Thin
Shaina Shifra and
Aryeh Leib Goldstein, a”h, started
davening in Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzedak (KAYATT) when they got married, in
2018, because it was the closest shul to their home. Previously, Aryeh had
davened for many years at the Agudah of Park Heights, which he always loved,
and he cherished his relationship with Rabbi Heinemann and the kehillah. Shaina Shifra had attended
Darchei Tzedak, where she became close to Rabbi and Rebbetzin Horowitz.
“We were welcomed
from the very beginning,” recalls Shaina Shifra. “When you find your niche, there
is just something that says, ‘I’m home!’ and that is how I feel. I can ask
Rabbi Heber any shaila and feel
comfortable, no matter how trivial it may seem. He is always willing to listen
and offer support.
“We went through a
lot of trials and tribulations over the past few years: pandemics, heart attack,
and cancer. During Covid, the younger people from the shul did shopping for
those of us who were stuck in, and even brought us kiddush parcels for Yom Tov.
This is how they treat the whole kehillah.
When Aryeh had a heart attack, and then later, during his final illness, they
couldn’t do enough for us: bringing us meals and giving us emotional support.
“Rabbi Heber was
and is amazing. As busy as he is, he has time for everyone. I remember calling
him on an erev Shabbos at 6 p.m.
Shabbos was starting at 7:11, and I had to take Aryeh to the hospital. I left a
message saying I didn’t know what to do. He called me back immediately and told
me everything I needed to do. The friendship and caring from both the Rav and
his Rebbetzin have made a huge difference in my life,” Shaina Shifra concludes.
“I am very excited that, thanks to my recent move, I am equidistant to both my
favorite shuls – KAYATT and Darchei Tzedek.”
Nothing like Yeshiva Davening
Judy Hoffman has
been davening at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel (NIRC) for 40 years. “I’m a shul goer; I’ve
always gone to shul, even as a little girl. I really enjoy the yeshiva davening
because when the men and yeshiva bachurim
say ‘amen’ or ‘Yehei shmei rabba’ in the Kaddish, you can feel the spirit,
especially on Yomim Tovim. The yeshiva has wonderful chazanim who sing beautiful, yeshivishe nigunim, and the boys sing at the back of the shul, and they sound
like a little choir. It is very moving. Davening in Yeshiva is not like
davening in a regular shul. There is not one word said in either the men’s or
women’s section. It is just pure davening.
“It makes my whole
week when I go to shul; the kedusha
carries over. When I miss going one week, I can feel the difference. There is
only one thing that I don’t like about the Ner Yisroel shul – and everyone in
the yeshiva knows this about me because I’ve voiced it many times, even when
Rebbetzin Weinberg, a”h, was alive,
and she agreed: The mechitza is so opaque, it does not allow women to see the sifrei Torah.”
Judy’s husband,
NIRC Director of Development Rabbi Leib Hoffman, adds, “When you have a few
hundred people davening with you, all having the same intention and kavana, your feelings are more intense; I
feel the kedusha more. These are all
people who are devoted to learning Torah, and davening with them is a different
experience.”
The Voice of Torah
Moshe Singer, who
enjoys davening at Kehilas Kol Torah, led by Rabbi Yosef Berger, is on the same
(davening) page as the Hoffmans. “Personally, I like davening in a shul with a
tremendous crowd. I like the feel of a big tzibur
all singing or saying, ‘Yehei shmei rabba’
together. Although a few hundred people may be davening here on a typical
Shabbos, the singing is well synchronized. The ruach, the atmosphere, is such that I feel davening is taken very
seriously; people feel very uncomfortable talking during davening, since it is
looked down upon in the shul. There is a positive peer pressure to treat the
shul with proper decorum. I also like the pace of the davening; it is not
rushed.”
Moshe also appreciates
the physical structure of the building, which is beautiful and well maintained,
and the fact that his friends go there. “When a simcha is being celebrated by
someone you don’t even know (since the shul is so large), everyone sings ‘Siman tov u’mazal tov!’ in achdus to join in their simcha. And, as
a Kollel yungerman, I appreciate
davening with – and feel kinship to – others davening there who are either
presently learning in Kollel or learned in the past, who understand and respect
the Kollel experience. Even those who don’t have that background equally value
and prioritize Torah study in a way that unifies us in a most meaningful way.
You can walk into the shul before 6 a.m. and be amazed by the number of people
learning and the ‘kol Torah’ emanating from the early morning chaburos. There’s also a very
well-attended night seder in the
shul, starting at 8:30, and it’s not uncommon to see a handful of learners
after 11! Most of all, I greatly respect and admire Rabbi Berger as a person and
as a Rav. The entire Kehilla looks up to him with great respect as well.”
Something for Everyone
Ita Rosenblatt
shares, “We have been members of Ner Tamid for several years and have found it
to embody its motto, ‘Something for Everyone.’ It has a very diverse crowd, and
indeed, there is something to draw people of all ages and various segments of
the religious (and even non-religious) community to the shul. Rabbi Motzen is
the main draw, of course. He is very dynamic, energetic, and down to earth. His
drashas are always creative and come
with a powerful take-home message. Rabbi Motzen has “upped the ante” this past
year, encouraging the shul to attempt new projects, such as the 6/13 daily parsha shiur and, more recently, the Daf Yomi project. It is now expanding
to include Amud Yomi, Nach Yomi, Mishna Yomi, and other learning opportunities.
“For our family in
particular, the youth groups are a big draw. My oldest son, b”H, sits and davens in shul next to my
husband, but my other two sons cannot sit in shul. They really benefit from the
groups, which are well organized and known to be the “top notch” youth groups
in Baltimore. One of my sons attends public school (unfortunately, he has needs
that the frum schools could not
accommodate – as is the case for too many Baltimore families), and the groups
are his chance to daven, learn parsha
each week, and be part of the shul community. The groups are also amazing for
me; after years of staying home on Shabbos with babies and toddlers, I am now
able to daven in shul and hear a bit of Torah from the Rav. In sum, Ner Tamid
is a warm, open, and accepting shul with a dynamo of a Rav. Rabbi Motzen is one
of Baltimore’s treasures and we are fortunate to be part of his kehillah.”
Hannah Heller agrees.
She says she likes shuls where people are friendly, and you feel like your
presence matters. “I also appreciate it when the Rabbi is kind and approachable,
and I want to be in a shul where the mechitza
allows me to see and hear everything. I have found this at both Ner Tamid and
Netivot Shalom (Rabbi Kaplowitz’s shul).”
Give Me that Old Time Religion!
Rabbi Moshe
Garfinkel enjoys davening in the Agudath Israel of Greenspring (AIG),
conveniently located a few blocks from his home. “Rabbi Shuchatowitz is
reminiscent of an old-time Rav, as opposed to a younger rabbi. His drashos are thoughtful, his sincerity is
inspiring, and he is a role model to anybody who aspires to be a talmid chacham and a yarei Shamayim. The chevra are – on average – older than the membership of most shuls around
here, and as a senior citizen myself, I enjoy the company of serious-minded
daveners; there is virtually no talking in the shul during davening. Most of
the people can be seen, before and after davening, with a sefer. Many people have set times for learning at the shul. The
shul is very welcoming. As soon as you walk in, you already see a mini-kitchen,
where coffee, tea, and snacks are always available.
“I’ve tried all
the shuls within walking distance of my home, and this is the one where I feel
most at home. I have made it my shul. The fact that it is smaller compared to
some of the larger shuls gives it a sense of community, of brotherhood (and
sisterhood!). Thanks to a donor, the shul’s library is spread out all over the
shul on two floors, so wherever you go, there are sefarim.”
The same donor provided
the sefarim for Bais Nosson, Rabbi
Shmuel Friedman’s shul. One of its congregants shares, “I love going to Bais
Nosson – aka “the shteibel” – because
I love Rabbi Shmuel Friedman, who loves everyone. He and his rebbetzin take
care not just of everyone’s spiritual needs but also their physical needs, with
their beis medrash and soup kitchen.
For me, it is a zechus to live in the
neighborhood. You can find people learning there day and night. It really is a
full-service beis medrash with
refreshments and every sefer you
could possibly want. It is a wonderful place, which will soon celebrate its 10th
anniversary on Parshas Zechor.”
Amira
Newman has fond memories of davening in the original Shaarei Zion as a young
girl. “My great-grandparents lived here and went to that shul,” she says. “What
I like about it is not just the nostalgia but the fact that the davening is
similar to the davening I grew up with when my dad, Rabbi Dr. Gavriel Newman, was the rabbi of Beth Jacob. It’s a Carlebach
feeling, with everybody singing. The mechitza
is definitely more comfortable than in some other shuls. You can see what’s
going on and feel more part of it. I also appreciate the fact that the shul has
a shiur in memory of my aunt,
Shoshana Feldman, a”h.”
Amira occasionally davens at Shaarei
Zion when she stays in the vicinity for Shabbos. “People who haven’t seen me in a
while are happy to see me come back. Even the people I don’t know are very warm
and friendly. I haven’t met the Rebbetzin yet, but Rabbi Rose has been very
welcoming and friendly.”
Baltimore’s “Little Iran”
Rabbi Daniel
Golfeiz admits that he is a little biased regarding Ohr Hamizrach because he
has been very involved with the shul the past 20 years. “I love everything
about the shul. It is ‘Little Iran’ in America. We have kept all our minhagim (customs) since it opened in
1982, almost 40 years ago. It is more than just a place to daven; we have many learning programs and activities. Recently, the
shul added a Young Professional minyan, comprised of the second generation of
Persians born and raised here. We also have a vibrant night kollel and a
program for middle school boys and girls to teach them all the Sefardi minhagim that they do not learn in
school. We are very happy with the schools in Baltimore, but they must know we
have to eat rice on Pesach,” chuckles Rabbi Golfeiz. “We don’t want them to
forget that. We also teach them our unique pronunciation. These are all the
things that we don’t want to get lost from our rich 2,700-year mesorah.
“The shul, housed
in its beautiful building – which is a real kiddush
Hashem – gives our children self-esteem. It helps them understand they are
not just children of a bunch of immigrants who came here but are rooted in a
very rich heritage that we want them to, be”H,
carry over to the next generation.”
To be continued. Haven’t
seen your favorite shul mentioned? Please contact: Margie711@gmail.com and tell
us about why you enjoy going to your s
