We had the immense pleasure of spending this past Shabbos at the Bomzer home in Midwood, Brooklyn.
We felt the heimish atmosphere the moment we entered the house. As a matter of fact, we felt it as soon as we arrived in Midwood. Shabbos was in the air and everyone was bustling around preparing for this gift we receive anew every week.
June, Avy, Sruly and Eli Bomzer are hosts imbued with the true spirit of hachnasas orchim. We were blessed to be guests along with June’s mother and great-niece and nephew.
The shul was similar to the shtiebels my husband, Phil, and I grew up knowing so well in Newark, New Jersey. No fanfare – just genuine and heartfelt davening and a level of derech eretz one only wishes was the norm in all shuls.
The Bomzer men sing melodic a capella tunes after arriving home from shul. The Kiddush was cantorial, as was the benching.
We were privileged to have at the Shabbos table Rita and Moshe Laufer. (Rita’s cheesecake recipe in a recent issue of The Jewish Press’s Magazine section was divine.) The Bomzers and the Laufers shared divrei Torah and gave us a tremendous amount of chizuk.
Naturally, we discussed articles we’d read in The Jewish Press. After all, what is Shabbos reading without The Jewish Press?
Todah rabbah and kol hakavod to the kehillah members of Midwood, to the Bomzers and the Laufers. It was an unforgettable Shabbos. Midwood personifies what all Jewish communities should be like – Jews truly living the life Hashem set out for us to follow.
Miriam Maltz Schiffman
Elizabeth, NJ