Re: Model community seder (March 27)

Posted

Seeing Sam Buckler on the cover of The Jewish Voice, March 27 issue in conjunction with the article titled, “Model Community Passover Seder” brought back fond memories of a major part of my life when I was pre-and post-bar mitzvah.

As a child, I attended the former Temple Beth Israel, on the corner of Niagara Street and Atlantic Avenue in Providence. The synagogue was a central part of my life. It is where I regularly attended Junior Congregation services on Shabbat (where my mother Libby Kelman set up and hosted the kiddush for all the children on a  weekly basis), attended Bar Mitzvah Brotherhood on Sunday mornings before Sunday school started (which I regularly attended), attended weekday Hebrew school classes, participated and led the USY group and attended Boy Scout meetings (my father Fred Kelman regularly opened the building for our meetings; he was also the TBI Building Chairman). My parents’ involvement and volunteerism in the synagogue help shaped my life.

Sam Buckler and his brother Lenny Buckler were instrumental in leading the Bar Mitzvah Brotherhood group at TBI for many years. Nearly every Sunday morning during the school year, 10-15 young men (ages 12-16) met in the synagogue chapel to pray. We put on tefillin and davened together. There was a bond that formed among all who attended regularly. After the brief service, we had a full bagel breakfast in the social hall prepared by some of the boys. The bagels were even served warm (heated in a large brown paper grocery bag in the oven!), and we always ran out of Danish. After breakfast, we played football in the parking lot. I was not a good football player, but it was great fun. The camaraderie kept us attending week after week.

Thank you Sam and Lenny for all you did for me and many other young men. You are an inspiration.

David Kelman

West Hartford, Conn.