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I once shocked my grandparents during one Hanukkah when I was still little. I told them that I considered that Jesus might be Messiah. They looked at me apprehensively and asked, "Are you sure?", and I knew not to discuss whether Jesus is or isn't the Messiah further. Then they continued the reading and discussion of the parsha l'hayom.
When I took this trip to Northwest Baltimore then to Sugar Notch to compare the lives of my Jewish family and the mysterious Crypto-Jewish family about which I'd heard in relation to Mom's great-great-grandparents, that matter didn't end as well. My dad mockingly sat shiva for me, and my mom couldn't understand why I had to compare Yehudim and Anusim to better understand my heritage and get a clearer picture of the Jewish community at large.
So first, I Googled the Northwest Baltimore shtetl. I'd read enough in the "Baltimore Jewish Times", and heard and seen other material regarding the Jewish Marylander haredit kelliat. Besides, since the Lewjes lived there, I had to see where my mom's family even still live-- although as I said, they sat shiva for her; so they wouldn't talk to her, let alone me.
Like most shtetlach, the Northwest Baltimore shetl is in a "Heights" area-- Upper Park Heights. There also is the Reisterstown Road shopping district, but I was looking for the Park Heights shtetl; and so I went to the Park Heights shtetl in Fallstaff.
My grandparents faithfully walked to B’nai Israel Congregation of Baltimore from their home in the Fallstaff shtetl and drove only in emergencies-- for example, when one of the children or one of themselves was sick or unable to walk, but no so ill or debiltated that he or she could not observe Shabbat at the shul. They awoke three hours earlier than they had to, to walk the nearly-three hours that getting to the shul took them. When they drove, they arrived there in 20 minutes to an hour.
Their affectionally-called "rav" was Samuel "Sh'mu'el" Pilskin. According to B'nai Yisra'el's website, "Rabbi Pliskin was meticulously Orthodox, but he did not question the level of observance of his congregants. He said, "When a long-lost child comes home, parents do not ask questions.'"
Of course, the Lewjes never had to worry about any questioning from anyone, as they were shomrim-Haredi Yahadut. They will remain shomrim until they die, being buried in B'nai Israel Cemetery as soon as humanly and Jewishly possible after they die. Meanwhile, the family of Rachel Helen Lewj Umani is not invited to any of the Lewj levayot.
When I took this trip to Northwest Baltimore then to Sugar Notch to compare the lives of my Jewish family and the mysterious Crypto-Jewish family about which I'd heard in relation to Mom's great-great-grandparents, that matter didn't end as well. My dad mockingly sat shiva for me, and my mom couldn't understand why I had to compare Yehudim and Anusim to better understand my heritage and get a clearer picture of the Jewish community at large.
So first, I Googled the Northwest Baltimore shtetl. I'd read enough in the "Baltimore Jewish Times", and heard and seen other material regarding the Jewish Marylander haredit kelliat. Besides, since the Lewjes lived there, I had to see where my mom's family even still live-- although as I said, they sat shiva for her; so they wouldn't talk to her, let alone me.
Like most shtetlach, the Northwest Baltimore shetl is in a "Heights" area-- Upper Park Heights. There also is the Reisterstown Road shopping district, but I was looking for the Park Heights shtetl; and so I went to the Park Heights shtetl in Fallstaff.
My grandparents faithfully walked to B’nai Israel Congregation of Baltimore from their home in the Fallstaff shtetl and drove only in emergencies-- for example, when one of the children or one of themselves was sick or unable to walk, but no so ill or debiltated that he or she could not observe Shabbat at the shul. They awoke three hours earlier than they had to, to walk the nearly-three hours that getting to the shul took them. When they drove, they arrived there in 20 minutes to an hour.
Their affectionally-called "rav" was Samuel "Sh'mu'el" Pilskin. According to B'nai Yisra'el's website, "Rabbi Pliskin was meticulously Orthodox, but he did not question the level of observance of his congregants. He said, "When a long-lost child comes home, parents do not ask questions.'"
Of course, the Lewjes never had to worry about any questioning from anyone, as they were shomrim-Haredi Yahadut. They will remain shomrim until they die, being buried in B'nai Israel Cemetery as soon as humanly and Jewishly possible after they die. Meanwhile, the family of Rachel Helen Lewj Umani is not invited to any of the Lewj levayot.
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