By the time this is in print, two people who made a huge, huge difference in Baltimore’s Jewish community will have made aliyah.
Jeremy Staiman, since 1990 owner of Staiman Design and his wife Chana, a sonographer, are on their way to a new life in Israel.
They were honored in recent years by their shul, Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim. To know this couple, these people, was and is one of the greatest honors for thousands of us.
Jeremy and Chana would blush if they knew I was even writing this piece. Because what they do and have done, isn’t for any honor. They do HaShem’s work, period.
Their Shabbos and Yom Tov dining room table and chairs I’m surprised aren’t worn out from all of the meals they’ve served to so many diverse guests over the years. People they knew would come for a meal, people they didn’t know, people they were getting to know. If Suburban and Rabbi Shmuel Silber needed that host family for an individual, a family or for a program such as Passover Across America, he’d call on the Staimans.
If ever, ever there was the mitzvot of hachnosis orchim, or home hospitality, this was the couple who taught us all.
My wife Lisa and I would go to their home, and there would be observant, not observant, students, young people, middle aged, elderly. There would be zmirot (Shabbos songs), words of Torah, just all done in a spirit that would uplift and take one out of their spiritual funk.
Their older son Avi was one of the creators of the America Eats for Israel effort when he was a student at Rambam. Their younger son Arky, an intern for the Jewish Times, accepted all Jews on their level of spiritual comfort. I remember Arky when as a Beth Tfiloh student, he helped build the playground at the Fallstaff Elementary School. I watched as he walked up to the person in charge and asked what was it he could do to help build. Every time I looked around, Arky was going in and out of the supply shed with tools, and he stayed late into the evening giving children a new place to play.
Did I mention that both Avi and Arky were tremendous baseball players for Beth Tfiloh’s High School team?
Jeremy also has a sense about him. He knows when a person is perhaps feeling sad, and he offers himself and his time to listen and do what he can.
There are many stories to tell about the Staimans, many humorous, many profound. One of my favorites is Jeremy’s effort to bring Shabbat and yom tov to young adult Israelis who are working in area shopping malls. You’ve seen them. They work from a kiosk in the mall, and typically are selling hand cream products from the Dead Sea.
Jeremy approaches these young people and invites them home for a Shabbat meal. But that’s not all he does. He and Chana follow up. They check on their new friends at the mall, and continue the invitations. Many of the young Israelis don’t know Jeremy by his first name. He’s known simply as “kugel man.”
One young Israeli couple was driving through the neighborhood near Wellwood Elementary School looking for their host’s house when they pulled over their car to ask a Jewish man walking to shul, “excuse me sir, do you know where is the home of kugel man?”
Israel, you are getting a wonderful couple. Jeremy and Chana, we know that Israel was always your home, but you know that your “second” home is here.
There are many who miss you already.
Thanks for accepting all of us on multiple occasions into your home. Thank you for reconnecting us to spirituality as if you knew we need a tune up.
There are just certain people who make the Jewish community better every chance they get.
Years ago Jeremy took a trip to Israel to visit wounded Israeli soldiers in hospitals and bring them gifts. I remember the look on his face and the tone of his voice when he described the experience.
Jeremy and Chana, you were a gift to Baltimore.
Thanks.
And as the great Chloe O’Brian once said to Jack Bauer, “I just want to let you know that if you ever need someone to talk to, as a fried, I’m here for you. Not now, but later. When things calm down.”
The following will now take place in Israel.