In 1984, the Stamford Jewish community had a very small number of shomer Shabbat families. Bob Lansey, a member of the community at the time, felt that if the community was to flourish, it would need to build an eruv as several other Orthodox Jewish communities had done.
He received the blessing of the community rabbis, and Rav Herschel Schachter of Yeshiva University oversaw all the halachic parameters. That year the Stamford eruv became operational.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Stamford eruv, the community will join together for a celebratory brunch on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Stamford Chabad. The brunch will be dedicated to the memory of Bennet Kfare, z”l who served as the chairperson of the Stamford eruv for more than a dozen years.
“Our community now boasts several hundred shomer Shabbat families who utilize the eruv every week,” said Michael Feldstein, who is part of the group organizing the event and who was living in Stamford at the time that the Stamford eruv was first completed. “This is an opportunity for those newcomers to give hakarat hatov to the pioneers who helped build and maintain the eruv in its early years.”
Rabbi Kenneth Auman, who was the first spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Stamford, will be returning to the community to join in the celebration. And Lansey, who moved out of the Stamford community shortly after the eruv was completed, will be giving a short presentation on how the Stamford eruv came into being.
Bennet and Sherry Kfare moved to Stamford the year that the eruv was first built. Bennet immediately became involved in volunteering for the Stamford eruv, using his engineering skills to assist the group in many ways. He later chaired the organization. Bennet passed away exactly two years ago, the yahrzeit date being one day before the brunch.
Michael Warmflash, Steven Adelman and Eliaz Niedober now make up the governing body of the Stamford eruv. Seven others check the eruv each week before it’s deemed to be kosher. The Stamford eruv encompasses a large area of the town, ensuring that anyone who wanted to move within walking distance of the Orthodox shuls would be included in the eruv and would be able to carry on Shabbat.
“A lot of people take the eruv for granted and don’t realize there was a time that observant Jews couldn’t push baby strollers to shul on Shabbos or carry items they might need,” said Feldstein. “Many folks who are under 40 have known nothing but communities that have an eruv. This brunch is a way to acknowledge the importance of our community eruv in enjoying our Shabbat each week.”
The committee organizing the brunch includes Sherry Kfare, Ben Folkinshteyn and Belana Warmflash. Jessica Katz is chairing the event.
Tickets to attend the brunch cost $25; sponsorships are available for $180, which entitles the sponsor to four reservations. To reserve a seat at the brunch or to make a donation as a sponsor, visit stamforderuv.org.
