The diversity among Teaneck’s Orthodox Jewish community is most in evidence at Perek in the Park, Rabbi Shneur Garb’s gift to the community that attracts local families from across the hashkafic spectrum on a weekly basis. Approximately 200-250 people gather for this fun, informal get-together every Shabbat afternoon from Memorial Day until the week following Labor Day. Teaneck residents from other Jewish denominations, unaffiliated Jews, and non-Jewish neighbors are also welcomed and can be found enjoying the children’s program.
Looking around during Perek in the Park, there is a noticeable variety in manner of dress, ranging from hats and ties to polo shirts and shorts, sheitels, different types of hair covering, and bare heads. Everyone seems comfortable and relaxed, especially the children, who clamor for the popular ices distributed at 5 p.m. on the dot.
Held at Teaneck’s Sagamore Park, Perek in the Park, which is promoted only through word of mouth, features a short presentation for children every week. The speakers all know to limit their presentations to the time it takes for the audience to finish their ices. These presenters, who volunteer their time and talent, take their role seriously, but they play for laughs. They range from rabbis of local synagogues to a former sheriff of Bergen County, and the simple lesson of each presentation, which is conveyed in an entertaining and animated way, can be on anything relevant such as manners, safety, ecology, “stranger danger,” and Torah lessons which are communicated in a universal way. “This is the closest I’ll ever get to Broadway,” said Dr. Andy Fink, a local physician who has been featured at Perek many times over the years. “So I give it all I’ve got. I love to ham it up.”
After the brief lesson-in-the-round (held at the circular fountain which is turned off by 5 p.m.), most children play in the playground while their parents enjoy the opportunity to schmooze in a relaxed way, often staying until 7 or 8 p.m.
“It’s part of our weekly routine,” said a mother who attends regularly. “We look forward to the end of the day every Shabbat when we can socialize with old friends and meet new ones while our kids get their energy out. The whole family has a blast! And for some reason, they look forward to those specific ices. It’s a highlight of their week.” Another parent said, “I love the eclectic environment. It’s an event!”
The project was started nine years ago by Shneur Garb with the help of fellow Teaneck resident Garron Macklin. They are dedicated to ensuring that Perek always takes place regardless of personal conflicts, that it is precisely punctual, that there are back-up speakers, and most importantly, that there are ices for every child who is there at 5.
“Perek in the Park is something many of these kids have grown up with, and they look forward to it every week,” said Rabbi Garb. “It simply cannot be late or cancelled for any reason unless it’s raining at 5 p.m. It’s an established part of their summertime Shabbat day, and makes a difference for them. We have to be consistent.”
Rabbi Garb decided to create Perek in the Park in memory of his son Zalman, who died as a baby of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in 1997. Garb, along with his wife Rachi, run Perek as a remembrance for their beloved child. “I cannot and will not have my Zalmi remembered as a baby who lived for four weeks and died,” Garb said. “My son brought different kinds of people together. In the hospital for the weeks we were there, all kinds of people from different backgrounds and religions—Christians and Muslims and Jews of all denominations—prayed for Zalmi, and people all over the world said Tehillim (Psalms) for him. My wife and I prayed by the beds of all the children there, Jewish or not. When a person is in this state you feel everyone else’s pain. There were no boundaries, racial or other, and we felt as though all the children were our children as well. That’s Zalmi’s legacy, and that’s why we do this for the local children.”
Attendees have never before been made aware of the motivation behind Perek in the Park or the reason the Garbs don’t go away in the summer. They just know they have a great time while they connect with others from all over the community in a gathering that celebrates the diversity of Teaneck. The children enjoy little lessons—whether a pre-holiday game of charades or a 5-minute play— with their refreshing ices that somehow seem more special than ordinary ones.
By Lisa Matkowsky
