The late Rabbi Daniel Goldberger was an extraordinarily admired religious leader in our city, a fact testified to by, among countless other measures, the size of his funeral. It was the largest Jewish funeral in Denver in memory.
We write to call attention to the fact that among Rabbi Goldbergers legacies is another Rabbi Goldberger, also widely admired, a fact also testified to by countless measures, among them a recent 25th anniversary dinner in a different city. The Rabbi Goldberger to whom we refer is Rabbi Menachem Goldberger of Baltimore, son of the late Rabbi Daniel Goldberger and of his widow Ida.
Born and raised in Denver, inspired by his father and by the late Rabbi Shloime Twerski, Rabbi Menachem Goldberger has created a beautiful shul and home of chasidic Jewish life in Baltimore. He is a man of many talents, bridge- building not least among them.
Rabbi Menachem Goldberger began with 12 families and now has 140. His special warmth, sensitivity and musical ability have touched a wide variety of Jews, from young seekers to lay and professional leaders of the Baltimore federation to people with personal difficulties. Another former Denver rabbi who has found his home in Baltimore, Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, put it simply at the 25th anniversary celebration of Rabbi Menachems leadership: Your rav is a treasure in this community, plain and simple.
Often, people of great spiritual gifts are unable to touch people individually; and people who can listen with care and empathy cannot reach beyond the human dimension to the spiritual one; and people who can sing with infectious fervor cannot speak eloquently and clearly; and people who can lead from within a highly stylized spiritual format, such as chasidic Judaism, cannot reach beyond it to people of other brands, or of no brand, of Jewish life; and people who can convey the serious side of Judaism cannot laugh and enjoy life. Rabbi Menachem Goldberger, without exaggeration, can do all of the above, and does all of the above on a regular basis.
He and his wife Bracha are, indeed, a fine and fitting tribute to their Denver roots, not least among them Rabbi Daniel and Ida Goldberger. Denvers loss is Baltimores gain. We look forward to another 25 years of Rabbi Menachems leadership!
Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News
