There are only two people in my life that I met 38 years ago (not including family) – one of them is my wife, the other welcomed me to the life I chose at the age of 21.

If we pay attention to people around us, we should be able to recognize those who bring meaning, real meaning, to your life. When you are as lucky as I was to have found my beshert in 1979, the people I came to meet influenced me in ways they don’t even know.

I consider it a gift to have found Judaism and life as a Jew. I met Rabbi Shalom Salfer in 1979, a couple of months after I met Gail, now my wife of nearly 38 years. He sparked a new perspective for me to consider and set me on a path to understand what a mensch was, as well as sharing a little Yiddish from the bimah.

Rabbi Salfer helped me grow as a Jew even when he knew I was not Jewish, not yet anyway. He brought great meaning and a unique presentation of “understanding the essence of Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu,” as he so often said in shul.

The highlight, and tipping point, for me was our family rendezvous in Israel with Rabbi Salfer for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah at Robinson’s Arch in Jerusalem. I always look forward to seeing him but a special prayer is to walk the Old City in Jerusalem with him at midnight on a tour of real learning, as we had done once before.

There have been many simchas for Rabbi Salfer and his family (well deserved, I must say). He has always made my family simchas special and blessed for me and my family. As Winands Road Synagogue prepares to close a chapter, I wanted share my gratitude to Rabbi Salfer for the very special impact he has made for me, my family, and our community. We need more people like him.

I share this with you during this time as the Torah tells us it is a time for preparation and anticipation for the joy the spring holiday season brings us. As Purim and Passover draw us into a time of celebration, I will reflect on what Rabbi Salfer has helped me gain in understanding what it is to celebrate Judaism, Israel, and today’s Jewish family.

Yasher Koach Rabbi Salfer.

Vito Simone is a local resident, home renovation expert, and a Zayde to Zev and Leo. You can find his professional business online at www.TodaysHomeRenovations.com. Comments are welcome below or you can email Vito at [email protected] or call him at 410-952-5595 with blog comments or ideas, or for more information about Today’s Home Renovations.