By Lane Gottfried
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Though Passover planning for some is a chore, for Efy Flamm, it’s just routine.
Every third week in April, Efy makes a trip to the market to buy groceries for his wife, Penina, to make passover dinner for over 50 guests.
Since 1989, Efy and Penina have dedicated themselves to reaching out to thousands of students around Maryland.
Students, as well as community members, who might not be able to go home for the holidays, not only provide them with a good meal but also a “home away from home.”
“I love having everyone in my house, I love hearing them sing the songs and connect with one another,” Efy Flamm said.
The Flamms’ Passover shopping list can include: eight dozen eggs, cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, goat cheese, three pounds of margarine yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, whipped and block butter, both whipped and stick.
And that’s just some of the dairy section.
The Flamms open their home not only celebrate Passover but Shabbat and Purim too.
“My father did it and my father’s father did it, so why not add onto that tradition,” Penina Flamm said.
For them, it’s a way to “pay it forward.”
“I look forward to celebrating the holiday with the Flamms,” said Madison Sacks, an active participant in The Flamms’ holiday celebrations. “They make me feel like a part of the family.”
Passover is a weeklong Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Celebrants honor the freeing of the Israelites by refraining from eating food with raising agents such as yeast. It is said that when Pharaoh freed the Israelites, they left in such a hurry that there was not time for bread dough to rise.
“Passover represents freedom,” said Rabbi Tom Dreskin of Pikesville Jewish Congregation. “I tell my congregation that on Passover, go surround yourself with people that make you feel free, that give you hope.”
Dreskin describes the Flamms’ actions as a “Mitzvah from a Mensch,” a good deed or action done by a person of integrity.
“They always open their home and never complain,” Dreskin said. “I could only imagine how many dishes they have to clean.”
As the Passover season rolls around, Efy Flamm makes it his top priority to send out his weekly texts to invite everyone over to celebrate the holiday.
During the school year, he can be found around Towson, Goucher, Johns Hopkins campuses or his local temple. He can be seen engaging people to learn about Judaism, inviting them over for meals, or just wanting to have a chat.
“We love surrounding our house with new friends, old friends and family,” Flamm said. “We want to pass this tradition down to our kids so we never have to stop.”
Although Efy Flamm has done the shopping for all these celebrations, Penina Flamm does the cooking.
The question is, he said, is never “what is Penina cooking for Passover,” it’s “what isn’t she cooking?”
“I love cooking for everyone,” Penina Flamm said. “It makes me happy seeing their faces when they get a home cooked meal.”
1 Comment
The Flamm family is amazing! My daughter Julia has been to their home for Shabbos and challah making numerous times. They always invite her to holiday dinners knowing she’s an out of town er. Even if she wasn’t they would invite her because they’re extremely generous, kind, warm and compassionate people. My husband and I were lucky enough to be invited to a dinner at their home and Efy and Penina made us feel like family! They’re the best!! The community is so lucky to have these wonderful people amongst them!