It is a pleasure to tell you about Dr. Sy Schlossberg, our March Volunteer of the Month.  Sy, as he is adoringly called, is one of the founding families of Shomrei Torah. Sy grew up in Brooklyn, New York and attended Samuel J. Tilden High School. He then went to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and this June Sy will proudly celebrate his 50th anniversary of graduating medical school!

Once he graduated, Dr. Schlossberg started a practice in Bronxville. Sy and Elaine met on a blind dated and were married on March 27th, 1964. In November of 1965, he and Elaine moved to Wayne and opened his practice as a General Practitioner. In addition to his practice, Sy was the examining physician at the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa for 26 years.

Sy and Elaine have 4 children, Philip, Hope, David and Daniel and 7 grandchildren. Sy's hobbies include collecting stamps, traveling, and going to both the theater and the opera. Sy and Elaine recently returned from a three week trip to China with Sue and Barry Mirsky and can often be found sitting after Shabbat services telling stories about their trip. Despite his wonderful trips last year, both to China and going on March of the Living, when asked what his favorite trip was he said, "Israel, every other place is second."

When Sy and Elaine first moved to Wayne in 1965 there was no Shomrei Torah. Sy's father had recently passed away and he was looking for a place to say kaddish. He joined Temple Beth Tikvah but shortly after that there was talk of starting a conservative synagogue in Wayne. Sy and other people who are still members of Shomrei Torah today got together, raised funds and held services in various places in Wayne as they planned for a soon-to-be conservative synagogue in Wayne. Sy tells the story with great pride about how he was part of 30 families who were the guarantors for our shul, Shomrei Torah. Sy served as Executive Vice President and was the 7th President. He has continued to be a committed and involved member here by coming to minyan at least 5 times each week and is a "Shabbat Regular"! On Shabbat, Sy is always ready to help by being the Gabbai or Ritual Usher. When asked what has motivated him to remain so involved at Shomrei Torah, Sy said he "truly enjoys being Jewish" and he feels that he "wanted to set an example to his children of what is right and wrong."

Sy has also made many Israel Bond Appeals at Shomrei Torah on the High Holidays and was very active in starting Solomon Schechter in Oakland. He is most proud of his work with the Jewish community and his family. Sy considers himself to be a very lucky man, and we, at Shomrei Torah, have been very lucky to have had Sy Schlossberg help make Shomrei Torah what we are today. Thank you Sy for all that you have done!