Memory Lane: Chevra Shomrei Hadas of Borough Park

At 1327 41st Street stands a modest shul which, for the past few decades, has served as a shul for Bucharian Yidden. A little over one hundred years ago, the shul was founded as Machzikei Hadas of Borough Park—one of the first, if not the first—shtieblach in Boro Park. 

Over its century of existence, the shul has served as a warm home for Torah and tefillah for Yidden of the area. Today, we chronicle some of the events and stories of this forgotten chapter in Boro Park history. 

Founding Shomrei Hadas 

Before we get to some of the changes that took place within the congregation early in its history (some of which we have not been able to decipher and make sense of), we chronicle the founding of the shul near the turn of the 20th century. 

The earliest mention that we find of the shul—which would have existed prior to this—is the sale of the property at 1327 41st Street, as we read in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Friday, August 1, 1913: “Borough Park sales. Thomas Kilcoyne has sold 1327 Forty-first street, a two-family home for G. Girard, to M. Blum… Mr. Kilcoyne reports that there is a growing demand for Borough Park property.” 

Who was M. Blum, to whom the property for the shul was sold in 1913, and how do we know that he was associated with the shul? The answer to this question comes from Der Morgen Zhournal from December of 1918, where we read: “A brocho… in honor of the siyum Mishnayos and seder Mo’ed in the Chevra Shas in the Beis Hakneses Shomrei Hadas of Borough Park, which the Chevra Mishnayos and Chevras Shas celebrated in the home of the gabbai, Reb Moshe Blum. The Chaverim spent time together while partaking of the refreshments together with divrei Torah. There, they gathered the sum of $19.40 for the Ezras Torah fund. May Hashem enable them ‘to learn and to teach, to guard and to carry out.’” (According to this timeline, the Shul was called Shomrei Hadas at least as early as 1918. As we are about to see, the name changed shortly thereafter, and it was changed back to Shomrei Hadas after that). 

According to the Works Progress Administration Survey, the following is a brief history of the early beginnings of the shul: Machzikei Hadath of Borough Park (Supporters of the Faith) 1327 41st Street, Brooklyn. Incorporated 1920 as Chevra Machzike Hadas Anshe Sfard of Borough Park. Previously: 1345 42nd Street until 1918; 4024 13th Avenue until 1919, at which time current building was occupied.” It is interesting to note that the Shul—which for most of its existence davened nusach Ashkenaz—was founded as a nusach Sfard shul.  

"In 1920, a group of six members broke away and formed a new congregation called "Sfath Emeth of Borough Park." This is very significant, because it tells us about the origins of the legendary Sfas Emes shtiebel, which is still in existence, and which hosted so many visiting important Rabbonim and Admorim in the early years, when there were very few chassidishe shtieblach in Boro Park.  

More from the WPA Survey: “In 1921 the remaining members joined the new congregation and the above organization was disbanded." This is likely when the name was changed back from Machzikei Hadas to Shomrei Hadas—a name that has remained with the congregation through thick and thin, until its disbandment sometime in the 1990’s. 

Personalities of the Shul 

Over the years, there were many important personalities who were prominent in the shul. 

Reb Alter Kreppel, a Yid with a long white beard, is interred in the chelkah of Shomrei Hadas in Montefiore Cemetery. He appears as one of the founders of the Boro Park Vaad Hakashrus, founded in 1922 and incorporated in 1933. 

Reb Odom Yehuda Enowitz was a Yid from Poland who was niftar at  the age of 105— a talmid chochom and yerei Shomayim who saw the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. He delivered a shiur to the members of the shul, and appears in a newspaper clipping from Der Tog in 1962, when the shiur completed the entire Chamishah Chumshei Torah over four years. The maggid shiur was presented with a beautiful besomim box by the rov, Rav Shloime Greenbaum, about whom we will elaborate now. 

The little shul chugged along until it could no longer. It was sold to the Bucharian community and the funds disbursed to various tzeddakos in Eretz Yisroel—following close to a century of existence in Boro Park of yore.