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Tell us about yourselves.

Keely: I was born in Denver and moved here as a young boy with my family, in 1986. My father, Rabbi Menachem Goldberger, moved to Baltimore with my mother, Rebbetzin Bracha, and our family to establish what is now Congregation Tiferes Yisroel. I have lived here ever since.

Jillian: I’m a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I’m the only Goldberger-in-law who was not raised in the shul! When I met my in-laws, they exuded this warmth, acceptance, and love, and that’s what they’re all about. We have six children: Nechama, Ayelet, Racheli, Ariella, Aharon and Tali. We have four girls at Bais Yaakov. I like to be involved in my girls’ school and give back in whatever way I can!

Keely, you’ve done some construction work for several area

Keely and Jillian Goldberger

shuls, including your father’s. Please talk about that.

I’m a concrete and underground infrastructure contractor, with 15 years experience in the industry. I’ve had the privilege to be able to help out several shuls in Baltimore and D.C. area with construction of their mikvaos, including the National Synagogue, Rabbi Taub’s, and the mikvah for keilim at A to Z Savings. For my father’s shul, I’ve done various projects. such as: pouring sidewalks, ramps and fixing the parking lot. Right now my crews are in the middle of a pretty big project, involving an excavation down to the foundation to put in an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp to the basement. It will definitely be of great benefit to have that availability, so that everybody, with whatever accessibility needs they have, can get to the social hall easily and safely.

You’re among the organizers of the shul’s annual 24-hour Causematch campaign, which was March 3. It went well, did it not?

Keely: It went very well thank G-d. A team of capable people worked diligently to find matching funds, and there was a lot of coordination, especially with my mother, Rebbetzin Goldberger. We raised just over $180,000. I would say that it being Rabbi Goldberger’s shul, is what made it such a success.

Jillian: It’s an opportunity for people to show hakaras hatov to my inlaws for all the good that they do for people, whether shul members or not. They are always there for people, in whatever capacity is needed. Keely works very, very hard on this campaign. He really tries to help the shul and his parents, to make it the success that it is.

Keely: The biggest part of the campaign’s success, is that the whole Baltimore community—and beyond—all stepped up.

You are being honored for your contributions to the shul at this year’s anniversary concert on Sunday, October 25th, and the Israeli singer-songwriter Yonatan Razel is returning for a livestream performance.

Keely: I’m very excited about it. I went to his concert last year. He’s so captivating and talented.

Jillian: He had everybody on the edge of their seats through the entire performance.

Keely: He has this sense of pure honesty about his trade. You can feel his enthusiasm for his music.

Jillian: I think that’s also how people feel about my father-in-law’s music too. To hear them together is fun, exciting and uplifting. You don’t want the concert to end.

Tiferes Yisroel has a reputation as a special kind of place. What do you think people like about it?

Keely: Everyone is going to tell you, and it’s true, that the warmth and acceptance whoever you are, are astounding. But beyond that, what I’ve found is that a lot of times in life, what you get out is what you put in—but beyond that, at my father’s shul. you’re going to gain something just by virtue of walking through the door, whether it’s the love that permeates the environment, a simple greeting, or a sense of belonging. To me, that’s beautiful. It’s unconditional love. It’s not just the Rabbi and the Rebbetzin who create that, but it’s the entire kehilla that makes it as special as it is.

Jillian: Something we hear a lot from our peers, and even from strangers, when we say we’re the Goldbergers’ son and daughter-in-law, is that when they go to the shul or speak to my in-laws, they feel their sincerity and warmth. They are also remembered and feel at home when they return.