97-year-old Edward Hoffman and his wife, Miriam, met at a convalescent center in Sweden after they survived Nazi concentration camps. This week he recited Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing, as four generations of his family looked on during the inaugural High Holiday services at Long Island’s newest synagogue.
97-Year-Old Survivor Finds New Purpose at Long Island’s Newest Congregation
Born in a small town in the Carpathian Mountains, Edward Hoffman was just a teen when his life was upended by the Holocaust. Out of 11 siblings, only he and one brother survived the Nazi German death camps. On Rosh Hashanah morning, 97-year-old Edward Hoffman stood beside the ark at Chabad of Sea Cliff and Glen Cove, N.Y., faced the congregation and recited Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing, as three younger generations of his family looked on.
