b'A Vision, a Varianceand Hundreds ofHappy ChildrenOne womans journey to make the world a nicer place, one child at a time.BY TAMARA STECKLERFrumie Bogomilsky leads the KinderGan preschool at the newly-built Maplewood Jewish Center, a long jour-ney from when it was housed in her residence.I n 1995, with a desire to enhance Judaism inment aimed at giving each child the tools to succeed. town of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Frumie traveled theMaplewood/SouthOrangecommunityFast forward to today. Just across the street fromto Australia to complete a year of work at a college wherehewasraised,SholomBogomilskythe Bogomilsky residence is a brand new, impres- seminary program. During that time she was placed and his wife, Frumie Bogomilsky, commutedsivestate-of-theart-structurehousingtheMaple- in a preschool and asked to assist in the provision of from their home in Brooklyn to assist with thewoodJewishCenter,includingasynagoguewithJudaic studies for 45 children ages 3 to 5. She was, at leadership of the Beth Ephraim-Maplewooda thoughtfully designed sanctuary, a social hall forfirst, unmoved by this opportunity; she did not see Jewish Center, a small orthodox congregationgatherings, and a mikvah, a bath used for an impor- working with children in her future. But slowly, she housed in a dwelling on the corner of Parker Avenuetant Jewish ritual. But it also includes four appeal- began to love it. Then, when the main Judaic studies and Prospect Street.ing, well-appointed, child-friendly preschool class- teacher left, they asked her to step into that role, and In 2000, the couple bought a residence right uprooms: KinderGans new home. a career and passion were both born.the block with a dental office attached and moved inNo one is more surprised at this turn of eventsAfter leaving Australia, Frumie went back to New with their growing family. One variance and a reno- than Frumie. While Frumie can speak of KinderGanYork City, taught at a yeshiva in Queens, and met vation later, in 2003, KinderGan was born, a singlefor hours, she is not as comfortable speaking abouther husband. After the birth of her first two chil-roompreschoolcreatedtoprovidechildrenwithherself, although her story is one of a woman with adren, she stopped working but went back to school an educational experience based on Jewish moralsmission, buoyed by her strong belief systems and herto obtain both her bachelors and masters degree in and values. While Rabbi Bogomilsky led the con- drive to give children a space to be celebrated. teaching. According to Frumie, the family decided gregation in addition to his C.P.A. day job, FrumieAs the child of parents who moved in the corpo- to return to Maplewood/South Orange to deepen focused on KinderGan, at that time a half-day pre- rate world, Frumie expected that she would followthe Jewish experience in the community in which school program attached to her home, which pridedthe same path, taking a job in banking or somethingherhusbandwasraised.Herhusbandsrolewas itself in creating a warm and welcoming environ- similar. After attending high school in her home- clear: he would help lead the congregation and con-18/ matters magazine / winter 2022'