Tamar Klompas was born a Catholic in a tiny German town. The stirring of her soul, and slow but steady growth, led her to a new life as a Jewish wife, mother, and master gardener
The little patio outside Tamar Klompas’s home in Brighton, Massachusetts is a pleasant place to be on a summer evening. Just beyond the screen door, in the buttery light of the living room, her children are clustered around a laptop, absorbed in a science documentary. At the little table where we sit, wind chimes stir in the breeze, and a cat slinks around the garden just beyond. It’s a small but well-tended space, since Tamar trained and qualified as a Master Gardener. She now helps clients design and manage their gardens, and maintains a gardening blog.
Tamar came to Brighton 12 years ago, as a 32-year-old bride. She’s tall and fair, with blue eyes; she has a serene, thought-out way of speaking and moving. Today a mother of four, including a set of twins, she’s well ensconced and happily settled into her life here.
Tamar’s husband, Dr. Michael Klompas, is the chief of epidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Essentially, he’s become the COVID czar of the hospital, their equivalent of Dr. Fauci, leading the team that manages COVID in coordination with the CDC. With his master’s in public health in addition to his medical degrees, it’s up to him to set policy and guidelines and make decisions for the hospital.
The Klompases met at a destination wedding in Italy neither was sure they’d attend. Tamar was a friend of the Italian kallah. Michael was a cousin of the chassan; he’s a South African whose family moved to Toronto when he was growing up.
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