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Mary Bobo:
... at the UofL Oral History project. Today is April 3, 1979. I'm talking with
Mrs. Bess Harris and Mrs. Martha Greene. Martha Greene was born in Tuckin, Russia and presently resides in Heights Lane. Bess Harris was born in Louisville, Kentucky and presently lives on Elmira Circle. They're the daughters of Rachel and Abraham Jacob Waldman. Mr. Waldman was born approximately 1874 and lived until 1933. Mrs. Waldman died in 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky.M.B.:
Mrs. Greene, I'd like for you to begin now and tell us some of the circumstances
under which your parents came to this country.Martha Greene:
Well, my father was a soldier in the army. And when he got out he thought he'd
1:00be much safer in America. So, why he picked Louisville, Kentucky, we really can't tell. But, he did come with his family, and we resided in our early life on Fehr Avenue, which he bought a home because he couldn't get even an apartment for the children he had. We were seven children. And there was none available. They wouldn't rent it to anyone with so many children. So he had to scrape and save to get a home on Fehr Avenue. From there on we grew up, and we went to school. And I for one went to Thomas Jefferson School on Walnut Street. And we had a lovely family unity.M.G:
And furthermore, he came as ... He had to make a livelihood. So he peddled, or
you might say he had sort of an installment type of business. And the people 2:00always loved him. Every week he would collect the bill payments that was given to him. Also, whatever they wanted to buy, they asked him to bring their sheets or pillowcases or stockings or whatever and he would let them owe it to him. He had the day for collections and that's what he did until he opened up a small store, and I was maybe about 14 at the time, 15. From there, we branched out into a larger place on Preston and Walnut.M.B.:I believe his first store was about 512 South Preston, where we-
M.G:
520 South Preston was his first small store and from there he branched out into
this corner building at 500 South Preston. I used to help him very much with a 3:00sister of mine, Mrs. Ann [Gertsman 00:03:09], who now lives in Florida. She was one of the workers and myself. My oldest sister, she didn't like the dry goods end of it. Believe it or not, as a girl she became a salesman, to call on stores. She was about 18 at the time. Well, she didn't care for the business type. They would call her a "drummer" at the time. This business that she did was run through the main streets, she got merchandise, had orders taken. That was what she did, and we all helped. Every one of us helped in the store. It was a wonderful unity in our childhood days. And growing up days.M.B.:
Mrs Harris, tell us some of the things that you recall about these early days
4:00here. Say, perhaps living over the store, and some-Bess Harris:
Well before that, I remember I was born on Fehr Avenue street. I was born at the
very lovely home we had there. We had, I remember, grape vine in the back. Oh, it was a beautiful home. We really felt that we were in luxury. When we moved on Preston Street at 520 South Preston, we lived in, was it in back of the store, I believe. We moved, then we moved. In our home two and then we went to the big store. It was called Waldman's Department Store. That was two big buildings together, corner building. We had a very large apartment upstairs, 8 rooms. They were large rooms, we used to have a lot of company. It was just beautiful. We really felt... Even though we were more or less like middle class, I guess you 5:00would call it, but we felt that we were really in luxury.B.H.:
At this store, was when my older sisters Martha and Ann and Goldy used to work.
And then, when... My brother went to school at pharmacy. He never did work in the store. He really was and is a wonderful brother. He was like one of the girls, he used to help with the... They taught him how to sew and things like that a little bit. He used to do all kinds of things with the girls. But, he never did act like a boy- Spoiled, he never was spoiled. So, anyway. [inaudible 00:05:42]B.H.:
In 1929, there was the Depression. My father, after my older sisters had gotten
6:00married, he went and took only one side of the building, one part of the building. He rented out the other to a man who sold records and Victrolas. This man was bankrupt, went bankrupt. Then, my father bought out his place. He start selling records and Victrola. At that time, it was my younger sister Riva [Kahn 00:06:27] and myself. We were the clerks. I never will forget, we used to get a salary. My father believed in paying us, even though we got our room and board and everything free, we still got a salary. My father used to go and watch how they put in springs in Victrolas. He used to say they char... that he had to charge $2.50 for that work. By watching, he learned how to put in springs in these Victrolas. He only charged a dollar and a quarter. He used to say, "You 7:00see, some people they want to make so much money." He said, "It isn't necessary." He felt that he was making a good living and at the same time only had to charge $1.25.B.H.:
So, my sister and I, we were selling records and Victrolas. We enjoyed that
work. In fact, I got married. And, because our home was so big over there, my husband and I, we lived there for two years. When my little girl was born, we lived another three months and then we moved out on our own. At that time, even though I was married, I used to work in the store. We used to have the store open on Sundays because we always had... you know, we were closed on Saturdays and all the holidays. My parents, as you know, were very, very pious. He went to 8:00the synagogue three times a day. His life actually revolved around the religion, both my mother's and my father's life. We were instilled in us, the observances of Judaism, keeping Kosher, and not riding on the Sabbath. This was instilled at us, and love for Judaism.M.B.:
I believe that, as you say, everything was mixed with your religion as far as
his occupation, that he even did Bar Mitzvah instruction in the back of the store. Would you tell us about this?B.H.:
Oh, yes. That is something I never will forget. The picture that he painted. We
had windows in this corner store, and he used to get in the store and people that passed by could see him. He was fixing his Victrolas. And at the same time, boys used to come to him. He tutored them in order for them to become Bar 9:00Mitzvahed. Even though the boys would go to Hebrew school, and they had to learn, they still needed separate tutoring for the Bar Mitzvahs. So, he used to be fixing his Victrolas and at the same time he'd listen to the boys. One of my friends told me recently, when she used to bring her brother over there, "I never could understand how your dad, he was concentrating on his work that he had to do. And yet, he was concentrating on my brother," she said, "but if my brother made a mistake, he really caught it." To this day, I run into men now that are in their 60's who remember my father and will tell me that it was, "Because of your father, I had a Bar Mitzvah."B.H.:
Of course, he didn't take any money. His life was filled up with trying to
10:00promote Judaism. This was his life. Besides, he was such a good man in so many ways. He was like a doctor. Before a person went to a doctor... The neighbors, the relatives, they always came to him. My mother didn't take care of us in that respect. When any of us were ill, it was always my father. But they themselves, he used to help her. He'd mop the floor, he'd sweep floor. Anything he could do to help her. He was one of the greatest husbands that I know of. And, if they lived today, they would fit in beautifully. Because, today the women want the husbands to be part of their lives, and he certainly was that. And, he was happy.B.H.:
I remember this so vividly. Everything made him happy, he was just happy. Even
though, he, himself was so religious, he didn't judge other people. Of course, he always would bring home people to... that went to the synagogue. These were 11:00unfortunates that, they needed help. They would come through. They would go from one city to another, these unfortunates. During the week, it was not surprising, they brought some people over, or on a Sabbath. Almost every Saturday there was somebody that would come, or sometimes two people, sometimes three people. My mother always welcomed them. She herself was very involved in the Keneseth sisterhood.B.H.:
You know, Mrs. Bobo, Jewish life is being good to God, and good to man. That's
what Jewish religion is all about. In other words, say a person just goes to the synagogue to pray, that's not everything. You have to be good to man. We realize 12:00that this is the way we were taught to live. When it came to charity, we were told, if ten people come and asked you for money, there might be only one that is worthy of you giving, but my father said, "You have to give all ten, because you never know who the one is that needs it."M.B.:
I believe, even the community used his interest in other people, such as finding
out which people would be deserving of welfare, did they not?B.H.:
Yes, yes. Martha, you remember that part?
M.G:
He was always investigated, rather, he would investigate the poor people that
were in Louisville at the time, and they were on welfare. There was an agency on Walnut Street that Mr. Charles [Sprall 00:12:54] and Mrs. [Crackhar 00:12:55] were the head of. They always consulted my father, Mr. Waldman, to go ahead and 13:00find out if these people were deserving of their help because they were really down and out. But, they still felt like they should be looked after or sought after to see if they should get the proper attention, and the charity that they rightfully did get. So my father-B.H.:
And they organized a group called, the [Gamilla classet 00:13:28]. This group
lent money to people who needed it. It was mostly, to maybe start a livelihood or to help them and their business. My father was treasurer of this group called the [Gamilla Classet 00:13:50]. They lent without interest. And, it was no set time. They did have to have someone to guarantee it. In fact, one time, my 14:00father himself had to pay where some man wasn't able to meet his obligations. These were the kind of things he was interested in.B.H.:
I remember as a child, his love for Palestine. He went to people and asked them
to buy land for Palestine. He went to little country towns soliciting money. He used to tell my mother, he'd say, "Oh, I don't understand people, why they don't realize that the Jewish people need a land of our own." See, so, we were brought up knowing that we had something to think about. That Palestine, God willing, was going to be our home one of these days. This is what he was working for. So, that's why we have a love for Jewish National Fund, which is buying trees and 15:00buying land. This was something we learned very, very young, the love for Palestine.B.H.:
I'm sorry he, himself and my mother didn't get to live to go to Palestine, but
I'm sure he knows that his children have been going to Israel, and everything. I'm just thrilled to know that my father had such a vision. Where so many of his friends didn't have this vision, but he had this vision.M.B.:
This just seems like such a great responsibility for a person of non-English
speaking background. Can you tell me how he was able to manage so well when Russian-M.G:
When we came to America, as I said, he always felt like that he wanted to talk
and learn as fast as he possibly could because it was quite hard, when you first come over from the old country, to learn the English language. We in turn... he 16:00would read the English paper and ask us a lot of question. He would want us to speak to him in Yiddish, and he would answer in English. So, that way, he could become more familiar with the English language and cope with the situation. He really was a very, very learned man, and easy, easy to cope with the situation, and learned very fast. We were all very proud of him.M.G:
Of course, he did become a citizen. That's another thing that he was so proud.
He stood up on the courthouse step and just felt like it was, "Glory, glory Hallelujah." That's the truth, he was one of the most proudest men. He waved that citizen paper up in the air, and, to tell the world, right on the beautiful 17:00day. It was beautiful on the courthouse steps. My younger sister, she was with him, holding his hand to come down the steps. That was one of the biggest moments, I think, in my father's life. To become that American citizen. Of course, all of his children, we, those that were able, we all became good American citizens, I think so.M.B.:
Well, citizenship and synagogue seem to go hand-in-hand. I believe there's an
interesting story as to the original synagogues, and their merger to the [crosstalk 00:17:36] Can you tell me the connection?B.H.:
We used to belong to the small synagogue at Preston and Liberty Street. It was
called Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. There was another small synagogue on East Jefferson Street, and that was called B'nai Yankov. After a while, these two synagogues merged. My father, being active in the synagogue board and 18:00everything, he was one... In 1928, this happened Mrs. Bobo. He was one who worked on this committee for the merger. According to Jewish law, the traditional synagogue is separate seating. The women separate, the men separate. In the by-laws of this synagogue... By the way, the synagogue was changed to the name of Keneseth Israel Synagogue. It was built, a gorgeous place, on Floyd and Jacob streets. Now, in the by-laws, it was written that this synagogue must never be changed from separate seating. I'm sorry, that it turned out, that 19:00later on, some of the young people did change it. But, I know if people like my father and mother were alive today, this would not have happened.M.B.:
How was the money raised for the building?
B.H.:
Well, I'll tell you what. He was one of the signers, and he had a collateral on
his store and on his home. I'm sure most of the people in those days did it, but they had such faith that they were going to succeed that they had no fear. When they were selling different honors, in the synagogue and fixtures and different things, my father borrowed $500 for the honor of purchasing the chandelier that hung in this gorgeous, gorgeous synagogue. You don't find many people today who 20:00borrow money to give for the support of the synagogue or for another good cause. They lived on faith. They knew that they wouldn't be able to do these kind of things.M.B.:
Your father, I know, was honored in death and respected in life. You have
explained to me how, in the neighborhood, it was a mixed neighborhood, people of many different backgrounds. Would you share some of this with us and how, at his death all of this came into play?B.H.:
Mrs. Bobo, it was wonderful. The honor that was given to my father when he
passed away. His body was brought into the synagogue and on the bimah, it was 21:00placed on the bimah. The synagogue was crowded, just like on the high holy days, with non-Jews, with the blacks, and of course with Jewish people. To my knowledge, I don't remember any funeral of very religious people, other religious people, where they brought the body into the synagogue. I thought, "Oh, our children, my sisters, and my brother and myself, we really are blessed to have had parents like my mother and father." 22:00B.H.:
One man, who came to see us at the time when we were sitting shiva, he said,
"Your father left a beautiful heritage." He said, "Maybe money-wise he wasn't rich." But, we of course, felt that we were rich because we had the store, we had the lovely home, we did what we wanted to do, and all these kind of things. We felt that we were very rich even money-wise.B.H.:
Come back to the funeral itself. It was led by motorcycle police escort. Of
course, they do that to a lot of funerals, large funerals. But, the fact that his body was actually put on the bimah. He never did really want a eulogy or anything. It's just so great about people that have moved into this city. Every once in a while, I run into someone, he said, "Yeah, I've heard about your 23:00father. He was called the Red Waldman." He was called the Red Waldman. He had a brother that was called the Black Waldman, because this one had a real black beard. My father's beard and hair were tinted a little red.B.H.:
There's a very funny story, Mrs. Bobo, about that. My mother said... my mother
used to love red hair, she said, "None of her children have red hair." The fact that here her husband had red but she didn't have it. According to Jewish belief, a husband's livelihood depends a great deal on the wife. If a person is prosperous, a husband, it's most of the time because they've had a wife who has worked along with him and helped him, and he's had this kind of a life. I don't 24:00know if you've, you probably have heard of mitzvah. When a person does a good dead, they have a mitzvah. My father, knowing that my mother, in her own rights, did so much for the community for people. People used to come to both my father and mother for advice on this, advice on that. Because they were the kind of people being interested in other people, they knew that they would give them this advice.B.H.:
In fact, I'm getting off of the point a minute, but I just recalled a story that
someone told me. This woman had a very sick child. The doctors could not help this child. She came to my mother, my mother said... The child was very weak looking and sickly looking. She said, "Why don't you give this child..." I don't know what this was that she told her, "A certain kind of food and diet." This 25:00person who told me about it said, "Do you know that child lived because your mother told her what to do for this child?" So, this is the kind of people they were.B.H.:
Mrs. Bobo, I'll go back to this Mitzvah thing I started explaining to you. My
father, because my mother was such a help mate to him like I told you, he said to her one day... Her name being Rachael, in Yiddish it's [foreign language 00:25:37]. He said, "[foreign language 00:25:40], I'm telling you right now, half of my mitzvah goes to you." I thought that was so beautiful. In other words, even when a wife does a lot of charity, according to the Jewish law, the husband, for some reason, gets the credit. Which, I know they should get part of 26:00the credit or half of the credit, but he wanted to be sure that she was... So, he made an open declaration. He said, "[foreign language 00:26:14]." I'm repeating it because I thought it was so beautiful. He said, "I'm telling you, half of my mitzvahs go to you." Like I said, we were just blessed to have such parents.M.B.:
Well, you did come from a large family. Let's, for a few minutes, talk about the
various brothers... the brother and the various sisters. I believe four of you were born in Russia, the rest in the United States?M.G:
Well, I was the second child. My sister Cassie, she was the older one. Following
us, I have a sister, Ann. And then my sister Goldy. We four came with my mother. 27:00My father did come just a little ahead of my mother, so he could get settled in a place. And then, we came on the next ship. Of course, I was only 4 years old at the time, so I don't recall anything on the ship, or anything of that nature. Other than that, my father would tell us all about the history of his life and early age. That was what I can remember. After that, we all became very involved in American life, and we enjoyed everything with the synagogues and with people. We followed a little bit in our father's footstep, I believe. Hopefully, that we wouldn't have disgraced him, not for the world. Because he was such a good man and good father, we certainly appreciate everything. So, we can live a little bit on his laurels, actually. I know my sister, Bess, feels the same way about it. 28:00M.B.:
And then Bess, I believe several were born here in Louisville?
B.H.:
Yes, my brother Herman. And then, I was born and then my sister Riva. Now, my
brother is a very good brother. A very considerate brother, never spoiled. Very charitable. He put himself through school of pharmacy. Of course, we thought it was such a great thing that he did it on his own. He married a very fine person, Pearl [Wegsman 00:28:37] and now they're living in Florida. They have a very nice family. Thankfully all of the children married very good. We didn't do like my mother had said to us. She used to complain, she said, "You can fall in love with a rich boy or girl just as well as with a poor one." And then, after we were all married, she said, "None of my children listened to me." 29:00B.H.:
But anyway, my parents were very satisfied with our choices. Thank goodness we
all have good lives. So, they were very satisfied.M.B.:
And ,I believe all but two are still residing in Louisville, are they not?
B.H.:
Yes, all but two, that's right. My sister Riva and my brother-in-law Dave, after
a while, they bought the store from my parents. They didn't right away, but he went into business. At that time, it was during the Depression. They were to get married, and my brother-in-law wanted to... He was a little worried because here he didn't have this job because he was very young, and they kept the older persons. Anyway, they talked it over with my mother and father. My father said, 30:00"I'll tell you what. You go over and take over the store, now." He was ready to give up the Victrola... Because here I was married and Riva was getting married.B.H.:
So then, my brother-in-law, Dave, said, "Well, what kind of business will I go
into?" He said, "You know what? You go into the five and ten." To think at that time that he thought of things like a five and ten cents store. They listened to him, and thank goodness, they were very, very successful in it. My brother-in-law since, they retired. He's retired and everything. He was the one that even made the suggestion. He was there, they were both there with all kind of advice and everything else. And we listened, because we knew they knew what they were talking about.M.G:
That's the way life is, isn't it?
31:00M.B.:
Your father, as you said, was a very happy man.
B.H.:
Oh, he was so happy.
M.B.:
You mentioned that he never really attended very many movies and this type of
thing. But, there is one story I believe.M.G:
Yes, he finally gave in to go to the movies, and that was when Al Jolson was in
The Jazz Singer. The reason for that was Al Jolson sang the most beautiful melody of our Kol Nidrei night. That is, the New Year's Eve night.B.H.:
Yom Kippur.
M.G:
Yom Kippur. It was such a beautiful story, that he finally gave in to go with
me. I took him, it was down at the Strand Theater, right on 4th and Chestnut. It's changed now. I don't know what's in there now. All the old neighborhoods are gone. But, he did enjoy that movie, and I was so happy that he gave in to. He just felt like it was a little foolish to go to movies. He should be here now 32:00and see what they're showing.M.B.:
...Orthodox community. The children continue to lead Jewish lives. Would you, at
this time, set out for us the children and their husbands and their families as they exist today?B.H.:
Well, my sister Cassie passed away at the age of 36. She was the oldest of the
girls. She was married to Jacob Goldstein. They had two sons, thank goodness, Samuel and Marvin who are living. Samuel has two daughters and one grandchild. 33:00They are both druggists. Something that I never will forget about my sister Cassie, besides being a very observant Jewess, she used to go to the old Jewish hospital and visit all the patients there. She always brought them cheer. And then, if they'd say, "Well, I want a little something." And they wanted, sometimes, some of the Jewish patients would say they want some gefilte fish. Something like that, she used to bring it to them. She brought them little presents.B.H.:
She loved to give gifts. She would do that to our mother too. I remember, she
used to... was one of them that, she just loved bringing somebody little gifts. My sister Martha will tell about herself. She came second in line.M.G:
I'm sister Martha. Cassie and I was inseparable. Really, we were just one person
34:00in two bodies, actually, because I loved her and she loved me. We both did things together. Then, when the loss of her, was really a sad one for me, because I'll never get over it. But, we were nice neighbors at one time. My first husband, I married a man by the name of Simon Fine. We had a little grocery on Floyd and Jacob, which was close to my sister Cassie. And that's one reason, I suppose, I was very devoted to her and she to me. When my oldest little daughter was born, I had one that we called Erma Jean. Matter of fact, Cassie even named her. She loved the name of Erma Jean. Not long afterwards, did she pass away. That's my sister Cassie.M.G:
Then, I had another lovely daughter named Silvia Cline, and rather she was
Silvia Fine, but she's married to a man by the name of Howard Cline, a very fine 35:00person. She has four children, two sons and two daughters, which I adore. Then, I have a younger daughter that she lives now in Southfield, Michigan. She's married to a doctor, a head... doctor of the head, actually. Ears, nose, and throat and whatever surgery needs to be done on a head. They're getting along fine. I also have lovely, two grandchildren from them a boy and a girl. Now, the son is already in college, which I think he's going to become a doctor.M.G:
So, all in all, I suppose my family... Matter of fact, I almost forget to tell
you. My oldest daughter Erma Jean [Yoppy 00:35:51], she is now married to Eddie [Yoppy 00:35:54]. They have a son and a daughter, lovely. From the daughter, 36:00there's three grandchildren. That makes my daughter a grandmother, where myself a great-grandmother. All in all, I'm real happy about the situation and hope they all get along fine and well, and observe the positive Judaism and hopefully they'll go on living good lives from now on, forever.B.H.:
After Martha, comes Ann. Ann's married to Sam [Gertsman 00:36:35]. Up until a
few months ago, they were living in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ann is a very active person. She has done so much for the orthodox old home in Cincinnati. They first had one building. Then, she was on the building front for the other. She was on the board. She used to spend three to four days a week there. She knew everyone. 37:00Several times, when I went up to visit her... I used to enjoy to go up and see these people. She would cheer them up and say, "Come on now, you feel good." She wouldn't let anybody say they didn't feel good. Recently, they moved to Clearwater. In fact, she didn't want to move out of Cincinnati, because of her love for the residents at the orthodox home. But, the weather was getting too cold, the winters and the doctor said she should move. But, she really left it very regretfully. They gave her a big party. The residents had, between themselves, collected a lot of money for my sister Ann to purchase something for their new condominium in Florida.B.H.:
She did something that I will always remember. When she was going to the
Louisville girls high school... The graduations, at that time, were on Friday 38:00evening. Well, being observant Jews, none of us would ride. My father talked to her about this and everything. She went the principal of the school, all by herself, she didn't ask any of the other Jewish kids to go with her. She went there and she said, "I won't be able to graduate with the class. My parents will not be able to come up." She said, "Because of the graduation." This principal changed the date of the graduation to another evening. I don't have to tell you what a wonderful person, this person... How we feel about the fact that he did it for one person. After that, for years, none of the school graduations at the 39:00girls high school were on Friday night.B.H.:
My sister, Ann, has wonderful qualities and she married a very fine man. They
have two daughters, Shirley Fishman, who lives in Clearwater, Florida with her family. They have two children. Then, she has Gilda, the youngest daughter, is married to Leonard [Serbetter 00:39:32] and they have four children. Gilda is a doctor of psychology. Her husband recently... He's in the education field in California. He wrote a book about the having school twelve months out of the year. He was written up in the California paper. He's done a great deal for 40:00public school education. He's also very, very learned. He's an observant Jew, by the way. He is very, very learned in Judaism. At one time, when Gilda was going with Leonard, he was tutoring boys for their Bar Mitzvah and things like that. They have a beautiful family and she's very happy with the great-grandchildren. They're darling children.B.H.:
Then comes my sister Goldy. Sister Goldy, I kid her a lot. Times I'll say,
"Sister Goldy." Anyway, she is very fun-loving. When anybody's around her, they just love to be in her company. She's a good dancer. Her husband, he should rest in peace, Arvil, was a very, very good man. They used to dance a lot, just 41:00always dancing. She has two... She has a store called Goldy's Discount Shoe store at Preston and Liberty. She has her son and daughter-in-law in business with her. Unfortunately, her husband passed away a number of years ago. She has a very... They're both lovely people, her son and daughter-in-law. They have three children. They have a son and two daughters and they're all doing so well, educationally. She has a very lovely daughter, Carolyn, who is married to Dave [Crichtmen 00:41:55]. They have two daughters, Carolyn and Dave, and one son. 42:00They're all lovely. Ivan, the grandson, he is going to architecture school. They're just all beautiful children. Goldy too, tries to do what she can do.B.H.:
After Goldy, comes my brother Herman. Now, like I told you, Herman is not a
spoiled person. He's very close to the sisters and so is his wife. He's married to the former Pearl [Wegsman 00:42:36]. She loves our family just like we would be her sister. They have a son, Allan Waldman, who now lives in Arizona. Allan has two sons and they have a daughter, Sharon [Caplain 00:42:58]. Sharon has three beautiful daughters. Two of them are married. The eldest daughter, Robin, 43:00has two lovely children. My brother, Herman, is very active in the synagogue. They lived in Louisville up until about eight years ago. Both he and Pearl are active in Hallandale, Florida, in the synagogue there. Just recently, he assumed the fund raising chairperson for the synagogue. He is very, very knowledgeable in his Hebrew and everything. Before my parents sent Herman to public school, he was already being tutored in Judaism, at the age of six. 44:00B.H.:
Then come I. I'm married to Sam Harris. I'm very blessed with the parents I
have. God blessed me with giving me a very good husband. Judaism is so much my life. Also, in this house, everything works around Judaism. Even though my husband did not come from as observant a home as I did, rearing the children, he's always let me rear them in my way. They keep the Sabbath, they do not ride on the Sabbath. First, came my daughter Ester. She's married to doctor Arthur David, a chiropractor. There too, I'm very, very fortunate. The fact that Arty 45:00keeps his office open on Sunday and not on the Sabbath. I asked him to do it and he listened to me.B.H.:
Even when he was going to school... My daughter was only 17 when they married.
He said in order to get a job to help supplement the money for his schooling, he would have to work on the Sabbath. I said, "Arty don't do that. Don't worry about it." He was on the G.I. Bill of Rights. He's about six years older than my daughter, so he had already been in the service. He had two years of premed but he decided to switch to chiropractic. I said, "We'll give you a little bit, your parents will give you a little bit." And he listened. He didn't work but he gave 46:00all his time to study. I said, "You'll be blessed because of it." And really he has been.B.H.:
While he was doing postgraduate work, he worked on a girl who had polio for 13
years. Thirteen years prior to that. He got a special certificate. She was walking with a very bad limp, and one leg was very, very thin. He helped her to the fact where she was walking with very slight limp. It took her forever to get across the street. Most of the time when she went to work she had to use... It just took her a long time so she had to use a cab to get home. He worked on this girl, and she just has a slight limp now, and she dances and everything. The funny part, she ended up marrying a chiropractor that used to come over to the 47:00house there.B.H.:
They have four children, two girls and two boys. Their eldest daughter lives in
Israel, in a kibbutz, got married last year. They have a beautiful family too. One of them is the... Bobby, is in research and the other one graduated as an accountant, he's also a writer. Then the youngest one, Shelly, she's in Bellarmine now. This year she was named... one of the students from all the colleges, the Who's Who, of the colleges in America. She was one that was chosen for that. 48:00B.H.:
Then comes my son. He was born six years after Ester and he's observant, never
did work on the Sabbath. I owe so much to my husband because he went along with me with all this. He's married to a very fine girl. She was Marilyn Simon. They lead a very Jewish life. They have a daughter and two sons. We all belong, my family, to the Anshei Sfard synagogue. My sister Martha, and Goldy and Riva belong to the Keneseth Israel.B.H.:
My sister Riva comes next, she's the baby of the family. She's involved in
different activities for this group or that group. She also does beautiful painting and artwork. She's married to David Kahn, who's very active in the 49:00synagogue. They have two wonderful sons, Arnold Kahn and Ronald Kahn. Ronald's an MD and Arnold is in research. They're both wonderful children. They have, both of the sons have two children a piece.M.B.:
Well I want to thank you both, ladies, for talking with us today. I think you've
put down an invaluable record of your family's history. If at any time you would like to add to these tapes, we will be glad to come back and talk with you again. Thank you.M.G:
That would be lovely, thank you so much.
B.H.:
Well, we thank you so much. It was really fun.
