Clearview 1987

I wanted to share the memory that my cousin Aviva sent me:

"For me, going to visit your mother at Clearview was a special delight and holds special memories…I always had the best time with your Mom; we shared lots of laughs and I met all the country friends. 

The funniest story was when Sheldon asked your mother if she had prune juice to help him with his problem. She said no, but called out the door to Shoshanna or someone else nearby to ask if they had prune juice for her cousin. 

Well, Sheldon was mortified and suggested that Eva go make an announcement on the loudspeaker so the entire colony could know his personal business. 

Eva is in my heart. Those summer visits hold good memories for me. What a great friend and cousin your mother was to me."

After I read this, I knew I had to have at least one with the Aviva and Sheldon in Clearview. So I started the painful task of looking through pictures and albums.

Top Row: Aviva, Sheldon and David
Middle: Daniel and Ruchie
Bottom: Chaim, Mommy, Tamara and Devorah

Then I found it! The snapshot is from the summer of 1987. I think this was the phase where we all swore that Devorah was Punky Brewster. Standing in front of Bungalow 34, Sheldon’s mustache, this picture says it all.

My mom always said we had a small family, but that wasn’t really accurate. I think she just meant that we were close. Let me explain.

My Zayda, Izak Leffel and Uncle Dovid (say it like this: Du-vid), were brothers. Uncle Dovid married Tante Hania and had three children: Chaim, Sheldon and Yossel. They lived in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

After Uncle Sach was born, my Bubby fell into a deep depression that lasted months. Since Bubby could not take care of Mommy, Tante Hania and Uncle Dovid stepped in. They welcomed her with open arms. Mommy was delighted to live with her cousins in Brighton. Sheldon and my mom formed a special bond – the brother-sisterly kind. She was devastated when Sheldon was niftar.

Growing up, Aviva and Mommy were great friends and made sure that our families stayed close. Ruchie, David and I loved to visit our cousins in Teaneck – boy did it seem far from Brooklyn. We’d wake up early on Sunday morning to make the drive to New Jersey; it was a far-off place, with grass and trees.

Aviva, I’m so glad that you welcomed us into your hearts. Thank you for taking the time to write what is on our minds.

The Ketubah Mystery

Buby & Zayda's Wedding. From left: Mila Leffel, Izak Leffel, Pinchas Mendlowitz, and Ania Reinharz, of Geneva

My Bubby and Zayda, Mila and Izak Leffel were married on Shushan Purim, Friday March 7, 1947 (15 Adar, 5707). According to my Uncle Sach, Mommy’s brother Psachia Leffel, Shushan Purim was a great day to be married. First, Shushan Purim is a festive day. Second, it takes place in Adar, the month that “was transformed for [the Jews] from mourning to joy” (Esther 9:22). Next, it was a Friday. In the past, Jewish weddings were regularly held on Fridays. The chupah ceremony was held before sunset, and the wedding reception, which started after nightfall, was a grand Shabbat meal for all (see Chabad.org).

But, was that the date recorded on their Ketubah?

Declaration of Marriage

The Ketubah that I found in the Leather Satchel was written on Sunday, 6 Kislev 5710, which translates to November 27, 1949. The dates don’t match. After much searching, I stumbled upon the notion of a ketubah de'irkhesa – a replacement ketubah, in the event that the original was lost. Our Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman of Ohav Emeth in Highland Park, NJ, confirmed this Ketubah replaced the lost original.

The replacement Ketubah was written in Hallein, Austria near the Salzburg Displaced Persons camp (Beth Israel). I also found a Sworn Declaration of Marriage (click to see text) dated November 17, 1949, which makes the date less erroneous. The Declaration confirmed that Izak and Mila were married on August 17, 1938 in Sanok, Poland and did not have their original marriage certificate. While the 1938 marriage date is incorrect, this may explain the date on the Ketubah.

For me, it's close enough on the dates…mystery solved!

Out of Siberia

Finding Yocheved Mendlowitz and bringing her home.
This is one of those stories that makes you say, “I can’t believe this actually happened.” The events are too coincidental; it has to be hashgacha pratis (divine providence).

Bubby's mother, Yocheved Mendlovitz

In the late 1990s, a family friend tracked down my Bubby’s Mother’s gravesite in Siberia. I remember the day we found out. We were living at 1647. My Mom came upstairs and gave my Bubby an envelope. Inside were pictures. Tears streamed down Bubby’s face, and all she could say, in Yiddish, was “That is her, she’s the same.”

When she got on the phone with her brother, the story slowly unraveled. Below is the interview with Bubby’s brother Shalom (they pronounced Shoo-lum).

Article that appeared in Israeli newspaper.

When Shalom Medlowitz made Aliya in 1950, he was forced to leave his mother in Siberia. This week he succeeded in bringing her complete Matzeva (tombstone) and remains home, where she was buried beside her husband.

Last week, Shalom Mendlowitz fulfilled a lifelong dream. Fifty-one years since his mother, Yocheved, died in Russia, Mendlowitz managed to bring her body and Matzeva to Israel.

Everything happened quite by accident. About three weeks ago, an old family friend living in New York, travelled to Siberia to visit his father’s grave. When he took a picture, he also caught part of Yocheved Mendlowitz's grave. When he realized who she was, he sent it to her son, Shalom.

"I suddenly realized that the Matzeva is still intact," says Mendlowitz (78). “Since I moved to Israel in 1950, we discussed how to raise the grave. In 1954, my father died. It was then we decided that our mother should be buried beside him. But at the time, it was impossible. The ties between Israel and Russia were strained."

This time, Mendlowitz was able to contact the Russian authorities and obtain permission to dismantle the monument, exhume the coffin and move them to Israel. "My mother was buried at a Christian hospital cemetery in an area allocated to 40 Jewish families by the Russian government. As soon as our friend identified her grave, we filed the papers to transport her grave. We sent him power of attorney and a picture of the gravesite. The Chevrah Kaddisha (burial society) had a large part in this great mitzvah. Thanks to them, we were able to bury our mother in her rightful resting place, next to our father.”

Mendlowitz was very emotional during the conversation, and wiped away tears of joy. "Our Mother was a righteous woman. She died on a Friday and we hope she may be a Melitza Tova (positive advocate) for our family."

His Sarah wife interrupts, “My husband and our children are all excited. Everyone is delighted we were able to rescue the Matzeva. It's definitely an dream come true – and it is still hard for us to believe that we were successful.”

According to Mendlowitz, his mother’s body was preserved in its entirety because of the cold weather. "I recognize my mother’s four gold teeth. Her body was still is intact – I was shocked. When we buried her (in Israel), an member of the Chevra Kadisha approached me and said he was amazed. Just a few weeks before, he exhumed a different grave, but there was no trace of any remains, aside for the marker."

The wood Siberian Matzeva and stone Star of David that Mendlowitz brought to Israel are in excellent condition. They remain in Shalom’s house, waiting to be included in the new Matzeva.

Tante Nushi Mendlowitz at Kever of Yocheved Mendlowitz

The Leather Satchel

I know this sounds clichéd, but Ruchie and I found buried treasure in the back of a closet. Treasure, in the form of Bubby’s tan leather travel bag filled with post-war papers.

For good reason, there seems to be a certain memory gap around WWII. I can only imagine that the climate was so horrific and speaking the memories was too traumatic. I guess Bubby put away the papers, without realizing that someday they would be threads linking to our history. I’m glad they’ve surfaced.

When I opened the time capsule, this is what I found:

Bubby and Zayda's Ketubah

• Bubby & Zayda’s Ketubah
• Naturalizations certificates for Bubby and Mommy
• U.S. Declaration papers
• Mommy’s immigration card
• Bubby & Zayda’s individual testimonies for war reparations, including doctor’s notes.

Though I was so happy to find, scan, and record them, the papers have left me with many gaps and unanswered questions – trying to piece back history.

Bubby's Naturalization Certificate

Mommy's Naturalization Certificate

I suppose this falls into the category of, “You’ll never know what you’ll find cleaning up.” Until we had to go through all of the closets, we did not. And, if all the work was just for this, I’m glad we did.

Mommy – 2 years old

Zayda's Declaration of Intention

Bubby's Declaration of Intention

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Since it was Mommy's birthday and Yartzeit yesterday, I thought it befitting to write a post about her birthday last year, March 31, 2011. On April 11, I was lucky enough to talk with my Mom. She told me about, what she called, "One of the most amazing birthday's ever." But I'll let her tell it to you, since she wrote about it. This is how she told it:

Today was the best birthday ever.

As I walked down the hallway to my classroom, I was greeted by a sign saying, "Happy Birthday Mrs. Rubin.: The classroom was dark. Opening the light, I heard "Surprise, Happy Birthday." The girls started singing the birthday song.

I was totally surprised by everything. The room was decorated with red and white streamers, colored birthday balloons and signs all stating happy birthday. There was even a piñata that Shira made filled with candy. On my desk, there were two cakes: an ice cream cake and a round chocolate covered cake and a beautiful bouquet of three mylar balloons (one that looked like a butterfly).

The girls put on music and started to dance. They pulled me into the circle and I danced with each of them. What fun we had!

Then, I had to leave the room to play hot and cold. When I re-entered the room, the girls would say happy for hot and birthday for cold. I finally found the card and gift the girls gave me.

I told them no gift was better than the one they had just given me. The caring and love they had shown me was worth more than anything.

So Mommy, Happy Birthday to you. I am so happy that you decided to jot this down. We love and miss you. You are forever in our hearts.