Page 39 - issue
P. 39
Death of A Salesman
it would be very difficult to repay her. Mrs. Ney insisted that OFF EVERYTHING
he take the needed money, and again, with Hashem’s
rachamim and help, my grandparents were able to leave 6317 Ivymount Rd. Baltimore, MD | LacesShoes.com | 410-262-8947 | @laces.shoes
Germany to start a new life in Baltimore, Maryland, and Dad
repaid the money three years later.
Shabbos Yid
Work and good wages were very difficult to find. Dad heard
about a connection, a relative of a relative who had an office
in the Empire State Building. Hoping for a chance at a bet-
ter job, Dad set out to interview for a position with this very
successful businessman. After a wonderful interview and the
promise of a good position, the man wanted to make one
point perfectly clear: “Young man, this is America, and here
we work Saturdays.” My Dad quickly answered that that
would be impossible – at which the extremely irate business-
man yelled at my Dad, “Throw your tefilin out the window.”
That was enough for Dad; he got up and left the Empire
State Building and New York. He went back to Baltimore,
clinging even closer to Shabbos and his tefilin. He was resolved
to practice his Yiddishkeit with renewed vigor. Shabbos was
very special to him; he realized what a gift Hakadosh Baruch
Hu had given him. He spent his entire life protecting, observ-
ing, cherishing, and practicing the laws and traditions of
Shabbos. Dad was a “Shabbos Yid,” whose entire week was
fashioned around Shabbos, and his company was an exten-
sion of his frumkeit: ehrlich and strictly shomer Shabbos. Like
his personal life, it was a kiddush Hashem for all to see.
The Company
It was at this point that Fred’s mother Bluma, my Nana, who
had started producing homemade chocolates out of her
kitchen, asked my Dad to join her and help her sell her
chocolates. She also convinced him to travel to New York to
purchase additional candy.
So off to New York he went, leaving his nine-dollars-a-
week position at Miller Tie Company. Dad soon found that
purchasing candy (or anything) during the war was extreme-
ly difficult. Everywhere he went, people wanted to know if he
had purchased goods before the war. With food quotas in
place, no one would sell to a new business – let alone a
German immigrant. But with persistence and not taking no
for an answer, Dad succeeded in establishing contact with an
Italian candy maker. By chance, the Italian businessman
came out to the reception area where he witnessed the sec-
retary giving Dad a very hard time. Feeling sorry for him, the
businessman invited Dad into his office and was impressed
with his personality and fervor. Baruch Hashem, he agreed to
sell Dad a small quantity of candied Jordan almonds. Castle
Foods was in business.
Tales from the Trenches
Once, many years ago, Dad was in the hospital on erev Yom
u 410 358 8509 u 35
it would be very difficult to repay her. Mrs. Ney insisted that OFF EVERYTHING
he take the needed money, and again, with Hashem’s
rachamim and help, my grandparents were able to leave 6317 Ivymount Rd. Baltimore, MD | LacesShoes.com | 410-262-8947 | @laces.shoes
Germany to start a new life in Baltimore, Maryland, and Dad
repaid the money three years later.
Shabbos Yid
Work and good wages were very difficult to find. Dad heard
about a connection, a relative of a relative who had an office
in the Empire State Building. Hoping for a chance at a bet-
ter job, Dad set out to interview for a position with this very
successful businessman. After a wonderful interview and the
promise of a good position, the man wanted to make one
point perfectly clear: “Young man, this is America, and here
we work Saturdays.” My Dad quickly answered that that
would be impossible – at which the extremely irate business-
man yelled at my Dad, “Throw your tefilin out the window.”
That was enough for Dad; he got up and left the Empire
State Building and New York. He went back to Baltimore,
clinging even closer to Shabbos and his tefilin. He was resolved
to practice his Yiddishkeit with renewed vigor. Shabbos was
very special to him; he realized what a gift Hakadosh Baruch
Hu had given him. He spent his entire life protecting, observ-
ing, cherishing, and practicing the laws and traditions of
Shabbos. Dad was a “Shabbos Yid,” whose entire week was
fashioned around Shabbos, and his company was an exten-
sion of his frumkeit: ehrlich and strictly shomer Shabbos. Like
his personal life, it was a kiddush Hashem for all to see.
The Company
It was at this point that Fred’s mother Bluma, my Nana, who
had started producing homemade chocolates out of her
kitchen, asked my Dad to join her and help her sell her
chocolates. She also convinced him to travel to New York to
purchase additional candy.
So off to New York he went, leaving his nine-dollars-a-
week position at Miller Tie Company. Dad soon found that
purchasing candy (or anything) during the war was extreme-
ly difficult. Everywhere he went, people wanted to know if he
had purchased goods before the war. With food quotas in
place, no one would sell to a new business – let alone a
German immigrant. But with persistence and not taking no
for an answer, Dad succeeded in establishing contact with an
Italian candy maker. By chance, the Italian businessman
came out to the reception area where he witnessed the sec-
retary giving Dad a very hard time. Feeling sorry for him, the
businessman invited Dad into his office and was impressed
with his personality and fervor. Baruch Hashem, he agreed to
sell Dad a small quantity of candied Jordan almonds. Castle
Foods was in business.
Tales from the Trenches
Once, many years ago, Dad was in the hospital on erev Yom
u 410 358 8509 u 35
