Page 120 - issue
P. 120
speeches given to the new immigrants, searched for employment with a living yachnu). The house on Fairmount Ave-
we traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi. salary. He learned of a cantorial posi- nue was sold, and my parents purchased
Why Clarksdale? you may ask. Because it tion in the Bais Hamedresh Hagodol, a the home of Rabbi Yaakov Ruderman,
was the residence of my uncle and aunt, shul located in Baltimore, Maryland. He Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical Col-
Mordechai and Pessa Lichtenstein. Suc- traveled there for a probeh (trial run), in lege. To speedily complete the mortgage
cessful entry in America all hinged on my which he led services, and he was hired. payments, my parents, provided room
father having an affidavit, which assured In addition to his cantorial ability, my and board for retired gentlemen. What a
the government that he had employment father was a superb mohel and soon be- royal treatment they received! Each had
and would not, G-d forbid, become a bur- came the most sought-after mohel in a room and received three meals a day
den to the country! My uncle begged the Baltimore. cooked by – yes my Yiddisheh Mameh. I
congregation to create a vacant cantorial recall one of the elders referring to her as
position, and after some initial hesita- In our holy Torah, there is a section “Mameh.”
tion, they relented and thus saved our regarding the wanderings of the Jewish
lives. people through the desert, repeating the In our family, our mom forbade lo-
phrase “vayisu vayachnu,” they traveled shon hawrah (gossip). She was a quiet
We traveled to Clarksdale and then to and encamped. So it was with us. We person but if loshon hawrah began, she
Memphis where father had a temporary packed our belongings and moved once told the gossiper to stop. I never heard
position as the cantor of a small congre- more, this time to Baltimore, where we her utter a vulgar word nor did I ever ob-
gation. The family was shown an apart- looked forward to the better standard serve her loosing her temper. She saved
ment and after entering the place, we of living than in the South. My parents and provided money for orphans, wid-
were shocked at the terrible condition. were delighted that there was a school, ows, yeshivas, kallahs, and numerous
The windows were cracked, the floors TA, which taught both academic and Ju- other causes. She kept a list of birth-
were dilapidated, and the bathtub was daic subjects. days and anniversaries and sent cards
covered with grime. and presents to the mishpacha. When
After arriving in the city, we moved we had our own families, she prepared
Normally my parents would not have into an apartment on Baltimore Street. banquet-like feasts, Her ainiklach were
accepted such a fahrzetst apartment, but There was a Jewish community in the showered with attention-with presents
at that time there was no other option. area, and the apartment was within and with more presents.
My parents were short on cash because walking distance of the shul. It was a vast
the evil Italian fascists confiscated every- improvement over our former residence When father ventured into the
thing, leaving us with less than $100. but it, too, required sprucing up For my hotel business a vital need was for a
sister, brother, and me, the best news good cook. Nu, whom do you suppose
My Yiddisheh Mameh rolled up her was that it was heated – something that became the cook? My Yiddisheh Ma-
sleeves, kashered the stove and cleaned we now believed was luxury living in the meh, who else? She arose early ev-
the kitchen. She scrubbed the bathtub U.S.A.! ery morning and prepared meals for
until it shined, and after much hard la- the day. The quality of her kashrus
bor, the place looked habitable. Howev- A year or two passed, and my father was superb, justifying the large sign
er, when the sun descended, oy gevald purchased a rowhouse on Fairmount Av- in front of the hotel: Kinek’s Kosher
was it cold! The rooms were unheated; enue. He believed that renting an apart- Hotel. The small hotel had a staff
the kitchen floor actually had splotches ment was a waste of money and that pur- consisting of mom as the cook, Aunt
of ice! My mom warmed water bags and chasing a property was an investment, so Pessa as a waitress, sister Hilda as
placed them at the feet of each child. It we again changed our residence, another the bookkeeper and waitress, brother
was a mechayeh (pleasure) for a short “vayisu vayachnu.” David as the maintenance man, and
time. I don’t recall how many nights she cousin Aaron and myself as the bag-
performed this chore, but the cold was Our house was located on Fairmount gage shleppers (porters). We hosted
terrible. Avenue, and the shul was only a block many rabbis there, including Rabbi
away. The new residence required some Shimon Schwab and Rabbi Benjamin
There was a Rabbi Isaac who lived in “fixing up,” which was accomplished by Bak and their families.
the vicinity. He visited us as a gesture of my father. He painted the rooms with
good will and was shocked at the frigid the assistance of my brother David. My My mother loved learning Torah and
temperature in the apartment. The fol- Mameh cleaned and kashered the kitch- going to lectures at the Hebrew College.
lowing day, the doorbell rang and there en, and before you could read War and She also enjoyed gatherings having to do
was Rabbi Isaac with several large boxes. Peace, the house looked great. with Yiddishkeit. In summary, my Yid-
He gave each of the children one of the disheh Mameh was a sincere religious
boxes, and we were delighted with the uuu person who was an authentic tsadekes
contents. There was a fuzzy robe for each (righteous person). She was strong willed
child. Rabbi Isaac’s chesed (kind deed) As a song goes, “The years go by as and she had total faith in the Ribono Shel
was never forgotten. quickly as a flash…” and takeh, the years Olam (G-d).
flew by. The Jewish population in East
uuu Baltimore began dwindling. Yidden were May her memory be for a blessing.u
moving to the neighborhoods of Upper
Time moved on, and my father Park Heights and Forest Park (vayisu va-
112 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
we traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi. salary. He learned of a cantorial posi- nue was sold, and my parents purchased
Why Clarksdale? you may ask. Because it tion in the Bais Hamedresh Hagodol, a the home of Rabbi Yaakov Ruderman,
was the residence of my uncle and aunt, shul located in Baltimore, Maryland. He Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical Col-
Mordechai and Pessa Lichtenstein. Suc- traveled there for a probeh (trial run), in lege. To speedily complete the mortgage
cessful entry in America all hinged on my which he led services, and he was hired. payments, my parents, provided room
father having an affidavit, which assured In addition to his cantorial ability, my and board for retired gentlemen. What a
the government that he had employment father was a superb mohel and soon be- royal treatment they received! Each had
and would not, G-d forbid, become a bur- came the most sought-after mohel in a room and received three meals a day
den to the country! My uncle begged the Baltimore. cooked by – yes my Yiddisheh Mameh. I
congregation to create a vacant cantorial recall one of the elders referring to her as
position, and after some initial hesita- In our holy Torah, there is a section “Mameh.”
tion, they relented and thus saved our regarding the wanderings of the Jewish
lives. people through the desert, repeating the In our family, our mom forbade lo-
phrase “vayisu vayachnu,” they traveled shon hawrah (gossip). She was a quiet
We traveled to Clarksdale and then to and encamped. So it was with us. We person but if loshon hawrah began, she
Memphis where father had a temporary packed our belongings and moved once told the gossiper to stop. I never heard
position as the cantor of a small congre- more, this time to Baltimore, where we her utter a vulgar word nor did I ever ob-
gation. The family was shown an apart- looked forward to the better standard serve her loosing her temper. She saved
ment and after entering the place, we of living than in the South. My parents and provided money for orphans, wid-
were shocked at the terrible condition. were delighted that there was a school, ows, yeshivas, kallahs, and numerous
The windows were cracked, the floors TA, which taught both academic and Ju- other causes. She kept a list of birth-
were dilapidated, and the bathtub was daic subjects. days and anniversaries and sent cards
covered with grime. and presents to the mishpacha. When
After arriving in the city, we moved we had our own families, she prepared
Normally my parents would not have into an apartment on Baltimore Street. banquet-like feasts, Her ainiklach were
accepted such a fahrzetst apartment, but There was a Jewish community in the showered with attention-with presents
at that time there was no other option. area, and the apartment was within and with more presents.
My parents were short on cash because walking distance of the shul. It was a vast
the evil Italian fascists confiscated every- improvement over our former residence When father ventured into the
thing, leaving us with less than $100. but it, too, required sprucing up For my hotel business a vital need was for a
sister, brother, and me, the best news good cook. Nu, whom do you suppose
My Yiddisheh Mameh rolled up her was that it was heated – something that became the cook? My Yiddisheh Ma-
sleeves, kashered the stove and cleaned we now believed was luxury living in the meh, who else? She arose early ev-
the kitchen. She scrubbed the bathtub U.S.A.! ery morning and prepared meals for
until it shined, and after much hard la- the day. The quality of her kashrus
bor, the place looked habitable. Howev- A year or two passed, and my father was superb, justifying the large sign
er, when the sun descended, oy gevald purchased a rowhouse on Fairmount Av- in front of the hotel: Kinek’s Kosher
was it cold! The rooms were unheated; enue. He believed that renting an apart- Hotel. The small hotel had a staff
the kitchen floor actually had splotches ment was a waste of money and that pur- consisting of mom as the cook, Aunt
of ice! My mom warmed water bags and chasing a property was an investment, so Pessa as a waitress, sister Hilda as
placed them at the feet of each child. It we again changed our residence, another the bookkeeper and waitress, brother
was a mechayeh (pleasure) for a short “vayisu vayachnu.” David as the maintenance man, and
time. I don’t recall how many nights she cousin Aaron and myself as the bag-
performed this chore, but the cold was Our house was located on Fairmount gage shleppers (porters). We hosted
terrible. Avenue, and the shul was only a block many rabbis there, including Rabbi
away. The new residence required some Shimon Schwab and Rabbi Benjamin
There was a Rabbi Isaac who lived in “fixing up,” which was accomplished by Bak and their families.
the vicinity. He visited us as a gesture of my father. He painted the rooms with
good will and was shocked at the frigid the assistance of my brother David. My My mother loved learning Torah and
temperature in the apartment. The fol- Mameh cleaned and kashered the kitch- going to lectures at the Hebrew College.
lowing day, the doorbell rang and there en, and before you could read War and She also enjoyed gatherings having to do
was Rabbi Isaac with several large boxes. Peace, the house looked great. with Yiddishkeit. In summary, my Yid-
He gave each of the children one of the disheh Mameh was a sincere religious
boxes, and we were delighted with the uuu person who was an authentic tsadekes
contents. There was a fuzzy robe for each (righteous person). She was strong willed
child. Rabbi Isaac’s chesed (kind deed) As a song goes, “The years go by as and she had total faith in the Ribono Shel
was never forgotten. quickly as a flash…” and takeh, the years Olam (G-d).
flew by. The Jewish population in East
uuu Baltimore began dwindling. Yidden were May her memory be for a blessing.u
moving to the neighborhoods of Upper
Time moved on, and my father Park Heights and Forest Park (vayisu va-
112 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
