My family has always been very important to me and I maintained close ties with them. My parents, Philip and Rebecca, were quite comfortable living in Miami Beach where I saw them often. They went to synagogue, made many friends, enjoyed their walks together, were visited by their children, and their outlook on life remained positive. All their children turned out well, and they can take full credit for that.
Pauline
My oldest sister, Pauline, a teacher of dance and physical education in the High School of Music and Art enjoyed a successful career. We were very close and saw each other often. One of our favorite restaurants was Oscar’s in Manhattan. Growing up together, we played tennis in Borough Park and enjoyed many trips together, to Nantucket, New Hampshire and other places.
I asked her to choreograph a cantata which I describe in detail in one of the short stories in this book. She was enormously talented, a good conversationalist and a good listener. Pauline used to visit me often in my village apartment after her dance class. Her first real boyfriend was a wealthy individual named Alan. He was exceptionally well read and educated. I constantly learned from him. Sometimes, Alan would send me pertinent material from the main library in Manhattan. He seemed up to date on any subject and probably would have been the perfect first date for any woman.
The courtship lasted eight years. Since Alan didn’t have a car, he took the subway several times a week from his home in Manhattan to see Pauline in Brooklyn and then returned home via the subway. After a short while, he borrowed one volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and then another, for the long subway ride. In the eight years of courtship, Alan managed to read the entire encyclopedia. In 1944, when they dated, the 14th edition consisted of 24 volumes. Alan read every one of them. They finally married.
Alan just didn’t believe in work. He and Pauline enjoyed a high style of living. Unfortunately, after five years of years of marriage, they divorced. Pauline’s second marriage to Noel, a stock analyst, ended in divorce, and she came to Florida. She stayed with me for a while and soon found a lovely apartment close by.
She was married a third time to Aaron, a retired police officer. I know she missed not having any children. As one who tried marriage three times, she urged me to try it once. When I asked Joanne to be my wife, Pauline was happy. She was quite ill at the time but hoped to live long enough to see me married. She did and walked down the aisle on my wedding day in a beautiful gown. Unfortunately, Pauline passed away a few months later from cancer at the age of 52. I loved her very much and miss her.
Doris
My older sister, Doris, grew up in Borough Park. After her graduation, she worked in a dental laboratory. She met Stanley, an engineer at Grumman, and they soon married. Doris had a big heart. She was a kind and loving person, and her love was unconditional. After Stanley passed away, she sought to rebuild her life and moved to Forest Hills.
Doris volunteered at the Jewish Center where she helped out in the community. When Joanne and I visited New York City, Doris insisted that we stay with her at her home on Queens
Boulevard. There was always a big welcome for us, and she sought to pamper us. One of my favorite dishes with that sweet aroma, kasha varnishkes, was always there for me. My sister was also a good sport. On one occasion, we spent two days together in Atlantic City. Driving back to Forest Hills, I took a left turn rather than a right, and we wound up at the Sports Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “It’s okay,” Doris said, “So it’ll take us a little longer.”
During her last few years, the quality of her life clearly deteriorated. She was a real fighter, especially with nurses and doctors. In the end, however, it was all too much for Doris. I used to joke with her. “Shabbos is coming,” I would say, “and all will be well,” and she would smile.
How rightly proud Doris and Stanley were of their beautiful Marilyn who was so diligent and successful in her studies at the Wharton School in Pennsylvania and the University of Berkeley. To them, Marilyn was a shining star. Marilyn is presently the treasurer of a Fortune 500 company in New York City. My niece is also a bright star to me. We are constantly in touch with each other, and I just love her.
Their son, Eyal is at the University of Chicago, and Eitan is now at New York University, both pursuing their chosen fields of work. Their daughter, Ma’ayan, recently graduated from Barnard College and is presently enjoying an internship at Sotheby’s preparing an exhibit for the Jewish Museum in New York City.
Howie
My younger brother, Howie, has always been very dear to me and as time went on, we grew even closer. His education at Yeshiva Etz Chaim in Borough Park, Brooklyn, had a lasting influence. He had a lifelong commitment to Jewish education and Judaism in everyday life. His interests were many. He was an avid collector of comic books, stamps, and even fish tanks. Howie was also enterprising and always managed to earn some money.
Nothing was too much trouble for him. He had a singleness of purpose. When he went after something, he usually succeeded in achieving his goal. He had another gift. Howie was extremely articulate and had the ability to size up an individual or a situation with unbelievable accuracy in a single phrase. He also had an amazing ability to predict the future.
In high school, he enjoyed playing the trombone as a member of the school orchestra. He attended Brooklyn College and then went on to become a podiatrist. Howie loved his profession and was exceptionally accomplished in his field. We met often at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other places in the city as well. His devotion to our parents, Pauline, Doris, Judy and me was a constant. In high school, Judy felt that she would never pass her history course. When she mentioned this to Howie, he assured her she would pass with flying colors. And with Howie’s help, she did.
This same devotion was evident in his relationship with his loving wife, Myra, and their children, Monte, Ephrat, Russ, and Sandy. They brought him so much joy and filled his life with such warmth and love. When Howie and Myra moved to Florida, I couldn’t have been happier. Joanne and I saw them often, and we celebrated many happy times and simchas together.
During his illness, Howie fought hard to get well, even resorting to alternate forms of treatment, but to no avail. The day my fabulous brother passed away, Sandy, the youngest, was home from school. I asked Sandy why he wasn’t in school. Sandy answered, “Because my daddy needs me.” I will never forget that day. My brother, Howie, passed away at the age of 57 in 1992, leaving a beloved wife and four young children, aged 14 and under.
Monte, the oldest, is a hedge fund manager married to Dikla, a pediatric dentist. They have three children: Howie, who is attending Cooper Union College, Vera and Ty.
Ephrat is a lawyer married to Ronny, an engineer and real estate developer. They have four children: Ariel, who is attending the University of Maryland where she is studying trigonometry and engineering. Lyla, Rafi and Ella are enrolled in Hebrew day schools.
Russ is a rabbi who is presently the executive director of the Jewish Family Service in New Jersey and is married to Esther, an instructor in the Bible. They have four children: Shmuel, Sherira, Shaya, and Shaina, who are studying in Hebrew day schools. Congratulations to Shmuel who is a wrestling champion and also an artist.
Sandy is a rabbi who is an instructor in Talmud and is married to Rachel, a physical therapist. They have four children who are enrolled in Hebrew day schools: Sarah, Moshe, Shana, and Akiva.
Joanne and I are very close with our sister-in-law Myra. She is a great friend and we see each other often. Myra is active in her synagogue, support of Israel, and greatly involved in charitable organizations, educational causes and political life. You always know where she stands on the issues of American and Jewish life. Myra is also a superb mother. I am totally amazed that she was able to bring up four children so magnificently over the years. We are proud of all of them.
Judy
My sister, Judy, is the youngest member of our family. I distinctly remember the day she was born in June 1940, when I was told that I had a baby sister. At the time, I was ten years old and happy to hear the good news. Because of my educational and working schedule, I didn’t see much of Judy until my discharge from the army in 1954. A few weeks later, I moved to Greenwich Village, started cantorial school and saw her even less.
Judy attended The Beth Jacob School for Girls, an ultra-orthodox school where she became proficient in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Bible. She would read from the Pentateuch in Hebrew and then would translate it into Yiddish. This always amazed me!
At the age of 17, she was called into the principal’s office for a talk about her future. Judy was told that this is a good time in her life to consider getting married, having children, and living a religious life filled with mitzvot and good deeds. Judy listened politely and chose, instead, to attend Brooklyn College and become a teacher.
A few years later, she married Howard Ruderman who owned an electric supply and lighting company in Rockland County, New York. Howard enjoyed the pursuit of challenge down to the last detail and the business prospered. They had three children. All three pursued their fields of specialization. Karen went into public health research, married Kevin and had two children, Kobi and Julian. They are both enrolled in Hebrew day school. And Paul, who formed a healthcare staffing company, married Jacquie. They have two sons: Elijah is at Colorado College where he is studying sports analysis and statistics, while Jaden is at Tufts pursuing a major in economics. And Robbie, who I get to see regularly here in south Florida, owns a wildlife consulting business.
Howard and Judy bought a second home, a magnificent one on the lake in the Berkshires, where they enjoyed the summer concerts at Tanglewood. They eventually bought a place in Florida, much closer to us, and we were able to see them regularly when they were in town. In 2018, we were all saddened. Howard passed away at the age of 90. Judy is presently living in Boca part of the year and we see each other often.
The Cousins Club
For many years, one of the highlights of our lives was our Cousins Club. Mimi and Bernie, Pearl and Jerry, Shirley and Harry, Rochelle and Skip, Pearl and Sylvia, Mary and Marty, Myra and Howie, Doris, Judy and Howard, met regularly to enjoy the simchas at our homes in South Florida. We will always treasure those beautiful memories we have of one another and the cherished legacy of our parents and grandparents.
Joanne’s Brother, Jay Levitts
Jay brought so much love and laughter to those around him. We were saddened by his passing, just shy of 70 years of age, in 2017. Jay was four years younger than Joanne. They truly enjoyed a model brother-sister relationship. Jay was drafted and sent to the war zone in Vietnam. He was later decorated with several medals for his valor and service there. Following his discharge, Jay started working at Hertz Rental and worked his way up the corporate ladder. Eventually, he bought Fresh Pond Travel and succeeded in making his agency a primary one in world travel. Jay was introduced to his future wife, Joan, and they married a few months later. I was happy to officiate at their beautiful and unforgettable wedding in 1991 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.
