Starting Agfiin Starting Again
Another Country, a New Family
daughter in a three-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the same building, came to like me so much that, after a couple of weeks, he said, “Come, move down to my house. I have much more room.” He had a big bedroom with two single beds, so I moved in with him. This arrangement was much more comfortable. Uncle Jack’s butcher shop was on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, near the rides and games. I used to help him every day in his store. As a visitor to the country, I did not have a work permit, but I wanted to be productive and pay for my keep. We were taught in Israel to pay our own way. I also adjusted my religious practices out of respect for my un - cle. He was not extremely religious, but he was traditional and fol- lowed Jewish customs. While I stayed with him, I adapted to his way of life. I felt, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” I was Jewish, after all, and had come from a traditional home, so it was not too difficult. On the holidays, especially the High Holidays, I went with Uncle Jack to shul, and for the first time in many years, I fasted on Yom Kippur. I knew Hebrew of course, and was quite familiar with the traditional melodies because I had attended shul with my father. My relatives wanted me to stay to manage the building we had jointly inherited. Uncle Jack was too busy and the other three heirs lived far away — one uncle and aunt lived in Canada, one uncle in California, and one in Argentina. Still, I planned to return to Israel after six months. Then I met my future wife, Ruthie. I had been invited to an Israeli dance, and Ruthie was there. She and her whole family were Zionists and very involved with Israel and organizations that raised money to support Israel. Ruthie and I started going out and, over the months, we became veiy serious about each other. We had many values and interests in common. As our relationship developed, I got to know her family as well. Ruthie’s parents, Phillip and Gertrude Silverstein, were deeply devoted to Israel. Their home felt like an Israeli home and this made me feel very comfortable there. Israeli records were playing very
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