1950s - 1960s: The Baby Boom
In the post war period our families continued to serve their country, including guarding the president. They were artisans in North Africa and brought handmade items to this country. Sometimes the only thing we have to remember our families are old photos or toys, and of course their stories.
Photograph of Harry and Bertha M.
Massachusetts
My Grandparents
This photograph of Harry and Bertha, my great-great grandparents, shows them sitting at the Seder table, in their house in Massachusetts. They originally lived in Russia and/or Poland, and moved to America around 1906. They spoke Yiddish, and were a very religious family. This picture was taken by my grandmother, so she was taking a picture of her grandparents.
This is one of the few pictures we have of my great-great grandparents. This picture also shows that they took their religion very seriously , and that they celebrated some of the same holidays that we do today.
Grandfathers Army Memorabilia
U.S.A
Mort K.
The braid and saddle pins are from my grandfather's service in the US Army in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard. They are a special unit in the army that provides security to the President. The letter is to my Great grandmother from the Army telling her that her son was accepted into the Regiment and what an honor it was to be a part of it.
In order to be in the Old Guard the Army did a background check on my grandfathers family. They found out that his dad was a member of a youth organization in Austria before the war. They thought he might have been a member of the Hitler youth but when they found out he was Jewish they let my grandpa serve as a guard to the President.
Vintage Yellow Truck
Pittsburgh, PA
Grandma Sandy
This toy yellow truck was given to my grandmother as a gift when she was 10 years old by her parents. Her family owned a radio and television parts store which made deliveries from a big yellow truck that looked identical to the toy one. Now my family displays the toy truck at our house as a family heirloom.
As many other Jewish immigrants did, my great grandparents started this business in a small section of Pittsburgh. The name of the store was called Electronic Parts Company.
Gold Bangle Bracelets
Morocco
Aliya B. (sister)
These two bangle bracelets were given to my sister on her Bat-Mitzvah by our grandmother, Lisa B. The bracelets were a gift to my grandmother by her father, Mimoon A., when she was immigrating from Morocco to Israel. She received 17 of the bracelets. My great grandfather was a gold smith by trade. He worked with metals, including gold, crafting such items as: jewelery, weapon holders, goblets etc. My great grandfather wanted my grandmother to have something that he made specifically for her to be able to give them to any daughters, grand daughters, and great grand daughters that she may have. These bracelets were meant to be passed down through the females in our family for generations We are on our third generation. My mother also received two on the day she married my father, my grandmother's son. I can't wait for my Bat-Mitzvah to get the bracelets that I will one day pass down to my daughter.
These bracelets are significant to our family because when my family, my grandfather, lived in Morocco they had to live in the Jewish ghetto. They were not treated well by the Moroccan king and his descendants. However, due to my grandfather's craftsmanship he became a well-known blacksmith/artisan. People from all social classes in Morocco commissioned his work. This was very rare that non-Jews hired a Jew to work on such significant works of art for them. Thus, my grandfather was very proud of his work within the community.