Jane Lothringer (on right) receiving her Volunteer of the Year Award
At Jewish Care’s recent Staff and Volunteers Awards Ceremony, Jewish Care’s resident and longstanding volunteer Jane Lothringer, received the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Jane Lothringer is an inspiration. You can often find her at the library immersed in a book with a cup of coffee, getting a manicure, browsing the Internet or heading off to shopping centres. But more often, Jane is busy volunteering at our fundraising telethons.
Jane was born in London in 1927 to Yetta and Marcus Carrier. Her father managed a dress shop, while her mother took care of six children.Continue reading →
Sadie was born in Nasielsk, Poland in 1922; she moved to Melbourne in 1937
It wasn’t easy to leave my family behind at the age of 15 and move to Australia where I had an aunty. I was the oldest of 4 children, coming from a very loving home.
My father worked from home assembling buttons while mummy was busy at her spotless kitchen filled with the aromas of cooking and baking. She went to the marketplace on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to buy seasonal vegetables and fruit; I have fond memories of mummy’s blueberry cakes. Every morning she woke up at 4am to wash the floors and put the rugs down in preparation for the new day.
When Hitler rose to power, there was less and less hope for the Jewish people. In 1938, my parents decided that I should leave. Of course, they hoped to join me later, as soon as they could find the money to obtain the necessary papers. I hugged them for the last time and left. I still don’t know how they met their end.
In Australia, I lived at my aunt’s home sharing a room with my five cousins. I didn’t go to school but worked in a millenery shop for three years up until my marriage.
Do you want to hear the story of my love?
Sadie and Arthur Goldsmith
In 1941, my cousins invited me to the Kadima dancing night. My aunt was away on a holiday in Hepburn Springs, so I agreed to join them. We took a train to Carlton and went to the Kadima Hall on Lygon St, which was the meeting spot for Jewish youth back then.
A nice, tall young man, Arthur Goldsmith, approached me and asked for a dance. We chatted and he offered me a lift. He asked for my phone number and I agreed. Need I say more?
Arthur was also born in Poland in the city of Lublin. He moved to Australia at the age of 17. His English was poor and he had great difficulty in finding work. So he hired a horse and cart for 2 shillings and went to the Victoria Market to get fruit and vegetables which he sold in the suburbs. Later on, Arthur opened his own shop and invested the profits into purchasing properties, so we managed to make a decent living.
Sadie with her husband
We didn’t have children for the first seven years of our marriage. I was very concerned about it and sought medical advice. My doctor was very wise; his only recommendation was to rest and stop worrying.
We were blessed with 2 children, Michael and Barbara, 7 grandchildren and great-grandchildren who gave us lots of nachas.
Unfortunately, my husband passed away 10 years ago but not before we enjoyed 62 years of happily married life which I will always remember with great love.
Please share our stories with your loved ones and on social media using our hashtag #Mylove
In our 8th and final video in our series, we ask Jewish Care’s residents to share their beliefs and wisdom by answering questions about self, money, being a good Jew and what words of advice they can share with young people.
We don’t think that we could have ended the series on a better note, as the very last two words made on this video says it all so perfectly!
We arrived in Australia on the Strathnaver Ship in 1939. Soon after, my father passed away. It was a very difficult time; Mummy had six of us but we all tried to support her.
At only 14, I worked at a factory cutting paper. My weekly wage was one pound and I gave it to Mum who allowed me to keep two shillings for myself. I saved the money to learn typewriting and stenography.
When the war finished, I worked at a milk bar on Bourke St until 11 pm and rarely went out.
In 1939, Jane’s family arrived in Australia on the Strathnaver Ship
Once, however, I was invited to my friend’s home for Shabbat meal, and that’s exactly where I met my future husband. Marcel came from Israel to study textile engineering and lived in Geelong. We liked each other but I wasn’t sure if anything would come out of it, of course. Then Marcel decided to surprise me with a visit. Continue reading →
David and Miriam Ciechanowski, Montefiore Homes residents
I am David… from Warsaw. I am 98 but I have a young wife – she is only 93. Miriam is so beautiful, my mamele*…
We met in USSR where I ended up during the Second World War. We were standing in a breadline not far from one another. Miriam was only sixteen or so. I couldn’t stop looking at her.
When Miriam received her portion of bread, I realised that she was about to go for good. I got scared and asked her to wait for me, in Yiddish, of course. She did.Continue reading →
We were both natives of Odessa; I was 22 and Sasha was 24. After demobilising from the Red Army, Sasha worked as a train operator and I worked in a kindergarten.
We met in our friends’ house and then left together.
Over the next two months we were dating, going to exhibitions, concerts and theatres. It was a lovely time.
Odessa, 1950s
Then Sasha asked one day,
“Ritochka, have you made your mind yet? I want to marry you and spend my life with you. It’s your decision, of course, but… Will you marry me?”
Do I have to mention that I said “yes”?
Both of our families were helping us to get ready for the wedding which took place at my parents’ home.
Together we raised 3 daughters, Claudia, Eva and Inna, and are still happy 67 years later.
Please share our stories with your loved ones and on social media using our hashtag #Mylove
Fania Biller, resident of Smorgon Family Nursing Home
When World War II ended, I was a young, shy girl who worked as a bookkeeper.
One day, my Manager mentioned “a smart curly-haired boy that he would like me to meet.”
So, I guess, it was a shidduch*.
Yosef was a year older than me. During the war he served in the Red Army. He was handsome, quiet, kind and very responsible.
Soviet chocolates
We dated for 3 months; Yosef loved buying candies and little gifts for me but I was too modest and even uncomfortable about it.
In 1950, we got married in Donetsk, Ukraine. Of course, we wanted to have a proper chuppah* but it was impossible under the Communism regime. The wedding took place in my parents’ flat.
Soviet baby stroller circa 1950s
When I gave birth to our daughter Rimma and son Igor, he was very helpful as a father. I had to go back to work soon and Yosef took care of the kids. He used to say, “You are working for us, don’t worry about anything, I’ll manage with the kids.”
He also worked as metal turner and was busy but he never reprimanded me about anything. What can I say, he was a true mentch*.
* Shidduch – Matchmaking (Yiddish)
* Chuppah – Traditional Jewish Wedding ceremony conducted under a canopy (Hebrew)
* Mentch – A person of integrity and honour (Yiddish)
Please share our stories with your loved ones and on social media using our hashtag #Mylove
I was 17 when I met my future husband Samuel who was 27.
The year was 1936 and we both lived in Shklov, Mogilev Uezd, Belarus. During the Civil War in Russia, Samuel was a partisan.
Being my brother’s friend, Samuel frequently came to visit him at our home.
Then he started bringing flowers and sweets for me. My parents saw a change in his attitude and quickly held a family meeting to discuss our future. Continue reading →
Berta was born in 1934; Froim was born in 1926.They moved to Melbourne from St Petersburg (former Leningrad)
Berta and Froim Goland, Montefiore residents
It all started on New Year’s Eve in 1955 at a friend’s party. I was 21 and Froim, or as I call him Fima, was 29.
The celebration ended quite late and Fima walked me home. I told him that I was finishing TAFE and was about to get my baker’s diploma in a week and then I was going to leave to far away Ural region to do my internship placement for a year.
After that, I went to Moscow where my mother lived. It was a 9-hour train ride.Continue reading →
Born inVeliki Beckerek, Yugoslavia in 1923; moved to Melbourne in 1964
Elizabeth Gocs, Gary Smorgon House resident
With the rise of Nazism in Europe my family was able to move to Kenya in East Africa in 1939, leaving behind our belongings in Europe.
My father bought a farm and we all worked on it.
I didn’t like farm life so when the opportunity arose a few years later, after the war had finished, I moved to the capital, Nairobi, and found a job in a shop.
Nairobi Hebrew Congregation
There were about 200 Jewish people in Nairobi, mostly those who had left war-torn Europe. We spent time together in a so-called Jewish hall and that’s where I met my future husband, Alexander, playing table tennis.Continue reading →
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