Our Readers Comment

From Irina Vaintrayb, St Petersburg, Russia (dated Fall, 1998).... It is good to write you after such a long silence. I have been very busy for the past months. I started work as an assistant General Director. I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it is to change your activities and open a new page in the business world. In June of '98 I had the opportunity to visit London and attend some courses to improve my conversational and business English. London is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I saw Big Ben, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and others. It is very interesting to visit the same places which I read about in my childhood. I also had the opportunity to attend the theater and saw the musical "Cats." My sister Yana went to Israel in 1997 and she works as a service officer in one of the best hotels in Eilat. She has taken special entrance exams to attend Tel Aviv University and wants to major in Hotel Business Management. Recently Aron & Rimma Gindin visited us in St. Petersburg. They said they are very happy living in Germany and referred to it as "the country of their dreams" and prefer not to remember their Russian life. I wish the family strong health, happiness and good luck.

From Betty Rosen of Fairfield, California.... The Fall '98 newsletter was great. You may take a bow. Irwin says "wonderful."

From Beatrice Bottler Solomons, (Soc) North Luc, Ontario...I want to express my deep appreciation to you for continuing The Family Descendant. But most of all, in turning the pages of the last issue, to see the beautiful face of my dear sister, Sarah (may her soul rest in peace). What a jolt it gave me! I bless you forever and ever for thinking of her....and the feeling I had in seeing her again.... And then, of course, Sydney, with his Passover message. I forgot my place in time, thinking it was too soon to celebrate that holiday again. Thank you so much for trying to keep our family together.... unfortunately, without much cooperation at times. However, may the messages keep coming in with happy celebrations to announce!! Much love to all of you. 

From Melanie Yearow (Soc) of Vancouver, British Columbia....It is so great that you are on line. Thanks for helping me get in touch with my uncle Martin (Bottler) who I have not spoken to for over a year. As for me, I am still working on my jewelry business which is called Karmic Angel Jewels and it is going really well - lots of work. I hand make everything and sell to stores across Canada. I will hopefully branch out to the US market eventually. No need to send me a print copy of the newsletter, but do e-mail me when the new issue is on line.

From Art Horovitch, a reader of The Family Descendant.... I'd like to comment on the article about Passover by Syd Solomons in the last issue. Very well written. It conveys exactly my sentiments. We celebrate Passover as an integration between a historical event of our people and a celebration of the rebirth of spring.

From Manny Bernstein, (Abr) of Tarzana, California...Just a note to let you know that I have gone back to work with my daughter Bonnie who is recovering from a fall. Our business is financial and estate planning, and I have been at it for over forty years, and Bonnie for fifteen. She has a bachelors in Music and a masters in Jewish education but converted to finance fifteen years ago. Her daughter, Yehudit is twenty and studying business and finance at California State University in Northridge. Our other daughter Carole's girl, Carly is going to be seventeen and expects to be going into women's fashion and son Joshua who is going to be twelve, is studying for his Bar Mitzvah. Josh also is an excellent chef and expects to study at an Internationl Culinary school and also study finance. Carole's husband, Mark Zinderman is a producer of TV Infomercials and TV advertising. He is often seen on TV under the name Mark Alyn. My wife Arleen is an artist who paints on China and really keeps our home beautiful. Best wishes to all our extended family. A memorial donation in the names of Marty Nickow and Meyer, Ben and Teddy Mayoff is attached.

From Cliff Gerstman (Ush) of Long Beach, California.... The last issue was great. I really enjoy reading the newsletters.

From Daryl Segal (Ush) of Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania.... we just checked out the family web page and we're thrilled to see Robert's Bar Mitzvah picture on it. We are looking forward to getting the next issue of the newsletter. Our 8 year old son Ben is doing a family tree for his class project and would love an updated page from our side of the family. Best wishes to all the family.

From Joseph Rapoport of Greenwich, Connecticut... I hang my connection to your great family through my cousin Rocky Rapoport and my clear recollection of his mother, Sonya Mayoff. He doesn't know it I'm sure, that when his dad came to Canada with his bride, there was some eyebrow lifting; she could hardly speak Yiddish. She came, it was thought from deep Russia. She was seen as a Russian. and the Rapoports were from greater Lithunia - Litvaks who spoke the distinctive Litvak Yiddish (for those who know it). But I remember her then as very attractive, dark hair, no, black hair woman and I loved what became her Russian accented Yiddish. So much for family connections. I look forward to the next issue.

The first full-fledged family reunion
A poem by Judith Viorist
Submitted by Vivien Gold (Bun)

The full fledged reunion
Was held at the seashore with
9 pounds of sturgeon
7 pounds of corned beef
1 nephew who got the highest mark on an intelligence test ever recorded in Hillside New Jersey
4 aunts in pain taking pills
1 cousin taking notes
1 sister-in-law who makes a cherry cheese cake a person would be happy to pay to eat
5 uncles to whom what happened in the stock market shouldn't happen to their worst enemy
1 niece who is running away from home the minute the orthodontist removes her braces
1 cousin you wouldn't believe it to look at him only likes fellows
1 nephew involved with a person of a different racial persuasion which his parents are taking very well
1 brother-in-law with a house so big you could get lost and carpeting so thick you could suffocate and a mortgage so high you could go bankrupt
1 uncle whose wife is a saint to put up with him
1 cousin who has made such a name for himself he was almost Barbra Streisand's obstetrician
1 cousin who has made such a name for himself he was almost Jacob Javitt's CPA
1 niece it wouldn't surprise anyone if next year she's playing at Carnegie Hall
1 nephew it wouldn't surprise anyone if next year he's sentenced to Leavenworth
2 aunts who go to the same butcher as Philip Roth's mother
And me wanting approval from all of them.