Table of contents, "From Palestine to America and back home to Israel" The complete TOC is available upon request
Contents
PART A – Year 1920- ENTERING PALESTINE............................................................. 1
1. My Grandparents. ............................................................................................1
2. My Parents- Entering Palestine............................................................. 3
3. The Early Years in Palestine. ..................................................................5
A. Earning a Living. ..................................................................................5
B. Arab Terrorism.................................................................................. 8
C. Haganah & its Precursor................................................................. 9
4. MAMA............................................................................................................ 9
A. Zionist Youth Leader.......................................................................... 9
B. Arrested by the Bolsheviks........................................................... 10
C. Kibbutz Degania & Later Afikim................................................... 10
D. Silent Films........................................................................................ 11
E. The Beauty of Classical Music..................................................... 11
F. Emotional Reunion after 47 Years. ..................................................12
G. Memories of Mama. .........................................................................12
5. PAPA –Early Years in Palestine. ...............................................................15
A. From Crimea to Palestine. .............................................................15
B. Hired by the British.......................................................................... 15
6. KIRYAT CHAIM................................................................................................ 16
A. New Yishuv......................................................................................... 16
B. Rechov Beit .........................................................................................17
C. Toilet Facilities.................................................................................. 17
D. Chicken Coop. ....................................................................................18
E. Guard Duty.......................................................................................... 19
F. Weaponry............................................................................................ 20
G. Growing Up In a Tiny Yishuv......................................................... 20
H. Mahmud, the Arab Halva Vendor ................................................21
I. The Fish Peddler & Others............................................................. 21
J. Wildlife................................................................................................ 22
K. Scorpion Invasion............................................................................. 23
L. Activities. .............................................................................................24
M. Schooling. ...........................................................................................25
N. Mischievous Me. ...............................................................................26
7. ARAB MASSACRES & WAR THREAT....................................................... 27
A. Hebron Massacres.......................................................................... 27
B. Emigration to America................................................................... 28
Part B - COMING TO AMERICA...................................................................................... 28
1. COMING TO AMERICA – September 1939............................................... 28
A. Panic in Paris. ....................................................................................28
B. Cherbourg and the Queen Mary................................................... 29
C. Finally- In America. ..........................................................................31
D. Fire Alarm Signal Box. ....................................................................32
E. The Bicycle Shop and Rear Apartment...................................... 32
F. New York World's Fair..................................................................... 33
G. Burnt Beyond Recognition............................................................. 34
H. The Zucrows to the Rescue. ..........................................................36
2. OUR ‘NEW’ APARTMENT.............................................................................. 37
A. Brownsville –145 Christopher Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y........... 37
B. A Ramshackle Building................................................................... 37
C. Our New Neighborhood - Brownsville........................................ 39
D. Streets Filled with Children.......................................................... 40
E. Synagogues Everywhere................................................................ 40
F. Our First Radio.................................................................................. 40
G. Our ‘Indoor’ Refrigerator ................................................................41
H. Our ‘Outdoor’ Refrigerator .............................................................42
I. Army Cot in Kitchen. .........................................................................42
3. Poor in Brownsville. .....................................................................................43
A. Poverty. ................................................................................................43
B. A Hard Life. .........................................................................................43
C. How Little We Had............................................................................ 44
D. The Local Grocery Store. ...............................................................44
E. Rationing and Wartime Restrictions........................................... 45
F. Doing Laundry................................................................................... 46
G. The Outdoor Clothes-Lines........................................................... 47
H. Tziganyas (Gypsies)........................................................................ 48
I. Dusseldorf – The Parrot................................................................. 49
J. Communal Pesach. ..........................................................................51
K. I Remember........................................................................................ 52
L. Reusing everyday items................................................................. 53
M. Movie Theater................................................................................... 53
N. My Simple Childhood...................................................................... 54
O. Communication- Then and Now.................................................. 55
P. CARBON PAPER................................................................................ 55
Q. SENSE OF COMMUNITY.................................................................. 56
R. CENTRAL HEATING & ALTE ZACHEN.......................................... 56
4. MOVING TO WILLIAMSBURG.. ...................................................................57
A. New Job for Papa. ............................................................................57
B. Rented Horse and Wagon.............................................................. 57
C. Kooba Kola – A Grim Situation..................................................... 58
5. BACK TO BROWNSVILLE.............................................................................58
1949 – A Turning Point ..................................................................................60
Papa Opened a Locksmith Store. ...............................................................60
6. LINDEN BLVD................................................................................................. 61
A. A Brand New House......................................................................... 61
B. Kapchonkas. .......................................................................................62
Part C – My Education..................................................................................................... 63
1. SCHOOL- Elementary & Junior High School .........................................63
A. Elementary Public School............................................................. 63
B. P.S. 184. ..............................................................................................63
C. Challenges to Academic Achievement....................................... 64
D. Determined to Succeed.................................................................. 65
E. Junior High School ...........................................................................65
2. Judaic Studies................................................................................................ 66
A. Talmud Torah. ...................................................................................66
B. Hebrew High School ........................................................................67
C. Chaim Berlin Mesivta. .....................................................................67
3. BROOKLYN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL................................................... 68
A. Gaining Admission........................................................................... 68
B. Culture Shock.................................................................................... 68
C. An Inside Look................................................................................... 69
4. AT COOPER UNION.................................................................................. 70
A. Gaining Admission. ..........................................................................70
B. Intensive Instruction............................................................................. 70
C. Drop Outs............................................................................................ 71
D. Green Engineering Camp............................................................... 71
E. Classes Resume. ...............................................................................73
F. Cooperation Trumps Competitiveness....................................... 74
G. Honors, Awards & Achievements................................................ 74
H. Extra-Curricular Activities............................................................. 78
I. Fraternity Life................................................................................... 78
J. Teachers. .............................................................................................81
K. DEBATING SOCIETY.......................................................................... 82
L. WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY............................................... 83
M. Public Speaking. ...............................................................................84
5. Graduate School ............................................................................................85
A. Graduate School, Work or the Armed Forces?. .......................85
B. Fellowships........................................................................................ 85
C. Magnanimous. ...................................................................................92
D. Harvard versus M.I.T....................................................................... 94
6 AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (M.I.T.) .............94
A. The MIT Sloan School of Management...................................... 94
B. My Roommates at the M.I.T. ..........................................................95
C. Private Room Became Available. .................................................95
D. Kosher Provisions. ...........................................................................96
E. Dean Eli Shapiro. ..............................................................................96
F. The Sloan School of Finance and Industrial Management ..97
G. Graduate Management Society.................................................... 97
PART D –World War II & My Grandparents. ..............................................................98
1. An Emotional Upheaval ...............................................................................98
2. SAVTA and SABA.. .........................................................................................99
A. My Paternal Grandparents Remained In Palestine................ 99
B. Searching Garbage Dumpsters for Food. .................................99
C. Papa and Lazar go to Palestine. ................................................100
Part E. SAVTA, THEN VARYA, ARRIVE IN AMERICA......................................... 100
1. Port of New York (July 1946) ...................................................................100
2. SAVTA Gets Lost ..........................................................................................101
3. Kissing the Mezuzah.................................................................................. 101
4. Savta Grieved. ..............................................................................................102
5. VARYA.. ...........................................................................................................102
B. Private Bill Passed by Congress. ........................................................103
C. Bringing Varya to America.......................................................... 103
D. Keeping Varya Occupied.............................................................. 104
E. Varya Hospitalized. ........................................................................104
PART F - BLOSSOM –My Wife of 56 Years............................................................. 104
1. BLOSSOM................................................................................................ 104
A. How we met .....................................................................................104
B Marriage. ..........................................................................................107
C. Nanny Gittel .....................................................................................108
D. Our Wedding................................................................................... 109
1. Our 47th Anniversary- “How well I remember” ..........111
2. For My Darling Bunye, on Our Golden Anniversary -November 28, 2009. ............................................................................117
E. Jalopy. ...............................................................................................119
F. Family Arguments......................................................................... 120
PART G- OUR HOME.. ....................................................................................................120
1. OUR FIRST APARTMENT ON EAST 91ST STREET...................... 120
A. A Travesty........................................................................................ 120
B. Trudging Up Four Floors............................................................. 121
2. Mill Basin House. .........................................................................................121
A. Purchase of House. .......................................................................121
B. Our Home for 35 Years................................................................. 122
C. Pesach Kitchen. ..............................................................................122
D. Our Garden. .....................................................................................123
E. Tornado on Erev Succot .............................................................125
F. Thirty Six Years.............................................................................. 126
3. MANALAPAN.. ...............................................................................................126
A. Leaving Mill Basin......................................................................... 126
B. New Single Home Development ...............................................127
C. Dream House. .................................................................................127
D. Gardening........................................................................................ 134
PART H – SHARON ע"הN . ..........................................................................................141
So many stories to tell about both our daughters. .............................................141
1. Sharon –Our First-Born. .......................................................................143
A. Time to Go to Hospital................................................................. 143
B. Birth of Sharon. ............................................................................143
C. COMING HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL..................................... 144
D. PROPITIOUS TIMING.. ...................................................................144
E. A VERY SPECIAL “BEREISHIT”................................................... 144
F. Sharon Volunteers for Six Month. ............................................145
2. Sharon- Cambridge Experience........................................................ 145
3. Sharon’s Marriage to Uriel ..................................................................146
4. Sharon’s Aliyah to Israel ......................................................................146
5. 1991: Iraqi Scud missiles hit Israel ...................................................147
6. SHARON ע"ה - A True Eshet Chayil ................................................148
PART I – My Summer & Part-time Jobs. ...............................................................149
1. EVENING OUT MAGAZINE. ...................................................................149
2. SUNNYLAND HOTEL - MY UNCLE’S HOTEL IN THE CATSKILL. 150
A. Summer Getaway. .........................................................................150
B. Recruited Five High School Friends. ........................................151
C. Promoted to Busboy. .....................................................................151
D. Evenings Were for Relaxation. ...................................................152
3. Recruiters at Cooper Union. .......................................................................153
4. G.E. Pittsfield- My Patent..................................................................... 154
5. LONG ISLAND JEWISH WORLD.. ........................................................156
6. Merrill Moore and the Dance of Death............................................ 157
A. Industrial Background................................................................. 159
B. Solderless Terminals and Connectors. ..................................159
A. How it started. ........................................................................159
B. Financing the Business. .......................................................160
C. Larger Premises.................................................................... 161
D. Floor Caved In. ........................................................................161
E. Relocation & Growing Pains............................................... 162
F. Relocating Again. ...................................................................162
G. Relationship with Japanese Supplier. .............................162
H. RELOCATING ONCE AGAIN.. ................................................163
I. Preston Court - Moving In. ..................................................163
J. Farmingdale Building.......................................................... 165
K. Unionization Attempt............................................................ 167
L. Office Operations. ...................................................................167
M. Papa and Mama Relocated to Syosset............................ 167
7. My Very First Trip. .................................................................................167
8. Arriving at Tokyo International Airport ...........................................168
9. Japanese Greetings. .............................................................................169
10. The Bullet Train & Arrival in Osaka................................................ 169
11. The Guest of Honor & the Restaurant............................................ 170
12. Brachot?. .................................................................................................170
13. Food Artistry.......................................................................................... 170
14. The Following Morning....................................................................... 171
15. Business & Technical Meetings. ......................................................171
16. Eating Supper in My Hotel Room.................................................... 172
17. My First Shabbat in Japan. ...............................................................172
18. Blossom Joins Me on a Trip to Japan. ...........................................172
19. Selling and Reselling the Business. ...............................................176
Part J - Papa- in America........................................................................................ 177
1. A Creative Genius Papa (1905- 1988) .............................................177
A. Storeroom.. ......................................................................................178
B. A Well Organized Workshop. ......................................................178
C. Fearless. ...........................................................................................178
2.Memories of Papa. .............................................................................................179
A. Obligations to HaShem................................................................. 179
B. Marriage to Mama. ........................................................................179
C. Pesach Seder ..................................................................................180
D. Papa’s Visits.................................................................................... 180
E. Rheumatism and the “Greener” Dentist.................................. 181
F Mincha. ..............................................................................................181
G. Back to Kiryat Chaim.................................................................... 182
H. On the Occasion of Papa’s 10th Yahrzeit................................ 183
I. On the Occasion of Papa’s Eleventh Yahrzeit, ..... ..................184
PART K. Children, Grandchildren & Great-Grandchildren. .............................185
1. Children, Grandchildren -Baruch HaShem.. ..................................185
2. Marriage of Grandchildren. ................................................................186
PART L- The Wonders of Change. ............................................................................187
1. My Tenth Birthday. ................................................................................187
2. Simple Pleasures.................................................................................. 188
3. I Remember Well .........................................................................................188
A. AS AN OCTOGENARIAN................................................................ 188
B. EMAIL................................................................................................. 189
C. MUSIC.. ..............................................................................................189
D. Telephones. .......................................................................................190
E. Smart Phones................................................................................... 191
F. Skype....................................................................................................191
G. Waze. ..................................................................................................192
H. Car Seats –. .......................................................................................192
I. Air Bags & Auto Safety Devices. .................................................192
J. Microwaves...................................................................................... 193
K. Television. ..........................................................................................193
L. Dragon Naturally Speaking......................................................... 193
M. GPS. ....................................................................................................193
N. The Candy Store.............................................................................. 194
O. Punishment..................................................................................... 194
P. Transportation. ...............................................................................194
Q. Coney Island. ...................................................................................195
R. The Clothing I Wore. ......................................................................195
S. PLAY STATIONS & VIDEO GAMES. ............................................195
T. Pushcart Market .............................................................................195
Part M - Going to Russia........................................................................................ 196
1. Trip to Kransodar (Russia).................................................................. 196
Part N- Aliyah to Israel........................................................................................... 200
1. Fulfillment of Our Dreams................................................................... 200
2. Wish to Join our Children and Grandchildren................................ 201
3. Our Daughters’ Aliyah........................................................................... 201
4. Our Aliyah. ................................................................................................203
A - Nefesh B’Nefesh. ...........................................................................203
B- Packing. ...........................................................................................204
C- Arriving in Israel............................................................................ 206
D- By Order of US Homeland Security. ........................................206
E- Container Finally Arrives. ...........................................................207
F- Letter to our Friends.................................................................... 208
G. Worth it all ........................................................................................209
H. Spine-Tingling Experience…....................................................... 209
I. The Cookie Factory -..................................................................... 210
J. Chanukah Came Early. .................................................................211
K. Clinging to Memories – The Sacred (?) Amulet.................... 214
L. VISITING SACRED SITES. ..............................................................215
5. Machpela (Cave of the Patriarchs)......................................................... 215
6. KEVER RACHEL............................................................................. 216
7. The Kotel.................................................................................................. 218
8. Ancient Synagogues............................................................................. 219
A. BESEECHING GREAT TZADDIKIM.............................................. 219
B. Frustrations of a New Immigrant ..............................................219
9. Even before we made Aliyah we savored “Israeli exasperation”... 220
10. Absorption Experience...................................................................... 220
11. The list begins with…......................................................................... 221
PART O - WRITING AND ACTIVISM.. .....................................................................223
1. Love of Writing....................................................................................... 223
2. Motionless Wor....................................................................................... 224
3. Progression and Effectiveness. .........................................................225
4. Writing with a Passion......................................................................... 227
5. Other Writing. ..........................................................................................227
PART P - Superstitions. ...............................................................................................228
1. Growing Up With Superstitions......................................................... 228
2. Poo, Poo, Poo. .........................................................................................229
3. Cutting an Egg on Pesach. ..................................................................230
Part Q. Synagogues & Returnees to Judaism.. ...................................................231
1. Flatbush Park Jewish Center............................................................. 232
2. Sephardic Center of Mill Basin. .........................................................232
3. Working with Returnees to Judaism.. ...................................................233
PART R. Sefer Torah Dedications........................................................................... 234
PART S- Ambivalent Emotions................................................................................. 235
1. Baruch Dayan Emet – Mama & Papa............................................... 235
2. Death of Our Daughter, Sharon. ........................................................235
PART T – Krymchaki - A Personal Background................................................. 235
1. Who Were the Krymchaki ?. ................................................................235
2. Melodies and Minhagim the Pesach Seder. ...................................236
3. Hamin Eggs (a traditional Krymchaki favorite)........................... 236
4. Pastel .........................................................................................................237
5. Languages. ...............................................................................................237
6. Religious Ritual & Rites. .......................................................................238
Part U - GLOSSARY.. ....................................................................................................238
APPENDICES. ..................................................................................................................243
APPENDIX A - Books I have written. ................................................................243
APPENDIX B - DOCUMENTS Relating to Palestine, USA. Immigration. 246
APPENDIX C- Newspaper Articles about Israel Rubin. ..............................279
1. FROM: Jewish Telegraph (UK) 12/2/2011.................................. 279
2. Jerusalem Post Magazine – Dec 4, 2014..................................... 280
Appendix D The Family Whistle. .....................................................................282
Appendix E- -My Hobbies. ...................................................................................282
A. Stamp collecting. ...........................................................................282
B. Clarinet and Flute. .........................................................................283
Appendix F – Management Consulting. ........................................................283
Appendix G -Disclaimer. .....................................................................................286
Photo Gallery A – KIRYAT CHAIM - Photos........................................................... 287
Photo Gallery B – ARAB VIOLENCE- Photos. .......................................................287