The Common Vein

I lived in Orange Grove and was the youngest of three girls.  I went to Linksfield Primary School where we would attend Cheder at 7am in the morning before school.    The prime goal there was to make sure we knew enough to be able to have a Bat Mitzvah which I had at the Pine Street Shul in Orchards where my father and mother were very active members.   Both my sisters went to King David High and I followed in their footsteps.

I remember being overwhelmed on my first day and having to walk up the hill to our classroom which was in the prefabs at the back of the main school building.  I was really afraid of Mr Sandler and Ms Berman.  I remember how at assembly if you were caught talking you were put on the stage in front of everyone.  Very humiliating.   But I must say enjoyed my years there especially swimming and sports.   I do remember in Form 3 never attending Math classes and hiding in the bathroom with Heather Miodownick.   One of us would sit on the top of the toilet and the other on the seat so if Ms Berman came in she would only see one set of feet. My favorite teacher was Mr Sean Connor as in Form 2 I had surgery and had to stay home and he used to come and tutor me at home. I also remember taking the bus home after school (my dad?s driver used to take us in the morning) and always being afraid of missing the bus.  If we were let out three minutes late I knew that I would land up walking home which was a good half hour walk with a heavy case.  I remember the great Matric dances we had and preparing for them which was so much fun and the big bee attack at the tennis court.

After school I spent two years at the Technical College in Johannesburg doing a Business/Marketing  Course, after which I worked for a Law firm.

I met my husband Ralph Nussbaum through a friend of mine and we got married in 1972.  We first lived in Berea for a year then bought a house in Sydenham East where we lived for nearly five years. Our three sons were born in SA.  My husband was in the City of Johannesburg one day and there were terrible riots, he came home and told me we were going to leave.  In August 1977 he went to the States to look for a job as a Cantor, and within four days called to say he had been offered a job at Temple Beth El, a Shul in Cranford New Jersey.  He went to Yeshiva College for High School, took voice lessons for years and trained with Cantor Moshe Stern and in Israel.   They wanted him for the High Holidays so he left in September 1977 and I was going to follow with the three boys after all the Yom Tovs.  The Shul had a house for us to live in and unknown to us had hired furniture and bought everything we needed to live until our lift arrived so I left a week later.  Our daughter Stacey was born in the USA in 1979. The first few years were quite a learning experience especially having no close family with us but we made great friends who became our adopted family.  We lived in New Jersey for 17 years.

While in New Jersey my husband and I also opened a business called Executive Suites.  It was a shared office concept.  We rented out offices to various people and they used our office staff to do all their secretarial work for them.  When we decided to move to Long Island in 1994 we sold the business.  My husband got a job as Cantor and Principal of the Hebrew School at the East Northport Jewish Center in East Northport, Long Island.

I work for a General/Vascular Surgeon as Office Manager/Medical Assistant which I really enjoy. I assist him with small procedures that we do in the office.   I am very involved with activies in the shul and am on the Sisterhood, Board of Education and Chesed Committees.  I enjoy gardening, reading, and playing WII with the grandkids who always beat me.

All our children attended Solomon Schechter Day School and when we moved to Long Island our daughter attended Hebrew Academy of Nassau County.  Our eldest son Brett and his family live in Fairlawn, New Jersey and he is an accountant for Novartis  the drug company.  His wife Naomi is a Kindergarden teacher at Ben Porat Jewish Day School.  Our second son Brad lives in West Orange, New Jersey with his family.  His wife Suzie is a 2nd grade teacher at Kushner Jewish Day School.  Brad and our son Martin are in the finance business together.  Martin and his family live in Manhattan.  His wife Sharon is a Real Estate Broker.  Our daughter Stacey lives in West Orange, New Jersey and she is a Physicians Assistant and works for a Sports Medicine/ Urgent Care doctor.  Her husband David works for a very large Mortgage company.

Ralph and I have been blessed with 11 grandchildren and spend a lot of time with them.  Each one is special to us.

The rest of my family have all left SA.   My eldest sister Harriet married Hylton Bark who was also at KDHS they moved to Israel in 1975 and they have three married children and 7 grandchildren. My second sister Bernice married Myron Blecher and they moved about 10 years ago to Melbourne Australia they have four married children and 12 grandchildren.   My parents in their 80?s moved with my sister to Australia.  First they lived in their own home and last year we moved them into an assisted living development.  My dad is 97 and my mom is 91.  They are unbelievable.  Very active, go to gym classes, lectures, day trips etc.  The have 20 great grandchildren.

Through this upcoming reuinion (which unfortunately I cannot attend as I am going to Australia beginning of November) I have been able to reconnect with a lot of school friends which has been wonderful.  Its great to read eveyones bios.

To all of you who have made this happen thanks for a job well done and for all the work you have put in.