Becky Tape

We're here with Rebecca Azorn-Wolfe, a remarkable woman who is enjoying a remarkable life, and we want to talk today a little bit about that remarkable life. So, Granny, why don't you start by telling us where you were born?

I was born in I was born in New York City, actually Brooklyn, New York. My father escaped from the Polish Army, came to New York with my mother, whom he married as soon as he was out of the Army. And because he had relatives in New York, they stayed there for 3 years. In that time, 3 little girls were born. Rebecca, Celia, and Ida. Ages respectively, Rebecca was 4, Celia was 3, Ida was 1. My aunt, who at that time with her husband was living in Omaha, Nebraska, brought word to my father that if he would come to Omaha, Nebraska to live with his family, He would get him a job in a wagon wheel factory working with jelly. Because my mother was very close to her sister and loved her dearly, they made the move. My father found housing. My mother made the trek to Omaha, Nebraska, with 3 words of English at her command. She was taught very carefully before she left That she must remember the magic words, change trains, which means the 3 children had to be dressed, she had to be ready to get off of the train, and be ready to get on the other train. The only 2 words she knew in English were damn and goddamn. With those 2 words of English, she started on this long journey. The heat was intense. The nutrition which came from bottles of milk which turned sour. The heat created many, many screams and hollers and wails from the 3 children. I'm sure all the passengers wanted us thrown out. But somehow we survived that first day and first night. The second day and night was a horror story, repeating what happened the first day. On the third day, the magic words rang out, change trains! My mother became hysterical, overwrought with helplessness, not knowing what she would do with the 3 children who by that time Who miraculous also had just fallen asleep. A young man who was seated close by saw her problem, came over, put his arm around her, indicated in body language that she must show him her ticket, which she did. He went to the conductor who understood the story. He held the train. The young man Helped her off of the train, and she got onto the train for Omaha, Nebraska. The travail does not end there. She arrived in Omaha, Nebraska. The weather was very bad. It had rained the night before. My uncle was to meet her at the station. He came equipped for the children and my mother. To carry them to their new home. The horses became immersed in thick mud. They could not move. They never reached the station. My mother sat there with 3 crying, howling children throughout the night until exhaustion forced them to go to sleep. My uncle came the next morning, didn't recognize my mother. When he saw the 3 children, he surmised there she was. They eventually got to their new residence where my father greeted them, and soon after they left my aunt and uncle's residence because my father did gainfully find employment. And with a couple of hundred dollars, Which was his sole fortune, he invested in a little grocery store, and that became our home in Omaha, Nebraska. Without much knowledge of the language, of the English language, they persisted when they engaged a very nice young Christian lady to come and help them with their English. My father took the cans off of the labels from the canned goods. He studied them carefully. The lady came 3 times a week to help him, and finally they learned how to speak quite well. My mother made it certain that they would not want to talk like greenhorns. They wanted to talk like Americans. And they set about the serious business of really learning how to speak the language well. We went to a school there. We all helped in the grocery store. We found life very interesting and very exciting because my parents were incorrigible optimists. They felt that America was going to be the land of milk and honey. However, they worked very, very hard, and my father, who was such a kind-hearted man, trusted all his customers, with the result that many of them did not pay their bills on time, and it was quite a struggle to make ends meet. My mother always accused him, too, of never watching the cash register because we had a butcher serving in the next room in this little butcher shop, and he deposited the money in his own register, and Daddy refused to always check that register. He says, no, I trust everybody. Well, sooner or later he found you could not trust everybody. everybody. So that battle finally was taken care of. After my sisters finished high school, they all had their own careers. One of my sisters, Ida, the youngest, went into nurses' training at St. Luke's Hospital in Denver. Where she was a very highly sought-after nurse because she was so conscientious and so devoted to her profession. She later became an air stewardess and was the first Jewish girl to ever fly on the maiden voyage with United, on the maiden flight, on this very, very first flight. My sister, Ciel, was employed in a real estate office where they called her Little Miss And Rebecca went to work as a solicitor for the World Herald newspaper, where she went out soliciting advertising and found that she was very, very excited about her new job, meeting the outside world and meeting so many new people. It was really adventure for her. As soon after that, Second World War broke out, and of course everybody's mind was focused on the horrors of the war and praying for a peace, which finally came. And I remember on that day when a little bird sat on the windowsill. Oh, I remember that. And my mother kept praising the Lord and saying, oh, this is a good omen. There will be peace. And soon after that, peace was declared and everybody was marching in the street. Now, in the interim, there were kids to raise and, of course, Of course, I didn't say anything to you about my brother, Louis A. Zorin, who was a colonel in the Army at that time and came home from the wars. And I never will forget the time he stopped at our house to visit, because at that time his family was living in California. And I remember his great, great appetite for meat and steaks particularly. I was married by that time because I met my husband and married in 1925. And when Louis came to visit me, all I could think of was that big steak that he would enjoy. And when I heaped his plate and he saw the food on that plate, he turned to me and he said, I can't eat all of that, sis, because there are too many kids who are starving and going through garbage cans. So just serve me half of that. And I'll always remember that when I served my family after that. My husband, whom I met in Omaha, Nebraska, was very, very excited about the real estate business and joined his brother in the men's furnishing business in Omaha, Nebraska. My children met their husbands. Audrey met Joe Kirschenbaum, who had graduated from Lincoln, Nebraska. And he was employed with the Bond Men's Clothing Company until my husband saw President Johnson on the ranch, and that 10-gallon hat and the boots. And he said, Joey, you're going to get out of that business. You are Going into the Western business. No more measuring short sleeves, long sleeves. You are going into the Western business. That's the business to be in. And Joe went into the business, had 3 sons who are all into the business to this day, and they all found it intensely interesting and have done Ida married Phil Gerlich, who was a fine athlete, very involved in athletics, and they had a good life. Phil married a man who was a very, very bright man, but he was so bright and he had to have his way at all times and turned out to be a real hazard in the family. Fortunately, that didn't last through her lifetime, so that took care of Joe. Now, after that time, there were many things that happened in Omaha. It was the kind of a city where the Jewish people were very intense about helping those who did not have. There were, as in any community, haves and have-nots. And my parents were always very mindful of the fact that you had to be friends with everybody. You just couldn't get into a gang. And so our life, the focus on our life really was to see that we were very, very aware of the fact that everybody was a decent human being and in their own way had something to contribute. I feel I was very lucky because I grew up in an ethnic neighborhood. There were So many interesting experiences that my children never grew up, and I wish they had grown up in a heterogeneous neighborhood, which of course they never did, as I did. And the festivities, the holidays were exchanged, the people who came into our little store, were friends. It was a friendly existence for me. We led a very sheltered and protected life. We didn't know that other people had many things that we had. We didn't envy anybody because we just felt at that time the people, the Jewish people we knew were all in the same Right. In the same situation that we were financially. And so we never coveted that which we didn't have. But the Jewish people as a whole have always been very conscious and focused on education, which was their great priority in life. And though we had very little money to spend on the outside, We had a lady come in to teach us the piano. We had a Jewish teacher come in to teach us the Jewish language. We belonged to a synagogue, and we felt that we had a very good life. And so after I was married. We became very involved in the State of Israel. It wasn't the state at that time when we became involved. It was just in the state of being really discussed as the great turn for the Jewish people because everybody at that time was well aware of what had happened during the Holocaust, and the terror and the horror that took over the whole world was something that everybody knew about. And so I remember when my husband and I and family became very involved in trying to help Israel, and the first thing they did was launch a A bond drive which took place in Chicago. And Ben-Gurion, who was the Prime Minister at that time, came to make his initial plea, appeal for bonds in Chicago. And my husband was one of the group who went to Chicago to listen to him. And when he came back, he was determined he would do what he could to help. And The campaign, and I also became very involved. Now, one of the organizations that I was particularly interested in was called Hadassah. It was the women's Zionist organization, and its prime objective was to raise money for the people in Israel to devote themselves to good care for people who needed it. Malaria was rampant at the time, and many diseases. They had built, and starting to build, many hospital centers, many places for nursing, and they became known as not only a national but international organization for helping people Throughout the world because the Arabs were treated there as well as the Jews. They were always conscious of the fact that you had to work for humanity. You couldn't work just for your own. You had to reach out. So they were always reaching out to anybody who needed the help. Unfortunately, many things happened that made it very, very difficult to do many of the things that they hoped to do quickly. So it took a while, but the loyalty and the devotion that the people who were interested in supporting Israel showed, it went on for many years, and to this day is still one of the greatest women's organizations in the world. I was involved in Hadassah. I was involved in other organizations, not necessarily Jewish. And my whole family, since my mother used to be an activist in Russia where she came from and was always on the soapbox, it seemed that I inherited her desire and passion for the things that were important to me. to carry on. And I have found this a great source of inspiration in my life to feel I was doing something worthwhile during my lifetime. I feel that I have been very fortunate indeed to have been lucky enough to live in a community like Omaha. Because you were only conspicuous actually by your absence, because if you were not present at a function where you were expected, the phone would immediately ring. Where have you been? Where have you and Sam been? And so it was a place that was certainly one that made you feel this was the place you wanted to I remember distinctly when a child was late or a child didn't show at the appointed hour when you expected him, all you had to do was pick up the telephone and you knew the phrase, you knew where they would be, and you had a feeling of safety and security that that I think was not to be found in many other areas. I have gone on and on without mentioning the fact that the 3 of us, the 3 girls, were born in New York City. However, the surprise baby was my sister May, who turned out to be the delight of our life. And my brother Louis, who graduated from the University of Lincoln. And my parents felt that it didn't matter what sacrifices they have to make, that was beside the point. They wanted their son to be a doctor. What greater joy than for parents to say, there is my son, the doctor. Well, my brother became a doctor. My sister May developed into a very, very competent young woman who was compassionate, very caring about people, and devoted herself to many worthy organizations. She truly was a professional volunteer. And wherever Mae left and wherever she went, she always left the sparks of her person and personality there. We happened to be an especially close family. It never mattered who had what and when or where. We were always there when we needed each other, and that has been the great joy of my life, and I can I can honestly say I feel tremendously blessed because of my family. To this day, they have supported me in every endeavor, in every, everything I have tried to do, and I feel that I have lived to enjoy those things to the extent where not many, many parents have had that great joy. And great pleasure. It's been 20 years now since my husband died, but I cannot miss the part, especially to tell you that my husband had an insatiable curiosity about traveling. And he had one standard phrase. He was in the real estate business. He He had such a— he had so much foresight for his work that the minute he saw a piece of property or he saw some location that was going to be vacant, he would call up and he'd be so enthusiastic. And then when he'd get home, he'd say, I know just who is going in that piece of property. I know just what will go in there. And he'd get very busy. And before long, he would make a deal. He would work until he was exhausted. Then he'd call me and say, I have to get away. And I'd say, where do you want to go? My first phrase was always, can we afford it? Then he would say, if I make this deal, I can do it. With the happy result that many of the deals turned out well and we could make a trip. And we traveled extensively during those years of leisure. Many, many exciting trips in foreign places and lands. We went to South Africa. We were through Eastern Europe. We went to the shores. We went to the Scandinavian countries. We covered most of the earth. And I feel it was because of my husband's Curiosity and my husband's desire to really see what was going on in the world and never postponed anything. Because if he said, let's go, he meant, let's go. And I know that many times I felt that our friends in Omaha, who were really very, very well off, only started traveling Traveling and thinking of traveling because we had set the pace for that. So I've had a very good life. When my husband died, I moved to California because on the few visits we had made to California, we really fell in love with it. Everything about it, the location, the temperatures, the wonderful scenery. The scenic views, everything about it made us feel this was a veritable paradise. And so when my husband died, I did move to California and enjoyed many, many years in California. And finally I moved to Leisure World because— So many things change, and even places where you live change. And La Costa changed, and all of the structures there came down and they were rebuilding. And I had several friends who moved into an area called Leisure World in Laguna Hills. And when I came here, I thought, well, I said I would never leave La Costa. And I have learned to take the word never out of my dictionary. Because there isn't such a thing as never. That word doesn't exist for me anymore because I have found a veritable paradise on leisure world, and I'm grateful that I have had good health for all of my life, and I'm grateful for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me, and I hope and pray that my children will have the joys and pleasures that I have. Now, my dear children, how can anyone sit here and in a few minutes tell you what one's life consists of? I left out so many things, particularly Audrey's mother-in-law, Joe Kirschenbaum's mother, whom we always called Bubby. She was everybody's friend. Everybody came. She loved everybody. I remember when we were little, Listen, she was a wonderful, wonderful woman. When she told me the tales of her Joey serving in World War II, and General Patton promising her that he would call his mother, which he did. And when she embraced him when he came to Omaha, and she's a little bit of a woman and he's a tall man. And he put his arm around her, and all she did was talk about her Joey. He finally says, little mother, don't you want to know how the theater of the war was going? And she says, General, don't worry. And as she tapped him on the bed, she said, you have our Joey. Also, what can I tell you? I could tell you about other members of the family who have added so much pleasure, how devoted my sons-in-law have been. They have really been my children. I have never referred to them as sons-in-law. And so many, many things that need telling. But they say there is a time and a place for everything. Maybe this is the time. Maybe this is the place. I think that's right. This is the place. But I hesitated really when Barton said he wanted me to say some things. And I said, well, I don't know, Barton, where to start and where to leave off. And so many of the dates escape me. How do I do all this? Another thing I didn't dwell on is the fact that my parents were so insistent on American— becoming American citizens. And spared no time and energy in becoming citizens, and how proud they were to be Americans. And I firmly believe that any refugee or any immigrant who comes to these shores certainly appreciates America to the fullest. And I often wonder how anybody can come to this country, and sure it's a struggle, but everything in life is a struggle. And I think that's what makes America so great. It's a struggle and how blessed we are to be in America. So I thank God for the blessing of living here. I thank God for all of the blessings of my children and the things that happened to me. And my dear sons-in-law who have such loving children that have become my own children. At the moment, Barton is sitting here right now telling me Keep going, Mother. You can ramble. I said, I have a way of rambling, Barton. Stop me. He says, well, that's when you're best, when you're rambling. Well, here he is with his 2 beautiful children, new baby, 2 months old, like a little rosebud, and his little son Nathan. So I'm very grateful. My wonderful, wonderful daughters Marlene, Audrey, Their wonderful husbands, Elliot and Joe. What more can a mother ask in this life? My wonderful sister May, who is still with me. So there is a good Lord, and He has showered all His blessings upon me. And with that, I say thank you, God, and amen.

Well, I've got a few more things. Let's talk a little more about your family. What was your mother's name?

My mother's name was Lena Kaltov Azarin. She married my daddy after he escaped the Russian army, and then they went to New York. My aunt lived in Brooklyn, New York. My father's sister. They were very devoted to each other, and they stayed there until the 3 children were born.

What was your father's name?

My father's name was Harry Azorn.

And he had a sister in New York?

And his sister's name was Mary Tamarin, and they had already been in the States for some time and really felt settled there. But my mother was very unhappy because she yearned for her sister. They were very devoted. And so my mother confided her yearning to my father, and he wrote my uncle who was living in New York— living in Omaha, and told him that if he would come to Omaha, he would find a job for him in the wagon wheel factory, which he did.

What was that uncle's name?

Jacob Garrop. Jacob Garrop was his name. He was a very good man. And His wife was the kind of woman whom everybody loved. She was all heart. She was always giving. She was always doing. And Mother came from a family where everybody was always taking care of everybody else.

To your mother for a minute. Who was her mother? Your mom's mom?

Oh, she's the one who lived with us for a while.

What was her name?

Goldie.

Okay.

I don't know what her last— wouldn't it be Koltoff if her maiden name was Koltoff?

Yeah.

Because my brother's name— her brother's name was Koltoff.

Your mom's brother? Okay, what— where did he live?

He lived in Omaha.

Okay, what was his first name?

Abe.

Abe. Okay, good. Now when you, when you came to Omaha and you had your life here, still living at home with your parents, what were some of the things that you and Seal and Ida And May and your brother would do. What did you do for fun when you were growing up?

It's interesting because we worked in the store, you know, Thelma and I worked in the store. And we worked in the household, and we didn't spend much time out of the house. We didn't have dolls. We didn't have toys. We were just busy kids, you know. We practiced our lessons, and we had this Jewish malamed come in, this Jewish tutor. What did he teach you? And it was a very different life than it is now. Nobody ever said, what will we do now? Or, I'm bored.

Did you listen to the radio?

Earphones.

Did you go to movies?

Occasionally.

Did the family go?

We went to the Jewish theater. Whenever there was Jewish theater, Mother always took Was

that Yiddish?

Yiddish theater. And then we belonged to— well, my parents belonged to the Hebrew Club. And then we visited relatives on Sunday. Our life was very simple, very simple.

Now, you married Sam when you were about 20. Do you remember when you met him?

I think I met him at a party.

You have to speak up a little for the camera. You met him at a party?

I think so.

Was it love at first sight? Did he pursue you?

No, I was being courted by 2 men then, and this is interesting because the other man already had a degree at the university. He was studying to be a doctor. And so when my mother knew that Meyer was, you know, kind of hot off the trail when Sam was, she said, but my dear, how do you expect to marry a doctor? She said, you don't have a college education. See, I always— I was always big on going to night school. I was I was always big on taking courses. So while I didn't have a profession in any with a degree, I was always, you know, doing something in education. And so I think she was a big influence in my life. But, you know, to this day, before Sam died, I You know, if you said you couldn't go because the light was red, you know good and well he wasn't going to wait till that light went out. He was going to go. And he was very aggressive in everything he did. He was very aggressive in pursuing me too. So I ended up by marrying Sam, and I've never regretted it because my life would have been very different Meyer was the kind of a man who was very passive. He was a great guy, I liked him a lot, but he didn't have the excitement and enthusiasm. My life would have been very different. Anyway, I've never had any regrets.

Do you remember when Sam proposed to you?

Do I what?

Remember when I know

he didn't ask my parents. He didn't get down on a bended knee.

He did not?

No. He was very, very interested in my parents. They loved him dearly, and he was very He was very kind to them, very kind. And if I had any complaints, it was always my fault. It was never Sam's, you know. But he was a very strong personality.

Was the wedding

The hottest day in the year.

What was that like?

You know, when you stop to consider that I had never been out of Omaha— oh, I went to Minneapolis once to visit, and my name was pasted all over the suitcase. And that was the only contact I had, you know, outside of my own home. And I didn't know much about the world, and I hadn't dated a lot. Really, Meyer and Sam were the only 2 men I dated, and then some young man at work who wasn't Jewish, and of course I couldn't do that. So I was very limited in the romance department. Actually, I'm trying to think. When did he give me the ring?

April 9th, 1925.

Well, I was engaged then. I was married soon after that.

We're looking at this from Rebecca's recent Birthday party, showing her engagement picture.

I was married soon after that. Well, I was probably married in 1925.

Do you have any memories of the wedding?

Horrors, yes. Horrible. It was so hot. It was horrible. And I remember my mother wanted so much to have her sister, my Aunt Ida, there, whom I liked so much too. And she wasn't invited because there just wasn't room. I think Sam had, you know, too many guests already. I remember On his side to meet the number that was arranged for, whatever. So I remember how badly my mother felt and how badly I felt. Sam's family won't grow. Well, I think primarily Mother Wolf felt that nobody was good enough for her Sammy. That was the main reason. Mm-hmm. If someone gave me a compliment after we were married and said, oh, your Sammy is looking good, Mrs. Wolfe, she'd say— they'd say, Rebecca must be a good cook, and she'd say, sure, the store has candy next door to the store. He likes candy. They didn't know how. And her daughters were very nice to me. You know, they liked me. They were very nice to me. They entertained for me and all that kind of stuff. But I could never make it with her.

What was Sam like?

Sam thought his wife was the best ever. Never was interested in Never. And if we went to a party, the first thing he said when we came home— this was after the children were grown, of course— before we went, what are you doing, Audrey? Why, Daddy? We're going to the club. We're going to this party. I want you to come over. Why, Daddy? I want you to see how good Mother looks. Or Marlene, I want you to say, oh, I bought Mother this, or I bought Mother that. I want to surprise her, but I want you to say it first. And then Marlene would call me, Mother, don't you dare tell Daddy. He won't like it. He's so excited. His greatest pleasure was trying to please me, but he had a mind of his own. And with the children, He was very generous, and whenever the girls came to me for something, we want to go here, we want to go there, and he'd say, ask your mother. And they'd say, mother says no, we can't do it, or we can't go. And he says, well, she's the boss. Never, never interfered when I said that wasn't the thing to do or it wasn't appropriate. Never. Like a young woman would put up with what we did. Because don't forget, my parents were already attuned to the ideal That children had to go out on their own. And because when my sister Ida went to Denver, my mother was besieged with telephone calls from her Jewish friends who said, Mrs. Azorn, God is with you. What are you doing to your beautiful young daughter? She's going to be a nurse and carry bedpans? See, they couldn't see beyond that. My mother said, God is with her, he'll help her. This is what she wants to do. And she was the best nurse that ever graduated from St. Luke's. She loved that. So they were already out of that era, that generation. That's what That's what I experienced. While Sam's folks were still of the European, where the father was in charge, and the father was the patriarch. His word was the word. Now Sam would always come home and say, well, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to do, and he'd say, what do you think? And I'd say, well, honey, if this is what you have decided to do, I'm sure it's fine, you know, because I didn't know anything about the dealings of this— dealings that, you know, about the real estate property, and this is more valuable than that and that and that. So I was perfectly contented to abide by his decisions. Because I knew that he was not only sincere, but he really cared deeply for his family. And when Audrey had her first date, he didn't sleep all night. I slept because I thought there's no use being up all night watching him, you know, torture himself. He wanted to know who the boy was, who his parents were, His parents did. My father was like that. When I was dating Sam, he wanted to know who Sam was, who Meyer was. If somebody else called me, what does his father do? My father was very fussy about his daughters. If we came into the store and we didn't look like our hose were on straight, you're a married lady, now go back there and fix it. The seams in your hose aren't straight. He took pride in his family, and he cared for us deeply. And Sam was like that, too. No, he cared for his family. But Sam still felt that— in other words, he wasn't as open in his thinking as I was. He didn't share the understanding that I did or had for other situations, you know. It was, be reasonable, do it my way, you know. He just didn't have an open mind in a lot of things. And those Things I just felt. You just don't quarrel over everything, and if you have differences, they have to be worthwhile. Not an argument, but a discussion, because nobody is ever in a win-win situation. And maybe it's my quest for knowledge, maybe it's my quest for Maybe it's my quest for wisdom. Maybe it's my quest for the unknown that I feel I want to know about that has made me as understanding as I am. Because everybody's point of view is different, all depending on their own background, their own exposure. And I appreciate that. I appreciate that. I appreciate that, but a lot of people haven't had my background, so go do them something. And so you have to learn with people, learn to live with people. And even since I'm in Leisure World, I have played in 3 different bridge groups, and 3 different of my friends have left the group because they felt insulted by what was said to them in the card games. Who were the people I've that insulted you? never heard of such nonsense. You know what I'm saying, Borden? It's one thing to act like a child and it's another thing to be sensitive to certain things. But the small stuff is trivial. You know what I'm trying to say? So, um, People don't change. You have to change if you want to change. But I've had a lot of exposure, and if Sam didn't like someone, you know, that was just too bad. But nothing is all black or all white. You have to look at people. I think that's a good thing.

Let's talk about Marlene and Audrey. Let's start with the birth. Do you remember childbirth? Do you remember childbirth?

I remember when I gave birth to Audrey. It was interesting. It was interesting, my friends all came to the hospital. And when they left, Sam was there when she was born. He was so nervous that he couldn't hold the child. And then when she was born, he took one look at her when she was brought into the room. And he said, And he said, oh honey, will she always be homely like that? But those 2 daughters were very precious to him. Now we were in Sun Valley one summer, and there were a lot of college kids working there, and we went there for vacation with Audrey and Mari. No, Audrey was married at the time. Maureen was with him. And the college kids all had time after their chores were done. There were a bunch of nice kids up there. And one young man up there became very interested in Maureen. Everything about him was fine except that he wasn't Jewish. But everything I observed about him and everything that I saw about him, I liked. And Marvin liked him very much, and he really fell in love with her. And his father Sam. So he says, I don't like what's going on. He's too interested in her. He's pursuing her too quickly and too much. I don't like it. And I says, look, we're on vacation. We're not going to be spending a lot of time here. We're only here for 2 weeks. And so they go out for 2 or 3 hours. So big deal. But I could see this was very serious. And so then this young man told Marlene that he would like to talk to me and like to talk to her father. When the time was up at Sun Valley, he would like her to come home and meet his parents. His family were Catholic. Somebody told me about this. And don't forget, the kids had been away for 4 years at school, you know. Sure. So I don't think it mattered at that time really to them, you know, except that they knew how we felt strongly about it. So Sam said, I just want this to stop now. And I said, will you do me a favor? Please don't say one word to Marlene. I'll talk to her. He says, all right. I said, just promise me you won't say anything to her. So he was very good about that. So I talked to her. So she said— she didn't talk about Larry. She says, well, what's wrong with going to visit his family? She said, he's such a nice boy. I says, Marlene, that can't be, so you may as well forget it now. She says, Daddy would never, never be a part of that. And I said, you weren't brought up in that kind of a background or household. And I says, that just can't be right. And I says, I'm sorry that this happened because I know you really care for him. And I said, he's one nice guy. So he says, well, come on, can I come and see you before you leave? I'll stop in on my mom. So And I said, well, what's he going to do with it? It's going to come to nothing. It has been sometimes. She says, well, he just wants to take me to the movies, you know. So I said, okay. So I told her to say that, and I says, please just trust me. Just have confidence in me that I'm not lying. And that's what she did. I took her to the movies and that was the end of it. Now, Audra got over her crying. So what I'm trying to say, Audra, is that times have changed. Children do listen to their— did listen to their parents. In this day and age, I don't know if that would work out that way or not. I couldn't say. But you see, Our words meant something to our children at that time, and it's a damn shame.

What was Marlene like as a girl?

Well, she met Elliott—

I mean, Marlene, when she was a young girl.

Oh, when she was younger.

Very young.

Well, she was at school. And she was very popular. And she had a romance at home, and one of the boys wanted to marry her. And Daddy didn't like the showman to begin with, so he made short work of that. And when she met Marty, she met him in Texas. He had a family, aunts and uncles, who lived in Texas. They were a very nice family. And when he met Marlene, he fell head over heels in love with her. And she was She was strongly attracted to him, too. And so she told me that she liked this young man very much and she'd like to bring him home. Well, Marilee never, ever wanted to bring anyone home or ever did unless she was really interested. And so he came home, and, oh, Sam thought he was just a fine young man. liked him very much, and so did I. And so they got married. And then he taught school for a couple of years. Oh, he invited us to come down after they were married and said he would like us to visit his classroom. So we did. He was a good teacher. And then when we left, Sam turned to me and he says, honey, where's he going to go on a teacher's salary? He'll never get anyplace. He just won't make it on a teacher's salary. I don't care, you know, how good a teacher he is. And he wanted to go into the diplomatic corps until he met Marlene. And then when he married her, of course, that fell through. So he went into teaching history. But he and Sam were like buddies the minute they met. He had a very sharp, keen mind, very bright. And so Sam could I convinced Marty that maybe it would be wise for him to come to Omaha and try the real estate business. And that appealed to him. And I didn't know whether or not, you know, he would go for that because he had so much family in Texas and they were very close. Anyway, he came. And he was a good salesman. And he didn't suggest the real estate business at first. He says, I'm opening up a new Western store. And he says, I need help there, and if you think you would like to go into business, retail business, he says, this is what I have to offer at the moment. And he says, well, I don't know anything about retail. Everything I've done has been academic. And I really don't know, but he liked Sam very much enough to try it. And he didn't have anything else at hand, and certainly wasn't financially able to say, no, I've got this and I'd rather go to that or that. So that was okay. And so I called Marlene. Marlene and I had always been very, very intimately close. You're No. There was never any misunderstanding. And so I says, Marlene, you know Daddy has certain ways he likes things done, and you know what a perfectionist he is. And I said, the relationship now is such that it would be very difficult for me to even think in terms of anything going And I said, so if for one reason or another Marty feels this is not for him, I says, I extract it, extract a promise from Daddy that he was not obligated to stay one day longer than he thought he had given it a fair chance. And he did. So Marnie says, all right, now I feel better about it because Marty has strong will too, and I don't want him to feel he's doing something that he doesn't like and he doesn't think he's made for this. I says, okay. So after about a month, he decided he didn't want to do this. So I said, okay. He said, my business has always been real estate and investing in real estate, and this is my profession. He says, this is what I know. He says, would you like to come and follow me around for a while and see what goes on between people who are discussing values and real estate and the things that go into this kind of But before that, he said, if you like it, and if you really are serious about it, because I want you to feel this is something you really would like, then, he said, I think you should take some training. So Marty said yes. He would take a summer school course at UCLA, you know, where they give summer courses where they concentrate, you know, for a certain number of weeks on certain subjects. And this was when they were doing— it just became known and popular, this study. What was it called? They were doing all this building, you know, the government was doing all this fundraising for the building.

Mm-hmm.

They were getting loans, advancing loans for building. So Marty became just as excited about real estate as Daddy did. And after he followed him around for about a month and didn't say anything, He didn't ask any questions, he just listened. And he absorbed everything he saw, and he absorbed— and he listened to every word. And he said, yes, this is what I want to do. So he took this course, and he came back and he was all in praise. He was just aflame with it. And he was a teacher. He was so passionate about it, it just consumed him like a fire. And Daddy felt he hadn't met his equal. So he did what was the very first deal that was consummated in Omaha, As far as loans for government on housing, federal housing, the loans for federal housing. Now we have quite a lot of very successful realtors who've become very wealthy in Omaha. Not any of them came up with an idea to take advantage of that. So between Marty and between Daddy, Marty was all the hot. And he started, he initiated the first building. And that's when they built the Pacific Gardens.

Grandmother, Uh, you were mentioning to me off camera that you remembered some more fun from your childhood, things that you and your brother and sisters did with your mom. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

What was your mother like? Well, actually, my mother was so busy during the daytime that when she was with us, it was always a matter of trying to impress upon us the important things of life, like being kind to people, trying to You understand why they behave the way they do. She was always more or less— you can't call it lecturing all the time, but she always had her way of throwing in those things that reminded us we have to be thinking of others and the way we behaved. Morally, that was the thing, actually, with her.

Did she read to you?

That was the time in the evening when we all climbed in bed with her and she read to us. That I remember distinctly. That was one of the things we did. But as we grew old enough to help in the store, We did that. Of course, we had our friends in the neighborhood. We played jacks, you know, in front of the house with other kids, things like that. But outside of a lot of activities that were planned, the things for us to do were never planned. Yet the interesting thing is that we never, never— it never occurred to us to say, we're bored, or, what are we going to do now, or, what shall we do? Because we were always so occupied with chores that we did. And that's mainly my childhood.

Did your father have a favorite car?

Well, the excitement was on Sunday when Daddy had a horse that was partially blind and took us riding in the horse and buggy. That was our treat on Sunday. And then when we first got a new car, it was called the Moon, and We thought we were flying to the sky. We were so excited. You know, those were things. But but you see, while we will call it limited now. We found our own means of enjoying ourselves. That's what I'm trying to say.

All right. Now let's move to when you were the mother and Marlene and Audrey were young girls. Did you and Sam take them for Sunday drives?

It was a different world, by the way. By the time my children came around, I was very, very busy driving my children to tennis, to dancing, to swimming, to horseback riding. You name it, I wanted them to excel in it. And I I kept them very busy all the time, like it or not.

Did they get along well as young girls?

They were 4 years apart, and in the early years that made a big difference. But later on, well, the 4 years made a difference because then Audrey went on to college and Marlene was still at home. And so there was no social life there. Their friends were different. When Marlene— when Audrey was dating, Marlene wasn't dating. One was 12 and one was 16. So they made— that made a big difference. But that didn't matter because they were Have you seen Alf? He never seemed to complain. And of course, at that time, people were taking— actually, we didn't take that many vacations, but we were taking a few vacations. We were taking the children to California. Oh, you did?

What was Audrey— what was her personality like as a little girl?

Audrey was always shy, retired. Yet when she went away to college, She had a good time in school. She had a good time. And she had friends. But— She was very interested in fashion. Very interested. And she took great pains always in the way she was dressed, and she was a very pretty child. But she had an air of aloofness about her that people didn't understand.

Do you remember when she first When you first went away to college, was that hard for you?

No, because my mother made me feel that each child had a life of their own and they would have to live in such a way that they would be prepared to take care of You were telling

us about how you felt when Audrey went to college.

And then when she returned from college and she met Joe, I'm sure that the minute she met Joe, she felt she found the man that she wanted to marry. At the time she met him, he had just recently returned from the wars, and He was a very handsome, highly sought-after, outgoing person, and everybody was attracted to Joe Kirschenbaum. And it wasn't long after that that they became engaged. And my husband couldn't have been more pleased.

I was just showing some pictures of Joe and Audrey, you have— there's a picture of Joe and Audrey over there that I wanted to put into the camera. Now, what was Marlene like as a little girl?

Marlene found it very easy to make friends.

Was she helpful around the house? Was Marlene helpful around the house?

That wasn't the focus point. The focus point really was to try to— was try to do the things that you were doing and do them well. What were those things? And to finish what you started out to do. They both— both of the girls were attractive. Both of the girls always looked very well when they were dressed, and both of the girls Both girls were very interested in fashion. Marlene wanted to go to school in Texas because she wanted to go someplace where it was warm, where the climate was warm most of the year round, because she enjoyed sports very much. And so she went to the University of Texas, where she remained for 4 years and met her husband, Martin.

Do you remember when Marlene went away to college?

I'm talking now. Did I call her Audrey?

No, no, Marlene. But I'm wondering if you remember the day she left for college.

Yes.

Was it any different, the feeling? This time it's your baby is leaving. Was it different?

I know many people feel that when their children leave home, the nest is empty, but I never felt that way. I always felt that my children were out to accomplish something in life that would Serve them well for the rest of their life. And because I did not go on to college, married when I was very young and then had a family, I never attempted to go to college afterwards. However, I felt my children had the opportunity to take advantage of many things that were offered them, and they had these wide opportunities and choices, and now was the time for them to make it work for them. Marlene found college exciting. She found it interesting, particularly when she met Martha Staenberg. And there again—

All right, now let's talk about your grandchildren and their personalities, the kind of people they are. Let's start with Audrey's grandchildren. Tom is the oldest, right? What kind of person is Tom?

Tom is more on the serious side. He is hardworking. He is very reliable, dependable. Very friendly. Fine athlete. Highly respected by his friends. And a great father.

Okay. How about Bill?

Bill? Highly energetic, very imaginative, always planning something ahead, especially how he can get somebody to do something for him so he doesn't have to do it himself. And always ready to go and go Also a very fine athlete. Richard, very gentle, very patient, very soft-spoken, And everybody's sweetheart. Also a first-rate athlete and a lovely man. Kim, the daughter, very, very talented. Very talented, creative in many, many ways, particularly in the arts. Very, very concerned about everything she does. It has to be perfect and has great pride in her work, and everything she does is truly a work of art. And she has won great admiration among all of the people that she has worked with and worked for in her designing field of art. A very Pretty young lady and very dependable.

All right, let's turn to Marlene's kids, starting with Michael.

Michael is the eldest of Marlene's children, from a young man Who couldn't sit long enough to count to 5, he has developed into a very successful, very dependable, very outgoing young man who has found love. He finds life exciting at every turn and feels that life is to be enjoyed and knows how to go about enjoying it in his own way, especially his work, and takes great pride in what he does. And is very happy in his work. Great Father loves his family and is always on the go, go, go. Beth is a young lady Who has made her mark in the field as a psychiatric children's therapist and is highly respected wherever she has worked and wherever she is well known. She has established an enviable record for herself as being a very caring And loving person and always does her best. She has 3 delightful, charming little boys who are the apple of her eye. David, who fell in love with Alaska in his early teens. Was there until his parents felt it was time to come back to Omaha and live with his family and be with his family, which he did. David is the kind of a young man who really knows no strangers, for he likes everybody and everybody likes David. He is kind, sympathetic, He's very sympathetic, extremely thoughtful, and everybody who knows David knows they are talking to a sincere young man who deserves all the affection that he gives and that you can bestow upon him. He is now successfully engaged in the business of counseling young people. who need help, and everybody likes David. Why not? He is so special.

Jon?

Jon was the young man who had no limits, no boundaries for the world, was always in the palm of his hand to be explored, to be enjoyed. Jon loved to travel and traveled extensively. Why not? For wherever he went, he had friends. Always ended up with an invitation. Jon, you can always come and stay with me. Which he often has done and thoroughly enjoyed. No part of the world that he hasn't covered where he hasn't made deep friendships. He is excellent company. Jon is the kind of young man, when you meet him, you're likely not to forget him. And he is always, always going to have friends no matter where he lives, no matter how long his stay or short. Jon will be there.

After Marty passed away, Marlene met Elliot. Do you remember the first time you met Elliot?

After Marty passed away, Marley felt there was only one thing for her to do, and that's get busy and try to take over and manage the interest that they had at that time in an apartment house. Marley Jane had seen this real estate venture go up with her husband Martin, and how much energy he had put into it, time and effort, and vowed that she would keep it going. So when Elliott came into his life, he agreed he would try to do what he could to help her keep it going. Which he did, and which they both carried on for some time. Marlene and Elliott met and it must have been love at first sight because he came on a business mission and was spending a weekend and asked a friend to Yes. And I asked her to arrange a good date. The good date turned out to be someone he fell in love with almost instantly. The two met. It wasn't long before they were engaged and shortly after that were married. I distinctly remember Elliott's patience with Marlene's children, who certainly didn't welcome an intruder in their life at this early point in their life. But that did not deter Elliott from still trying to entice them. in any and every way he knew how. However, the thing I remember so well is when after they were married, after the service was over and the ceremony was over, Elliot went to— Jon went over to Elliot and looked him straight in the eye and said, Dad, I love you. Oh, Jon. Now that you're my father, what shall I call you? And Elliott just beamed and says, just what you just said. Marlene and Elliott have traveled extensively because their spirit of adventure has taken them to many, many They are willing to explore, to investigate, to learn, to pursue, and they have had a very good life together. So I think all in all, I have had the exceedingly good fortune of watching this As a movie which has been played in my memory through the years, each time stored for a certain time in a certain place and always retrieved whenever I saw fit. So I have had all the good things of life. For the most part, as we all have other things to contend with at times as well. And I am grateful for them all and have enjoyed my family to the maximum and wish it on all my dear ones and good friends.

Now with Elliot came me.

So continue.

What kind of person am I?

I could not conclude without telling you the few things about Elliott, how he finally won Marlene's children over. The fact that he brought one of his prized possessions with him. Namely his son Barton. And when I asked Marlene what she thought of Barton, she said, Mark— mother, he fits into the family as though he really belongs here and always has. She says, I'm happy to claim this dear child as my son. And she has always regarded him As such, and I think the affection has been mutual. I think they, they love each other dearly. I know Marlene loves Barkin, and I think that love has been returned, and I'm grateful for that love that exists between them.

I'd like to talk a little bit about your beliefs. Let's start with the importance of communication.

Communication. Books have been written on the subject. There is so much to say, how can one be brief about something That plays such an important role in one's life. For me, it represents that kind of act and that kind of speech That will transfer your feelings, something that is important to you, in such a way that the next human being will have some concept of what you are trying to say. It can be done with a smile, with a nod, with a tap, with an embrace. So much unhappiness can be spared if we just can open our hearts and see Say in a way that is not offensive to the person you're trying to communicate with what you're trying to say and why it's important to you for them to understand it. Without communication, there can never be understanding. And there is no such thing as a person ever winning an argument or a quarrel, for it ends up in purely a no-win situation. To communicate takes skill. It takes thought. It takes It's time. And this is all done in the spirit of goodness, hoping that the person you are trying to reach will understand what you are trying to transfer to him.

How about the importance of family?

The importance of family— one subject that covers the universe. This is a universal problem. Family, the very core of our existence. Everybody has an idea of what goes into creating a proper atmosphere. And proper training to have a good family. This takes years of practice. It takes experimenting with oneself. How much can you give? How understanding are you? How willing are you to make sacrifices? What are you doing with your time to make it valuable to your children to have you around? How can you guide them without guidance yourself? The world has changed considerably since my children were small. The guiding counseling agencies now, the books, the lectures, the number of agencies that are there to help you, and yet the increasing amount of crimes and the increasing amount of unhappiness that encircles the families, much is due to the existing circumstances of mother and father both working, children with latchkeys. But to me, the whole crux of life depends on the success of your family, for without a loving family, without a Family who is not able to show affection and care and thought for each other, if they don't know what it means to help each other, if they don't know what it means to be kind, if they're not there when you need them, then you have not accomplished actually what it takes. to keep a family together. The mother and father are the glue of the family. They are the ones who are responsible. The children do not ask to be brought into the world. They are your responsibility, and you can never forget that thought. With that thought in mind, you have to be prepared to give the The very best you have, not just when they're little, not just when you're at home, but even when they're not at home, to know their whereabouts, to know what they're doing. And you have to put a lot into it, and you have to continue, but the results can be so satisfying and bring such joy, there's not a price on it. And I have found that everything that you have spent in time and energy and love is something that you have done because you felt it would honestly make you feel that as a parent you have done your part.

Tell us a little bit about Tell us about the importance of being Jewish in your life.

There has never been any doubt in my mind about my feelings and my Judaism, towards Judaism. For I was brought up in a Jewish household. I was very lucky, for while my parents were very Jewish in thought, I would say they were traditional Jews. By that I mean the middle-of-the-road conservative Jews is really what we We were, and we worshipped as Conservative Jews. Not extreme in any sense of the word. And? I have always felt in growing up, in studying, and in listening, and in observing, and growing to know something about Yes. About those heroes and those philosophers that made history in Jewish life so exciting and so important, and their accomplishments through a lifetime, and their willingness to give up their lives to fight for what they thought was true, has made me Has filled me with great admiration and certainly in no way has ever made me feel that I would question my Judaism. True, many horror things have happened in the world and will continue to happen to all people, but particularly were the Jews most Marked for so many, many years. However, they never could have survived, never, without that undying faith. There would be no survivors without that faith. And it didn't matter what people said or what people did, under the most serious circumstances, the Jews survived. Because of that faith. And so, filled with a sense of history, filled with a sense that so many of the things I have read and studied in my life, because they have filled me with so much of the beauty of Judaism and so much of the things that have covered so many, many areas of interest for all people throughout the world because of its wisdom. I have been content always to feel I'm proud of my Judaism. And I wouldn't have it otherwise, for to me it is an extension of my own soul, and hope and pray that those things that I have learned that cover the wide territories of peace on earth and goodwill to man, and the Jews hope for all the world, not just for the Jews, but it is a program that It reaches out to all, all the people of the world because we're all human. And while we may worship differently and worship different gods, it still means the human heart has to be filled with compassion for all human beings, with goodwill toward each. And while peace may never be achieved in my lifetime, that is one thing I eternally I can only hope and pray for peace for all mankind.

You have in your house a couple— now you have one other symbol, a menorah. Will you tell that story?

I think I have mentioned previously that Jon's mother, Bubbie, was quite a remarkable woman. She was known for many virtues, but particularly for her kindness and compassion for all people. And consequently, people were knocking at her door all through the day, coming to her with their problems and tales of woe. One day she received a call from the director at the Jewish Community Center, whose He said, Mrs. Kirschenbaum, we have a man who just escaped from Germany. He finally got to Israel and then finally decided he would come to the United States because he thinks he can find some family in New York. Oh, my God. And in the interim, could you take him into your home until he gets settled and until he finds a few more relatives that he thinks are living in New York? So this man, needed to be taken care of in a Jewish home because he was a completely kosher man and observed the tradition of eating kosher. Mother Kirschenbaum had a very traditional home and very observant about keeping kosher. So she said, yes, he can come here for as long as he needs. So after he was there for a while, I came in with my husband one day to visit Mrs. Kirschebaum, and I see a very unusual menorah sitting on her mantelpiece. This was a very unique piece. And so when I came into the doorway and into the living room proper, I said, Bubbie, what do I see here? This is a treasure. Where did you get it and where did it come from? She says, darling, if it If this were mine, I would give it to you, but since it's not mine, it belongs to the man who is staying with me for a little while. I can just tell you he wanted to know if he can bring it down here because it's the only thing he could escape with, and so I said yes, he could, and here it is. Thank you. Well, not later than a few weeks following that conversation, he comes to her and tells her that he thinks he's ready to leave her home and is going to New York. So she said, my friend, Mrs. Wolf, is very interested in your menorah. If you have any intentions of selling it or parting with it, she would like to know if you'd be interested in selling it to her. So he said, yes, I need the money. So she said, all right, I'll tell her. So she called me and told me That if I were interested, to come and take it and to have it appraised at a jeweler's because it was all sterling silver and it was handcrafted, so she knew it was a very fine piece. So my husband and I came over, and I said, Bubby, I really don't feel that there's any point in my taking it to the jeweler's because Because this is an antique, and you can't put a price on an antique. The price will be whatever he feels it's worth. And so she says, well, that's not the way to do it. I says, well, that's the way I feel it should be done. But she wasn't happy until I told her, yes, I would do that. So to please her, I took it to a jeweler. And what did the jeweler say? dealer that we knew. And he repeated to me what I felt, that you can't put a price on antiques. It's worth whatever the person wants to sell it for. And because I knew this man was in need of money, I didn't feel that the price he would ask, regardless of what it would be, I felt it would be within our reach, and my husband knew that I wanted to own it. So we offered something that he felt suited him very well, and so that's how I came to own this very lovely piece, which has given me so much pleasure because it keeps reminding It keeps reminding me of Bubby and keeps reminding me of his escape and keeps reminding me of the whole story of the problems that ensued before he was able to leave. And so it brings back a tremendous amount of memories of what preceded this before it came into my hands. And I've always felt very fortunate. Yes. So that I became the owner of it and could enjoy it through all these years. So that gives you a little idea of how things travel and how things happen throughout the world, here and there and everywhere. And I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time, which is what lots The vow anyway.

Let's talk for a minute about your views on death.

Death. A subject that was talked about a great deal in my home because my mother felt as we went through the growing stages. She tried to tell us in so many ways what a good life constituted. Also, she made it her point to teach us we don't always get what we think we deserve. However, one of the things we did talk about later as we were Young adults is death, and explained that we must not only think in terms of living and enjoying ourselves and planning for all the things that come with our daily life and the pleasures of life, but we have to think of— Death. The vicissitudes, we have to think of the trials and tribulations, we have to think of the unexpected that we're not prepared for. And she was very vocal about her views and said death is so uncertain because we are just visitors here. We are guests, so to speak. So So do not behave in such a way that you will be careless with life. Be cautious. Don't do things that are foolish and don't take unnecessary chances because your life is precious. Thank you. But when it comes time to die, then it's a time of life when you have to recognize that sooner or later it's inevitable. And particularly when you are thinking in terms of death, Of people who have lived a full life and it's their time, according to the Good Lord, or people who have had serious injuries or serious diseases and illness where there is no cure, where they meet death. It's really meeting that kind of existence that waits for you that is peaceful and you are at rest and you have disposed of all of the earthly pain and suffering that comes so often before death. And so, I try to view it in those terms, but I find that we have deep wishes such as hoping and praying we never have to have a prolonged illness with suffering, a prolonged Yes. But when we do, I still think it takes a tremendous amount of faith and tremendous amount of courage to go on and still say, I am going to be all right, or I'm okay. But I think when the time actually comes, I think then it's something that's very difficult to say now, and I think that's something you just have to try The rest the good Lord will take care of in its time, because there are some things we cannot philosophize about, we cannot prophesy, and we cannot foretell the future. So I'm wishing, as all men and women do, that whenever our time comes, we We will be spared those things that everybody wants to be spared, the pain and the suffering and the prolonged illness. And what comes evidently, evidently is our fate, and we just have to face it like we do everything else in life. So I can't Do you see more beyond that?

Finally, let's talk about what I see as the center of your personal philosophy, the way you live your life, your appreciation for life and all the good things around you. And look right here.

Life is a word that can carry so many connotations with it. There's a human being that has life, the birds, the animals, The animals, the insects. The universe around us is filled with those treasures and pleasures that give such meaning to life. Our own lives, every life is considered a treasure. Everything In our life is based really upon the idea that life is good, life is real, life is earnest. And I think most of us, without too much living, realize this is life. It's real. And the things that come into our lives, these are things that we have to know how to handle and also how to appreciate. I feel that you can have positive feelings about life and negative. You could also thank God for the rain because it's necessary, or you can lament the fact that something has been spoiled and disappointing to you because it's keeping you from enjoying that thing you wanted to enjoy. Also, no matter where you turn in In life, you are surrounded by the living because everything around you has life in it and moves and couldn't move without the life. You take a walk and you see the lush foliage and the greenery, and you see And feel the wind and you feel the sun, the warmth of it. There isn't anything that doesn't come in such abundance to you, even in a short walk. The birds chirping, the flowers. Flowers blooming with their fragrance. Everything offers so much that you just look at it and think, oh, isn't it wonderful how much fills our lives? I have tried to live my life in such a way that I can approach it positively. Rather than negatively, because there are many ways to look at life, but in my opinion, there's just one way— either positive or negative. And things can be bad, but they can always be worse. And there's always that person who said, yes, I It's true, I don't feel good, but it could be better and it could be worse. And there isn't any situation in life that can't be better or could be worse. And so I think it's true, we read even when we're little kids, you know, the person who drinks a cup, you know, a cup and half of it is Half-filled, you ask him, it's half-filled or it's half-empty. And so I think you have to develop that kind of an attitude though. I don't just think it comes naturally. And a lot of this comes either from your observance— some people have been taught to observe more closely than others— I think which is something that takes time in one's lifetime. I think everything you touch has some kind of meaning to you in your life, and the more things that you find give you pleasure in life are things that add to the meaning of life, and you can limit them or Or you can find everything you touch adds and is a plus. So I have always preferred to feel that attitude is a very major part, it's a major ingredient of our life, and I feel the negative is something that we have to think of carefully before we allow it to take over, and we can't afford to. Thank you. I can't afford to do that, so I'll try to continue to be positive. There's a saying that goes, a speech doesn't have to be eternal to be immortal. One of the things my children always chided me about What I was concerned about was the fact that here goes mother, or here goes grandmother, off she goes. Brevity was never my long suit. It was difficult for me to be short about things that had such deep meaning to me. Be it as it I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're here with me at this particular moment. I just want to tell you that very recently I celebrated my 92nd birthday. It isn't given to many mothers to be able to enjoy all of the things of life that I have enjoyed. And to be able to still feel that I'm energetic and enthusiastic enough to be so excited about a birthday party. But this birthday party had special meaning to me. I remember as a child I certainly didn't have many birthday parties. I think one of the birthday parties I remember when I was a child was my mother said, well, I'm very busy in the store, so why don't you make yourself some salmon croquettes and invite some of your friends to come over and we'll have a little lunch. Well, that was—