Thank you for coming today to support our family and to honor Mom
Alzbeta, Eva Giesener, Wife to her beloved husband Rolf, Mom to her kids Sherrie and Jeffery, Jim and Myra, Grandma to Laura, Caryn and Marc and DogGrandMa to our Bearded Colly Shmoozer.
Mom was born and grew up in Kosice, Czechoslovakia in a loving kosher home with her Parents and her 3 sisters. Mom was devoted to Judaism and remained true to her faith even in the face of being taken by the Nazi’s to Auzwitz where 2.5 million people were deported there and only 65,000 survived. Her Mother and youngest sister perished in the camp. Mom was liberated along with her Father (Aaron) and her two sisters Edith and Handi. After the war Edith returned to Czechoslovakia and Handi moved to Beunos Aires.
Mom again through great hardship made it to Israel via Cyprus where eventually she met Dad. We were always told that Mom fell in love with Dad on the Beach at Naharia as she proudly showed off the pictures of him in his bathing suit. And in today’s VH1 Generation Mom would say Dad was HOT and was quite some catch.
They were married in Tel Aviv where they began their married lives together and just a couple of weeks ago they celebrated 60 years together.
In Tel Aviv, Mom opened her first Beauty Salon and began what was to be a life long career of being an entrepreneur and risk taker. She gave both Sher and myself that entrepreneurial gene and we both owe Mom for our creativity and the ability for us to strike out on our own while she showed us the way.
Mom and Dad immigrated to the US in 1954 while Mom was pregnant with Sher.
When they arrived in Allentown they knew no one but their sponsor Yolan Lang and her extended family represented here today by Nancy Hertz. They both didn’t speak the language and worked extremely hard over the years to become self-made.
It was also around this time that Mom also met Pravi Lapadula at West Park in Allentown. Mom walking Sher in the stroller and Pravi walking Victor. It was from this point, Mom and Pravi established a life long friendship lasting over 57 years. They enjoyed taking trips together and Tony and Pravi made Mom and Dad part of their family and for that Sher and I are forever grateful. We also feel that they have always been our second family too.
Making lasting and long time friends was Mom’s passion as she was an extremely good at it.
And you would know about my Mom’s cest for people if you ever dealt with her in the store at Lieb Beauty Supply where she met, conversed and sold hundreds of people. I often laughed and kidded with her that she could sell Shampoo to Seals
Most of you know it was just last week we were together in Allentown to celebrate Mom’s 83rd Birthday, Dad’s 90th Birthday and Mom and Dad’s 60’th Wedding Anniversary including the first night of Passover
It was a truly a remarkable time to be together. As a family we remembered the past, laughed at each other foibles and realized we had not been together as a family since 2005 when Myra, Marc, Smoozer and I departed to the Twin Cities. And again today we come together to honor Mom.
My memories of Mom have always been loving. And yes I was a Momma’s Boy. For me Mom in many ways made me who I am today
While siting down to write this, I can’t ever remember Mom yelling at me…ever….
Mom was also my greatest champion as she always was encouraging me to go further, to build higher and to explore where no one had gone before. Also when I was low… she picked me up. When I was at my lowest she was there to deeply encourage me to get up, step up and climb.
And it is in those leadership qualities and the way she would help people that made her unique
Mom always made people feel comfortable and it has been amazing to me is that Mom never mentioned her experiences with the Holocaust. I often wondered why… but I sense it was her way to never disparage people as she always was a believer in finding the good in people having obviously seen the absolute worst of a people.
Mom also demonstrated the practice of philanthropy as Mom and Dad are members of various non-profit organizations and charities including several Holocaust Museums. But what puts Mom on an pedestal for me is to not only continually to remember the six million lost but also to light a candle for the continuous persecutions of people whether from Rowanda to Bosnia and recently her desire to prevent genocide in Libya and elsewhere wherever it is
As I mentioned earlier, Mom, Dad, Myra and I worked together at Lieb Beauty Supply and there are tons of stories there too but what was so beautiful to watch was how Mom and Myra embraced a relationship with each other both professionally and personally
I know Mom loved Myra like her own daughter because she told me this so many times. In fact, she told me to ask Myra for her hand in marriage before I would loose her and she was right as in June we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
In fact, just last week when I told Mom that I needed to put together a special event to celebrate our anniversary… Mom told me see I was right!...
One of my personal and deepest regrets was that I needed to leave Allentown and my parents in 2005 to make my next career move. But even then with tears and uncertainty Mom was encouraging in the face of what I know was the pain of not wanting me, Myra , Marc or Shmoozer to go to Minneapolis. But even last week she wanted to hear with fascination what my new business venture was all about and could only wish me the best.
She said to me I just know you will be successful and that was always her way.
She was always so excited to learn in my weekly calls what was new with Myra at the Temple Isreal and Marc at Northwestern and on every weekly call how Shmoozer was doing and what was he up too. I often had to tell her…Mom… I didn’t speak SMOO.
In Conclusion…A prayer to Mom from all of us
It is adapted from a passage in the Siddor of Jewish Prayer.
When cherished ties are broken and the chain of love is shattered; only trust and the strength of faith can lighten the heaviness of the heart. At times the pain of separation seems more than we can bear, but if we dwell too long on our loss, we embitter our hearts and harm ourselves and those around us.
And in truth, grief is a great teacher, when it sends us back to bless the living. When we learn how to counsel and comfort those who like ourselves are full of sorrow. When we learn to keep silent when necessary, and assure those who need our love and concern.
Then when they are gone, the departed are still with us, moving us to live in their higher moments, showing us yet again how they wish us to live
We remember Mom now. We will remember Mom always. She lives within all of our hearts; She is our blessing.
Mom we know you will be there to comfort us as you always have done. We miss you deeply, we will always miss you and I speak for the entire family Myra, Marc Sher, Jim, Laura, Caryn and of course Dad…we will always hold you close to our hearts and you will always be on our minds and in our dreams.
Hugs and love
From all of us.
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