I was born and raised in Massachusetts in a mainly working class Orthodox Jewish suburb of Boston in an apartment three levels above a butcher, next to a fish monger who sold herring from a barrel. We lived in both Dorchester and Roxbury during my childhood. My mother lit candles on Friday night and my father, who immigrated from the Pale of Settlement in the 1920’s,  worked hard to provide for us.

My family moved us to Los Angeles when I was in high school. My father had brothers in California and always wanted to go there. No one asked me what I wanted for my senior year of high school. I was a shy girl and the move was difficult, though I was able to make a few friends at Hamilton High. The school system in Boston was much more rigorous than at Hamilton High School in LA. In Boston, I was on a college preparatory track studying Latin and algebra and French. When I came to Hamilton High School I was required to take electives like Drivers’ Ed, practical arts and fine arts in order to graduate and I thought that was a waste of my time. I attended UCLA for one year after graduation and then received my Associates Degree from Los Angeles City College.

Right after high school in 1958, I met my husband Arnie at a dance at the West Side Jewish Community Center. Arnie was a native of Los Angeles. He grew up around Boyle Heights (traditional Jewish area at the time), but when we met, Arnie and his family was living off of Coldwater Canyon in the Beverly Hills area  We married in 1960 and were married for 60 years.

Arnie and I worked together in our upholstery fabric and supplies business in Los Angeles. The fabric business gave us an opportunity to travel abroad to such places as Japan, Taiwan and India. These experiences opened my eyes to the beauty of other cultures and traditions. We were also blessed with children and renewed interest in our Jewish faith when we joined our first Synagogue in Granada Hills.

After selling the business in 1986 we continued our travels. When we decided to move to Los Angeles we were attracted to Ventura County and bought our home in Oxnard in 1996. We joined Congregation Am HaYam after we arrived. When I am not taking care of temple business I enjoy playing Mah Jongg and RV camping with a group of long-time friends.