Memories from Annette Kaufman Feldman

This was sent by my cousin, Nettie (Freddy Kaufman's daughter, who grew up on Tisdale Place, next door to us):

I was one of the Adath Israel Players. I played the lead ingenue role of "Elaine" in "Arsenic and Old Lace". I remember Rose Belafsky played one of the old ladies. David Kushinsky played opposite me in the male "love/hero" role. I am trying to remember who played the crazy guy who dug the graves in the cellar but I can't. They also put on "The man Who Came to Dinner" and I got the part of the Russian Duchess who had a heavy RRRRRRussian accent and served a platter of blintzes. Chuck Sokler played the guy who played the xylophone. I was the star of another play but the title escapes me.

I don't know who the rabbi was who conducted my brother Eddie's Bar Mitzvah which was in September of 1938. Very clearly I remember giggling when Eddie, in his speech to the congregation, said, "Today I am a man."

After the service the whole congregation came to our home on Tisdale Place for an outstanding kiddush, (truly a fabulous lunch), which my mother prepared all by herself. (pickled herring, pickled fish, all kinds of cheeses, breads and baked goodies, etc.) No caterers in those days! Then in the middle of the party while everyone was busy feasting, Eddie stole the keys to the family car, backed it out of the driveway and headed toward Green Street. I yelled for my father to come see what happened but by the time he went outside there was no trace of Eddie and the car. Eddie evidently turned left on Green Street. We waited in the street in front of our house for what seemed an eternity and finally up the street the car appeared coming from Grove Avenue. It slowly came down Tisdale Place and we thought it would stop in front of our house, but it just kept going! It continued to Green Street and again turned left. Again we waited until we saw it appear coming from Grove Avenue. This time my dad yelled "Stop! Stop! Stop the car!" but it continued again to Green Street and beyond. You could hardly see Eddie behind the wheel because he was short and could barely see over the dashboard. And the for the third time the car appeared coming from Grove Avenue. This time when my dad yelled "Stop the car!", Eddie yelled back, "I don't know how?" Whereby my dad yelled, "Just take your foot off the gas peddle and it will stop by itself!" (To this day I can't believe he backed it out of that particular driveway! The driveway had a slight curve, was close to the house, and Eddie not only couldn't see over the dashboard but he couldn't see out the rearview mirror, or side mirror if the car had one! But, you must also realize that in 1938 there were not very many cars around. (I guess that if the car was one that had to be cranked to start, it never would have happened!) I write lots of stories about the family. True happenings. And in my collection there is a story about "Eddies Bar Mitzvah".

(Nettie added Eddie's Bar Mitzvah might have been led by Mr. Najovitz)