Sisters

 

    There is a bond between siblings. Sometimes they don’t see eye to eye and sometimes they get along famously. Brothers will always beat up each other, try to out compete each other in all sports, and will always have each other’s back when they are threatened by an outsider. Sisters, however, always seem to have a special bond. I can’t say what it is because I’m a brother not a sister. Girls are more nurturing to each other and they understand each other’s problems, insecurities, and aspirations. If they are close enough in age they share clothes but they share secrets about their lives, their friends, and their relationships their entire life. 

    There are a lot of sisters in my family tree. My maternal grandmother was the oldest of 12 siblings of which 8 of them were girls. My paternal grandmother had three sisters. My paternal grandfather had two full sisters and a half sister. The next generation down had sisters on three of the four branches. My wife’s mother was one of three sisters. My father and my mother had two sisters each. I, myself have two sisters and my wife, Arlene had a sister as well. 

    Rachel Pasternak (my maternal grandmother) and all of her siblings were born in Poland and most of them emigrated to Canada in the early twentieth century. I don’t know much about these ladies and their relationships with each other. I suppose I could get some stories from my Pasternak cousins, all of whom I have become more familiar with in the last two years because of our monthly Zoom sessions. Here are some pictures of Pasternak sisters. 

Rachel (my grandmother) and her sister, Jenny

Sara Himmelstein and Rivela Goldbach

Miriam and Bina with their mother Beille

     My other grandmother, Toba Kaganovich (Tillie Cohen) grew up in Lithuania with three sisters. Tillie came to the USA in 1904 and two of her sisters ended up here as well. Here is a picture of Tillie with one of her sisters and a friend.

Tillie (my grandmother) is seated.  Her sister, Fanny is on the right and an unknown friend.

     Louis Levine (paternal grandfather) had two full sisters that settled in Westmoreland county in Pennsylvania. His half sister also moved there. His family lived in that area for about 11 years before he moved to Erie, PA. I don’t know how close those sisters were. I need to check in with some of those cousins. The only picture I have of those sisters together is one with all of their spouses at someone’s wedding.

Bertha is third from left.  Mary is third from right.  Anna is second from right.

     Bessie Snyder (Arlene’s maternal grandmother) nee Rodman had two sisters. Gittel died young but Hannah came to the USA with Bessie and their mother, Rose. Here is a picture of Rose with Hannah and Bessie. 

Rosa (center) with daughters Anna and Bessie (arlenes's grandmother)

     Arlene’s mother, Gertrude had two sisters and they all were born and raised in Philadelphia. 

Sylvia

 

Fran

Gert

    My father had two sisters. Helen and Ruth were as close as two sisters could be. Helen had three children and Ruth never married but acted as a second mother to her niece and nephews. Here is a picture of Helen and Ruth with their mother, Tillie. 

Ruth Helen, and Tillie

    My mother Minnie had two sisters. Esther moved to Nova Scotia and there was not a lot of contact between them. Rose, however, lived in Hamilton, Ontario and they got to visit each other often. I remember Rose coming to Erie during Passover and spent the holiday with us. She helped Mom prepare the seders and they sat and talked and spent the week knitting doggy sweaters which they donated to the local public TV station. The station auctioned the sweaters off during their fundraising week. Here is a picture of Rose attending the Minnie, the bride, before the wedding. 

Minnie and Rose

     Arlene’s sister, Rochelle succumbed to cancer in 2001. As kids they fought like cats and dogs. After they were both married and had children they became close friends. Arlene was the logical, practical scientist and Rochelle was an artist. Arlene once lent Rochelle money to buy a car. Rochelle hadn’t paid anything back so when her income tax refund came to the house, their father, Jack intercepted it and had Rochelle sign it over to Arlene. Here are pictures of the two of them. One is them as kids and the other as young adults with their mother Gert.

        My own two sisters were eight years apart. They did share a bedroom in our small house on 36th street in Erie, PA. They weren’t that close as children being that far apart in age but they do get along well now. They help and support each other in ways that a brother doesn’t understand. Here is a picture of Marian and Cheryl at the occasion of our father’s 95th birthday. 

Sisters, sisters There were never such devoted sisters 

Never had to have a chaperon, no sir I'm here to keep my eye on her 

Caring, sharing Every little thing that we are wearing 

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome 

She wore the dress and I stayed home 

     These are lyrics from a song that was actually from the movie “White Christmas”. I think that they pretty much describe the feelings that sisters feel for each other.