Beyond Trochenbrod: The Betty Gold Story

Chapter One. Trochenbrod

– 1 – trochenbrod TrochenBrod ( As often happened in villages throughout Poland in 1921, my mother, riva Tepper, was quite young, only seventeen, when she married my father, eli Potash, who was himself just nineteen. riva and eli became parents soon after their marriage . In 1923, a son was born, Shiman, followed by Bernard in 1928, and then me in 1930. Between the two boys, my parents suffered the loss of a stillborn, another boy. Both of my parents were born in Trochenbrod, met in Trochenbrod , raised a family in Trochenbrod, and, if fate had not stepped in, would have most likely died and been buried in the town. With few exceptions, that was the cycle of most villagers’ lives. The townspeople had a comparatively pleasant life. contributing to a natural sense of stability and comfort was the fact that 99 percent of the five thousand residents of Trochenbrod were Jewish. A strong work ethic and fertile soil, combined with the shared customs and Jewish values, helped to create a thriving community. dairy farms, leather factories, a glass factory, retail shops, school buildings, and synagogues dotted the landscape, employing farmers, tradesmen, clerks, teachers, and rabbis. Trochenbrod’s industrious and prosperous farmers chapter one – 2 – beyond trochenbrod and merchants were of great importance to the surrounding Polish and Ukrainian villages. My father, the hardest-working man I’ve ever known, typified this entrepreneurial spirit. At nineteen, he was already making a living as a leatherworker, supporting both his family and his parents. As a deaf mute, eli’s father, nusin, understandably had difficulty being an effective provider. My father also tirelessly spoiled my mother. With her raven hair, dark brown eyes, and porcelain complexion , my beautiful mother was put on a pedestal by her husband . eli treated riva like a Polish princess. he made certain that his wife dressed well, that she did a minimal amount of housework and cooking, and that she occasionally be allowed to visit a spa in czechoslovakia. Perhaps it was my mother’s ill health that led Father to pamper her as she suffered from stomach problems throughout her life, some of which I may have inherited. I’m sure that she respected my father, but I don’t think my mother loved my father as much as he loved her. Sometimes I felt that my mother took advantage of him. She wasn’t overly demanding, and I don’t recall her ever complaining to him, but he tried so hard to please her that I couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward her. It would have been nice had she said no sometimes to him, “no, I don’t want this; no, I don’t need this.” I didn’t get along as well with my mother as I did with my father. I suppose I was stubborn and didn’t like her constantly telling me what to do. She seemed to be critical of me—and only rarely approved of my actions. Likewise, I resented her getting sick because my father had to take care of her. Maybe I was jealous of her. I don’t know. – 3 – trochenbrod yet my mother, to her credit, always tried to improve herself . even though she had not attended school, she learned to read yiddish. Trochenbrod’s library, where my mother regularly sent me for books, was practically next door. Unlike many Trochenbrod women, she loved to read and was knowledgeable on a wide range of topics. She also was a contributing member of the community and did a lot of organizational work for a number of activities. Mother liked to be involved and, I think, relished the attention that came with her participation. I must admit that I inherited this trait from her. My mother was a very shrewd and smart lady. I admired her strength, ambition, and self-confidence. She wanted to be more than a Trochenbrod This is a photograph of me at age three in 1933. – 4 – beyond trochenbrod lady. She wanted to be noticed. Maybe she dreamed of becoming an esteemed lady from a big city rather than an unknown woman from a sleepy, small town. With a six-room home and more than an acre of land, my familylivedwellcomparedtomostothersinthevillage.Because shedidn’thavetoworkashardasdidotherTrochenbrodwomen, Mother was envied by most ladies. True, most women, except for a teacher or dressmaker, stayed home as housekeepers. But my mother didn’t labor as exhaustively as...