Oral history interviews are the recollections of people as recorded on audio tape and then transcribed by other people. As such, oral histories are subject to errors in fact and interpretation. The CJHS makes no representation about fact or interpretation in these transcribed interviews.

---

IRVING A. BAKER MEMOIRS

I was born in January 1938, the second child of Rabbi Julius L. and Sema Baker. My mother, Sema Yablok came to the United States as a young girl, but returned with her mother to Poland in 1929, in search of a suitably religious mate. There she met and married my father in August of 1930. Before immigrating to this country, my father's name was Yehudah Leib Piecarz.

My father's arrival in the United States in 1932 during the heart of the depression was cause for my parents to reside with my grandparents in a small house at 558 E. Fulton St. In 1933 my older sister Hilda was born.

Although I was quite young when we lived on Fulton Street, I have very vivid memories of that time in my life. The residents of the neighborhood were mostly middle class black families and immigrant Jews. Everyone got along well and life was very peaceful. There were two Synagogues, three meat markets and two bakeries all within walking distance. Doors were unlocked, windows were open and a trolley ran down the middle of the street.

As a very young child, not far beyond highchair age, I would sit with my mother and grandmother at a large round oak breakfast table were they would teach me introductory Hebrew. If I was learning well, a penny would miraculously fall to the table as if it had come from heaven. I always wondered how it had penetrated the roof.

In 1941 the war broke out and, among other things, fuel for automobiles was rationed. I recall that many of the door-to- door merchants such as the milkman, bread man and fruit- peddler drove a horse and wagon. After a while the horse learned the route and knew when and where to stop. Many people still had ice boxes that required regular blocks of ice to maintain the temperature. Therefore, people had signs in their windows indicating the amount of ice they required. The ice man also arrived in an insulated wagon pulled by a horse. I can recall riding on the horse drawn wagons with the junk and fruit peddlers while going on their route. I also can recall that during snowy and icy weather, I would grab onto the back end of the trolley and ride a few blocks gliding on the ice.

In 1942, my parents bought their first home at 675 Linwood Avenue. It was like a palace compared to where we had lived before. There were nine rooms and I had my own bedroom. I had not previously known what it was like to sleep in a full- size bed and not have to share the room. We had purchased the house furnished so that everything was as it had been when the previous owners had lived there. They had an elder uncle or father who did not reside with them but came each day through the unlocked door and took a nap on the couch in the front parlor. For some time after we moved in, this gentleman continued to come every afternoon and take a nap.

Although I was only five years old in 1943, the war was still on and with the lack of qualified teachers, kindergartens were not as prevalent as today. I entered the first grade at Ohio Avenue School and was the youngest person in the class. I also began Hebrew School which I did not like since it required getting on a bus after school, and riding to other schools to pick up students to be taken to the Hebrew School. After about an hour's bus ride, which left me with a queazy stomach from the fumes, we were dropped at the Hebrew School building. One of the teachers smoked Turkish cigarettes and the building had a foul odor. Between the bus ride and the cigarettes, I often became ill and did not begin to feel better until school was out and I again had to resume the one hour ride home.

In March of 1943, while getting off the Hebrew School bus, I was struck by a bakery truck that had failed to stop for the school bus. I was seriously hurt with a fractured skull and other injuries. I was hospitalized and in a coma for a period of time but eventually recovered and was able to return to school. However, I never returned to Hebrew School and continued my Jewish education with my father and other teachers who would come to the house and give me private lessons.

Life on Linwood Avenue was very pleasant, although different from that on Fulton Street. The Synagogues, meat markets and bakeries were more remote as we had moved to what, in those days, was considered the suburbs. Most of the neighbors were nice enough but an undertone of anti-semitisim existed and could be felt. I often had to defend myself against Christian boys who were probably not much older then me but appeared to be giants compared to me. I was quite small for my age. I recall on more than one occasion being asked why I killed Christ. I tried to explain to these boys that I wouldn't even step on an ant. But they would insist that their parents had told them that the Jews killed Christ. I recall coming home and telling my mother about this. Her response was that she did not know him and besides he was dead before she was born.

Many Jewish families lived on my street or nearby. One family moved much further East to what, at that time, seemed like the country. I would visit them often and enjoyed staying over in their very large house and playing football on the oversized grounds.

In 1945 the war ended and life returned to normal for all but those who had lost friends and relatives in the war. Of course, the tragedy of the holocaust began to be known and most of the Jewish families, including my family, who were first generation Americans, lost many close relatives in the holocaust.

Life for the balance of the 1940's was quite pleasant for a child with no particular cares. My father, among other things was the Rabbi in Lancaster Ohio. Among his duties was to teach the children from Lancaster and the surrounding communities their Hebrew lessons and prepare the boys for Bar Mitzvah. In the summer I would often go with him and, therefore, I became acquainted with the families of Lancaster.

On May 15, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed and this was cause for great celebration in our home. In his study my father had a large wall size map of what was previously called Palestine and we would regularly discuss every facet of the country. I also had a dog that gave birth to a litter of puppies the same morning that we awoke to find the creation of the modern State of Israel. In 1949 I graduated from the sixth grade at Ohio Avenue School. I had no regrets about leaving this bastion of Christianity. Thinking back to those years in elementary school, I remember having only Jewish friends, some black acquaintances, and old maid school teachers who carried yard- sticks. At Christmas and Easter assembly when I would either mouth or not sing their songs, the yard sticks would be used to strike me across the knees.

Looking back on this period through the eyes of someone living at the end of the twentieth century, this behavior by a school system and school teachers seems archaic. However, I'm not sure that we are not better for having lived through this period when we fought for what was important rather then have it handed to us by legislation.

I entered the seventh grade that fall at Roosevelt Junior High School. The Christian boys were bigger, the girls were more developed and life began to be a bit more difficult. Whether it be interpersonal relationships or the departmentalization of education, suddenly responsibilities that I had not previously known began to confront me.

I made it through that year and when school let out it was 1950 and the third decade of my life, although I was only 12 years old. We drove to Florida that summer and a love affair with Florida began that continues until this day. My parents and I had decided that I would attend a Yeshiva School in New York the following year.

That summer, while playing football, I broke my arm and due to complications from a compound fracture, it required surgery to set the breaks. When I left for Yeshiva in New York that fall, I had a cast on my arm from below the wrist to well above the elbow.

Life in New York was very different from anything I had ever experienced. Besides having so much independence at such a young age, the degree of religious observance was far different from that, which had been observed in what I thought was our very traditional orthodox home. The school was also located in a Puerto Rican neighborhood and fights broke out regularly between the local residents and the boys from the Yeshiva. Although my arm cast became an excellent defense weapon, it also required resetting each time I was in a fight. When I came home in January of the following year for my Bar Mitzvah I still had the cast. While at the Yeshiva in New York that year, I required the services of the orthopedic surgeon so often that, jokingly, I refer today to having an orthopedic surgeon on retainer during my eighth grade at Yeshiva.

The Williamsburg Bridge that connected the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to lower Manhattan was located near the dormitory. These were the early days of television and not many people had T.V.'s. Virtually none of the people of this very Chasidic neighborhood would have had television in their homes. Although there was not much to watch on T.V. in those days, my home in Columbus had a T.V. I had a friend from London, England in school who was as much a rogue as I was. On Saturday afternoon, we would walk across the Williamsburg Bridge to Lower Manhattan and watch a ball game in the window of an appliance store.

During the week when we could find the time, we would take a subway to Manhattan and go to the Horn and Hardart Cafeteria. Food was dispensed through slots in the wall upon the insertion of the proper change. I'm not sure what the thrill was and it assuredly was not the quality of the food, but it was only the thought of doing something wrong and getting away with it. We would never eat anything that was knowingly not Kosher but it certainly would have been forbidden by the Yeshivah. Once we sat in a delicatessen and ate food that my family would not have objected to. Our backs faced the door made of glass, so we did not see who entered. As we sat there we were suddenly lifted into the air by what seemed like a hoist. We were spotted by one of the older students who was quite large and strong. We were properly reprimanded by the Rosh Ha Yeshiva (The principal). This was not the first nor the last of such incidences.

On Friday nights, I was often invited to a home in Williamsburg for Shabbat hospitality. Although it was a very warm experience, for me it was generally a bit stifling. These were mostly Chasidim from various right wing Chasidic Sects.

I also had the opportunity to spend many Sabbath's with relatives. I had two sets of uncles, aunts, and cousins in New York. One, my father's brother and his family lived in the Bronx. They were religious and he is a Rabbi. The other was my mother's brother and his family who lived in The Coney Island section of Brooklyn. They were not very religious. When I went to the Bronx, I attended Shul and spent Shabbat afternoon taking long walks and exploring the Bronx, Upper Manhattan and once even crossing the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. This sojourn took longer then I thought and left many concerned for my safety as I returned quite late. When I went for Shabbat to Coney Island, it was spent at the nearby beach, boardwalk and the concessions that were along the boardwalk. Interestingly, both were memorable experiences that helped to make me what I am today.

Summer arrived and although I had only attended the school for one year, with no plans to return, graduation ceremonies were held. Officially I am a graduate of the Junior High program of Yeshiva Torah Vaadath along with such illustrious persons as Alan Dershowitz.

While I was away at Yeshiva, my parents had purchased a home in Bexley at 190 N. Roosevelt Avenue. I enrolled in my freshman year at Bexley High School. It took some time before I acclimated to the environment. Most of the kids had been friends growing up in the Bexley school system. Although I knew some of the Jewish kids, for the most part I was a stranger. Bexley is an affluent community and I felt like an outsider since I did not come to school in an expensive car and I did not know what the "in" clothes were. However, it did not take long for me to learn my way around and soon I had my cadre of friends. Once I asked a girl on a date. She asked me how many cashmere sweaters I owned. I told her that if someone gives me a gift of a cashmere sweater I will have a total of one. She informed me that she had thirty six cashmere sweaters. She would not go out with me. I made it through my freshman year of high school. Although I was not a great student, I acquired the knowledge necessary to enter the tenth grade. I was also socially ready to tackle the affluent clique society of Bexley High School.

That summer, my sister Hilda and her fiancé Don Lytton were married and she moved out of the house. My grandparents, Osher and Rosa Yablok, with whom we had lived when I was a small child, came to live with us as they were becoming increasingly incapable of taking care of their own needs.

I had sometimes driven vehicles and cars and considered myself an experienced unlicensed driver of fifteen. Feeling extremely gutsy one night, a friend of mine and I pushed my father's car out of the garage and down the street out of ear shot. We then started the engine and headed for Buckeye Lake where we knew, in those days, that the action was. I had a one-car accident and rolled the car in a ditch. Although neither of us suffered serious injuries I thought that my leg was broken and the emergency squad took me to the hospital. When my father was called, he was surprised that his car was not in the garage, that I knew how to drive and that I was in the hospital and his car was destroyed. The fact that I am still alive attests to the tolerance level that my family had when it came to my mischief.

Later that summer, a friend and I took a Greyhound bus to Miami, Florida where we survived on the little bit of money we had between us. While on the bus, I became acquainted with a black Jamaican boy. This was 1953 and segregation was prevalent in the South. The bus made a rest stop at a restaurant in Macon, Georgia. We got off the bus and began to go into the restaurant. This Jamaican boy, knowing the segregated south better then I, proceeded to go to the rear where the Black's were served. I insisted that he come into the front restaurant with me. We sat for awhile and were not waited on. I called over someone who looked like he could be the manager and asked why we were not being served. He explained that blacks eat in the back. I protested that he was a Jamaican not a southern black. He responded by looking at this frightened boy and stated: "Go to the back and take your Jew with you." I did not realize at the time how Semitic I must have appeared or if only Jews stood up for civil rights.

In 1953, my father and uncle Herschel began to dabble in the building business. My father, feeling somewhat experienced by now, purchased a lot at 89 S. Broadleigh Rd. and began to construct a house that was adequate for two families to reside. Since my grandparents had come to live with us, the house on Roosevelt was too small with too few bathrooms.

In 1954, I obtained my drivers license and for $100.00, bought a 1938 Plymouth from my sister Hilda, who with her husband Don, had purchased a new car. My history with cars is that they don't last long. So by the spring of 1954, the Plymouth was gone and was replaced by a 1950 Ford. By summer this was traded in on my first new car, a 1954 Studebaker, that cost before trade-in, $1800.00. This pattern continues until this day but not quite as often.

Once I had transportation I was able to get a job. Among other things, I worked Sundays at Schottenstein's department store on South Parsons Avenue. While in high school, I was capable of earning enough money at this job to take care of my weekly needs.

When working at Schottensteins, I also had the experience of meeting many refugees from the camps of Europe who had survived the Holocaust. This was an interesting experience as most had the same tale to tell but with slightly different variations. I heard from those who talked about what they had and how good it had been. You knew instantly that there was some untruth to what they were telling you. I had to stifle my thoughts that, if things were so good, remember that the boat goes both ways. Others were glad to be here, did not talk of how good things had been but how good things will be. The future proved my observance was correct as to the degree that the various people succeeded and prospered.

In 1955, I graduated from high school and although I was far from being at the top of the class, my father was the guest speaker. My grade point average in high school was nothing to brag about but I felt that I had gained a very well rounded education and was prepared for college.

The first year of college ended with the same degree of academic success as my high school years had concluded. I felt that I had received knowledge but it did not translate into a great grade point average. I joined A E Pi Fraternity. While pledging the Fraternity, I was required to eat lunch each day at the fraternity house. I kept Kosher and found that most of the food was inedible for me. However, on the table there was always white bread, peanut butter and jelly. This became my regular lunch and I gained about 35 pounds that year. Since then, I have never eaten peanut butter.

In 1956 I moved to campus and shared a very large half double on 16th Avenue with two other fraternity brothers. It was a three floor home and each of us had our own floor. Being the youngest, I was relegated to the third floor. It really worked out well since there was a side entrance to a back stairway to the third floor. Therefore, for whatever reason I did not want to pass through the rest of the house, when entering or leaving I could do so without being detected.

Later that year, I met Alleen Marshall, an incoming freshman, who in the future would become my wife. While she lived in a dormitory that first year and had curfew hours established by the University, we managed to spend a considerable amount of time together.

In 1957, a few friends and I took advantage of an exchange program that Ohio State University had with Mexico City College, a small college at the southern border of Mexico City. Although I was only there for about three months, the experiences could be the text for another set of memoirs. This also began a love affair with Mexico where I have returned often.

Three of us drove down in a late-model Ford convertible that belonged to the boy from Cleveland. At the Mexican border we met others that were heading for Mexico City College and arrangements were made to meet there and possibly seek housing together. In Nuevo Loredo, just across the border, we stopped to purchase a gun, ten gallon hats, and take typical Western photographs titled "On the Streets of Loredo." The gun did come in handy as we had a flat tire on the road to Monterey. While changing the tire, a rattle snake was about to attack but was neutralized by one shot of the six-shooter. Monterey is 300 miles from the border, with no gas stations along the road. Fortunately we had been forewarned and took cans of gasoline in the trunk.

When we arrived in Mexico City, we registered at a hotel where we met with two of the others from our border meeting. We found a beautiful four bedroom apartment with two extra rooms for maids quarters at Rio De La Plata, Viente Uno (21). The apartment came well furnished, with telephone and utilities included and one maid for cleaning, for $122.00 per month. We hired an additional woman to cook for us for $10.00 a month and living quarters. This was a first-class elevator building with garage parking and its residents included the family of the Mexican Ambassador to the United States.

The Ambassador had a daughter about our age. Among her friends was the son of the British Ambassador to Mexico. This allowed us poor "estudiantes" to rub shoulders with dignitaries as these were very cordial and friendly people.

The winter of 1957 was the occasion of the wedding of Elizabeth Taylor to Mike Todd, the movie producer. The wedding was to take place at the Pierre Marquis Hotel on Revolcadaro Beach in Acapulco. The Ambassador's son had several invitations for Embassy staff people who were unable to attend. He asked if I would like to go to the wedding. The idea thrilled me apart from a couple of problems: I had very little money and the clothes that I had were inappropriate for such an occasion. Our weekends in Acapulco were usually spent sleeping in a hammock on the beach that was available by bribing a guard one Peso (8c).

I did attend the wedding sleeping on the beach behind the Pierre Marquis Hotel. I stored my overweight suit and other sundry items on the end of the hammock, slipping the guard an extra peso to watch my worldly possessions.

Having familiarized myself with the pool and deck area of this elegant hotel, I slipped in off the beach the next day. On this occasion I met one-time noted actress Denise Darcel who was impressed with my underwater swimming ability.

Once while traveling by train from Mexico City to Vera Cruz for Mardi Gras, the train was held up at an incline that caused the train to slow so that bandits could board. When I realized what was happening, I jumped off the train, and ran to the highway. Hitchhiking, I was picked up by a car that was being driven by the brother-in-law of Miguel Alemein who was then the President of Mexico. He invited me to be his guest in Vera Cruz which was terrific since, it being Mardi Gras, I had no place to stay. As it happened, he had a beautiful home, but he also had eyes for me. This was the third time this type of thing had happened during my very short stay in Mexico. I certainly would not view my appearance as someone who would be interested in this type of relationship.

The group of us that lived together was reasonably cordial. Somehow, we obtained a parrot that lived in the crystal chandelier over a very large glass coffee table. The coffee table, obviously, needed constant cleaning. Experiences, that were not so pleasant included spending a night in a Mexican jail before obtaining my release by bribery.

The school enrollment consisted of exchange students and many on the G.I. Bill whose tuition and living expenses were covered by the government because of their service in the Korean War. The cost of living was very cheap and the dollar went a very long way.

There was a set of twin girls who bleached their hair blond because Mexican men could start a war over a blond. However, swimming in a chlorinated pool turned their hair green. Even though many of us spent weekends in Acapulco, most of us were back by Monday or Tuesday. Once in a Mexican history class, taught by a retired Mexican military officer named Colonel Brezunza, he inquired about the Young twins (their last name was Young) who weren't in the class. When told that they were last seen heading off into the hills above Acapulco with two Mexican boys, Colonel Brezunza commented that for every girl "schmuck" there is a boy "schmuck."

I returned home the following spring by plane although I had driven down with friends. The airline made a scheduled stop in Havana, Cuba which gave me the opportunity to spend a weekend in Havana just before the takeover by Castro. Although much poverty existed, I only observed an atmosphere of opulence that I had never seen before. Returning home in the spring of 1957, I resumed my relationship with Alleen.

In 1958 I re-enrolled at O.S.U. but only remained for Fall and Winter quarter. By Spring, although barely 20 years old I had decided that I was interested in the real estate and construction business and didn't feel that my time at O.S.U. in the college of commerce was doing me much good. The law, however, required that a person be 21 years old to sell real estate or, for that matter, to obtain financing in order to construct real estate. I enrolled at Franklin University on a part time basis taking courses in real estate.

With extra time on my hands, I began to observe certain construction methods spending time at construction sites. This of course did not pay my modest living expenses. I continued to work Sundays at Schottensteins. I also sold cars for Spooner Plymouth, home improvement for Brown Brothers and women's underwear door to door for Real Silk Hosiery Mills. Although this job did not last long, it could be the subject of an extensive set of memoirs. With the exception of Schottensteins, these other business's no longer exist.

I began to work that summer for Ideal Furniture as a full time furniture salesman. I had previously had a taste of furniture sales and enjoyed it very much. This happened when I applied for a job, was hired by the sales manager, worked one day and was promptly fired by the owner when he arrived and found that I had no experience. Incidentally, the sales manager that hired me went on to develop a very large retail furniture business. The owner that fired me eventually went out of business. I continued to work at Ideal until my twenty-first birthday in January of 1959. On that date I took the examination for a real estate license that was given at the Virginia Hotel. This was on the site of the later Sheraton Hotel and now the Mark-Adams.

I began to sell real estate for Friedman and Deems Realtors and also purchased three lots for homes that I intended to construct and made plans with Alleen to get married that summer. Alleen was in her junior year of college pursuing a degree in Education. I felt confident of my ability to make the money necessary so that we could live, she could continue her education, and we could do the things that young couples want to do and Jews uniquely find a responsibility to do.

Alleen and I planned to marry in a grand ceremony in Akron Ohio, her home town, on June 28th, 1959. Unfortunately, a tragic accident befell my mother the previous week and she died on June 24th. The wedding was delayed the proper period of Shiva time and we were married in a small ceremony on July 5th, 1959. Due to the circumstances, we did not go on a honeymoon but stayed for a day or two at the Lincoln Lodge on West Broad Street. It so happens that I was building three homes on my purchased lots in the neighborhood. I therefore combined a mini honeymoon with an opportunity to be at the construction sites. Lincoln Lodge no longer exists. In 1959 Interstate 70 did not as yet exist so that daily trips to the far West side were very time consuming.

We moved into a two-bedroom apartment at 784 S. Broadleigh Rd. The building belonged to my father and Uncle Herschel. Part of our wedding gift from my father was half of our rent. Therefore our living expenses were very reasonable. In addition, my father had given me the money to purchase furniture for the apartment. I had used that money to buy the three lots that became my first building venture. We lived with cheaper furniture but we lived adequately. I used the second bedroom as an office and often had meetings there until midnight. At six in the morning I would meet with sub- contractors or suppliers or just leave for the long trip to the West side pre-rush hour and pre-interstate 70.

I was successful in my first year of the building business and that winter we spent the holidays in Acapulco. Upon our return I proceeded to buy lots in Berwick for the upcoming- year's construction. I had also accepted some homes on the Hilltop in trade from my first building venture. I found the marketing and resale to be another means of income. I began to advertise in the newspaper: "Cash for your property". I bought homes cheap for cash, fixed them up a bit, resold them on land contract, then discounted the land contract. It was relatively easy, profitable and fun.

In 1960, we purchased a home at 3805 Gilroy in Berwick Manor. I had been called for the draft which meant that I might have to serve two years in the military. I had been too young for the Korean war and the Viet Nam war had not yet flared up.

The draft, however was a reality. Alleen, in the meantime had been to the doctor and discovered that she was pregnant. This kept me from having to enroll in military service since fathers were not taken during peaceful times. With a child to be born, the apartment was too small. The house gave us enough room for a nursery and a proper office for me.

My father returned from a long world trip that he took to get away after my mother's untimely death. He met a fine lady from a good family who had never before been married.

My Grandfather Yablok had passed away the January before my mother's death. Upon my mothers passing, my Grandmother Yablok chose to live with my father. Only upon his departure for the world trip did she go to live with her son, Uncle Sam, in Marietta, Ohio. Grandmother Yablok, my fathers Mother-In-Law, was very instrumental and encouraging in his finding a new mate. She was actually partly responsible in his meeting Rosalind Rosenberg.

In October of 1960, my father and Rosalind Rosenberg were married in Chicago. She was soon pregnant and, in 1961 within a period of five months, my sister Hilda, my wife Alleen and my stepmother Ros, all gave birth. It was a very good year.

I built homes in Berwick and on Kenview Rd. in Berwyn, adjacent to Berwick. We were desirous of a nicer home then that in which we lived. We selected one of the new homes that I had constructed in which to reside that was in Berwyn at 1629 Kenview Rd.

By now, I was becoming too busy in the building business to devote any time to the brokerage business. I maintained my relationship with Friedman and Deems Brokerage and we did some buying, selling and building together, rather than maintaining a Brokerage-Salesman relationship.

Since my son Stephen, Hilda's daughter Amy and my fathers Daughter Haya were all the same age they practically grew up together. Stephen and Haya where especially close since they lived near one another, had the same last name, attended the same school and were in the same class during their early school years.

I became more heavily involved in the real estate and construction business in various partnerships and corporations. In addition to residential development, I began to construct apartment communities. My father and Uncle Herschel also were building apartments. My Father joined me in the first of several apartment construction ventures.

We had decent household help so, later that year, we decided to take a driving trip to the west coast. On the way we stopped in Las Vegas. I got lucky and won enough to pay for the entire trip. Of course travel costs in those days were reasonable and we did not travel in the most luxurious fashion. Alleen began to miss the baby and returned from California by plane leaving me to make the return trip from the West coast alone. It turned out to be very interesting as I visited places and got involved in situations that Alleen may have not wanted to or would have protected me from doing.

In the Summer of 1962, I was pretty secure and doing quite well so Alleen and I planned a lengthy trip through Northern Europe, going on to our first trip in Israel and then returning through Southern Europe. It was a very exciting, interesting, and educational experience which enhanced my desire for travel and my love for Israel. This has continued to such an extent that I cannot recall how often I have returned. We had the chance to meet family that we had only heard about. Some that were long-time Israelis and others who were survivors of the Holocaust.

In 1963 we returned to Israel on the National United Jewish Appeal Mission, and had the opportunity to view the land with other Jews who were involved in Jewish causes. A memorable highlight, was being hosted by then Foreign Minister Golda Meir, in the living room of her home. I recall that she went to the kitchen, made tea and served home made cookies.

When we returned, I began the first of several building projects that I was to construct with Walter Katz. Walter and I had been long time friends.

The previous year he asked me to build a four family apartment building for him. After some thought he asked if we could build it together. I agreed and we constructed this building in a very short time and sold it for a good profit.

He left his full time job as an Accountant and we proceeded to purchase a tract of land where we constructed a thirty two home residential development. This also sold out quickly and we were making money faster than we imagined it could be made. Walter and I then built two apartment developments that we maintained for investment for a time. Eventually these were sold and our partnership dissolved. Walter wanted to do contracting and by then I had been involved in one contracting occurrence that had not been a pleasant experience.

That year my father took on the responsibility of building the new Ahavas Sholom Shul on E. Broad St. He therefore took a leave from our business to contribute and concentrate his efforts on building the Shul. We also had enough apartment rentals to open an office. In March of 1963, My Uncle Herschel and I opened Baker Rental Company at 765 S. James Rd. Herschel had completed two apartment buildings at this address that year and we occupied one apartment in the front. He and I sat at opposite sides of a desk in what was a bedroom and we had hired a woman who did everything that we couldn't do or have time to do. She had a desk in what was a living room.

Winter holidays came and we drove to Florida with Stephen who was less than three years old. We stopped along the way in Tampa. That morning, the Tampa newspaper reported on the Surgeon-Generals' report that linked cigarette smoking to cancer. The article further reported that Governor Collins, then Governor of Florida, was quitting smoking after more than forty years as an avid cigarette smoker. I was also then a cigarette smoker, having started when I was in Yeshiva in New York. I decided that if the Governor of Florida was going to stop I also would. At that time, many Cuban Cigar makers from Havana had settled in a section of Tampa known as Ibor City. I wandered into Ibor City, toured the store-front cigar makers and selected a cigar which brand I continued to smoke for many years hence.

While in Florida, we sent Alleen's parents, Jack and Eve Marshall, for an anniversary gift, plane tickets to join us. I did considerable business with a window company named Keller Industries. It was owned by Hank Keller whom I became acquainted with while in Florida. The company owned a very large yacht and I had the privilege to use this fully- equipped and staffed ocean going vessel for a day at sea. Alleen, Stephen and I, the Marshall's and another couple that I knew from Columbus spent a day aboard a very luxurious yacht.

In 1964 we all became more heavily involved in our various businesses either separately or collectively. As we built more apartments the need to enlarge Baker Rental Company became necessary. We began a process, that was to continue for thirty years, of enlarging our office by occupying more apartments at 765 S. James Rd. We also needed more personnel such as bookkeepers, accountants, property managers, receptionists and the necessary staff to operate an expanding property management business.

During the past year, I had contracted to build an apartment development for someone I thought I knew. As a result of trust and naivety, I sustained a very large loss, this being the unpleasant experience that I referred to earlier. When the financial pressure became unbearable, I did what I did best . . . I left for an around the world trip. Upon my return, I found that things were not as bad as they had appeared. I never undertook contracting again. I did not want to work for someone else.

The around-the-world trip gave me the opportunity to visit Egypt which was not at that time open for Jewish tourism. Egypt was part of the United Arab Republic as was Syria. However, Syria did not grant me permission to enter the country. In the airport, I was questioned about being a Jew and was immediately escorted to leave on the first plane out of the country. I went for a one-day trip to Beirut, which was then a wonderful city. Several days traveling in the major cities of India left me with the feeling that the 20th century had forgotten about this country. Except for an electric light bulb or the sound of an occasional transistor radio, life had not changed much in the last five hundred years. Cattle were revered and monkeys had their own temple, but human beings were expendable. I was in Viet-Nam before I knew that the United States was involved in Viet-Nam to the extent that it was. I was in Japan for the Olympics and finally spent a few days in Hawaii and San Francisco before returning home to unclog a left over problem with a much clearer head.

Because of the previous trip to Israel on the U.J.A. Mission, I became more involved in the Columbus Jewish Federation. My capability to give more needed funds and my ability to raise funds from other young affluent people gave me, at a very young age, the job of being Young Men's Campaign Chairman.

In 1965 my father, having completed the Ahavas Sholom Shul, decided to spend at least a year residing in Israel with his new wife and young daughter, Haya. This move left me with one less sorely missed building partner. My father in addition to being a Rabbi, was very astute at learning the technical parts of the construction business. With Friedman and Deems I constructed an apartment development in the Worthington area. This was the first of three such developments in the area that I was to build over the next six years in three different companies.

In April of 1965, Samantha was born and as fate would have it, our family was complete. In addition to various dogs, cats, birds and other creatures, we had a pretty full life. Alleen had worked for a short time at her profession as an elementary school teacher but now was devoting her entire time to raising a family. I was very involved in my various building and real estate companies. I also became more involved in Jewish communal activities.

In 1966, my desire for a more prestigious residence pushed me to design a spacious home that I would construct at 268 S. Harding Rd. At the time, it was one of the nicest new homes being built in the city. At 28, I was proud of my achievements and not being modest, had a desire to show off what I had accomplished. Alleen did not share my thoughts and this home became the first of many conflicts between us.

We decided to spend Passover of 1966 in Israel with my father and his family who were still residing there. We made reservations at the newly constructed Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv. Stephen stayed with his grandparents in their apartment in Tel Aviv. Haya got the mumps, gave them to Stephen and that took care of his first of many trips to Israel. It was not a particularly pleasant time for Israel. Tension with her Arab neighbors left a feeling of uncalm in the country. Israel was, of course at that time, a nation of very narrow boundaries where the population lived with a certain degree of paranoia. Two wars had been fought, and another seemed only a matter of time.

In the Fall of the year Stephen enrolled at Torah Academy, the Jewish Day School. Classes were held in the educational section of the Agudas Achim congregation and in some of the basement rooms. The facility was fourth-rate, the education was first-rate and the experience could not be compared nor duplicated. The school was still in it's infancy but doing an outstanding job in educating Jewish children in a dual curriculum within the confines of a single building. No longer would children have to be transported on buses at their least productive time of the day to antiquated buildings with second rate teachers to obtain, what is loosely called, Jewish Education. I immediately recognized the important part that Columbus Torah Academy would play in the future of Columbus and became involved in all facets of its operations.

While building our home on Harding Rd. I seriously sprained my ankle while on the construction site. Several months previously, I had received a jay-walking ticket while crossing Long St. Thinking that this was not more serious than a parking ticket, I ignored it. On Yom Kippur Morning, 1966, while preparing to go to services, a Columbus police paddy-wagon came with a warrant for my arrest. I thought they were joking, but they weren't. I explained the seriousness of the Holiday that I was about to begin. I further explained that if they were going to arrest me they would have to walk with me to the jail as I do not ride on Yom Kippur. They agreed to wait 48 hours. Although I do not normally travel by car on Yom Kippur, that year with a badly sprained ankle, I was unable to walk to Shul. Fortunately the police did not wait.

In 1967, I completed our home and we proceeded with the decorations and moving. That year I was also building an apartment development in Bowling Green, Ohio and would travel there at least once or twice a week. On the morning of June 5, 1967, I turned on my car radio as I was traveling to Bowling Green. The news of the War in Israel, that later became known as the Six Day War, came over the air and there were early reports that Tel Aviv and the rest of Israel were ablaze. Immediately, as if by automation, my car turned around, headed back to Columbus, and to the Columbus Jewish Federation office which was then on S. Third St.

There, gathered that morning, were others that must have had the same feelings. If the news were true, we wanted to be in the company of our own. The phones were ringing and people that we had never heard of, both Jewish and non-Jewish, were calling in pledges. Everyone, it seems, wanted to help. Although we had just completed the 1967 Annual Campaign, the money raised that week more than doubled our regular annual campaign achievement. We learned quickly that the news reports were coming out of Egypt, were false, and that the truth was that Israel had destroyed the combined Air Force of all her neighbors.

We were all elated. That night, I recall, Abba Eban eloquently addressed the United Nations and every person I knew listened, gleamed and stood ten feet tall. My partner in Bowling Green, a non-Jew, called that evening and expressed to me that "tonight I wish I were Jewish."

In 1968, I was honored with the coveted Columbus Jewish Federation Young Leadership Award, known as the Terese Stern Kahn Award. This benefaction, among other things, consisted of paid attendance to the convention of the Council of Jewish Federation and Welfare Funds that was held that year in Atlanta. Alleen and I attended, found it fascinating and educational and had the opportunity to meet similar people from around the country. Some I still see from time-to-time at other conventions or in Israel on United Jewish Appeal business.

I was then 30 years old and the youngest recipient of the award. I believe that I am still the youngest person ever to receive this award.

That year, two different partnerships were formed for further development in the Worthington area. Worthington Terrace and Worthington Gardens began construction. These were both large apartment projects that took more than two years to complete. I also began a second phase of the apartment development in Bowling Green. These along with various other smaller ventures kept me quite busy for these years.

Stephen and his Aunt Haya were both in the second grade at Torah Academy. Haya's Mother, Ros, would drive the children to school and pick them up so they did not have to ride the school bus. While getting out of his grandmother's car Stephen was struck by an on-coming vehicle, repeating my childhood accident. He suffered many broken bones requiring a nearly full body cast. Upon his release from the hospital, he was transported in a station wagon bed like a load of lumber. My father had constructed a cart on roller wheels that Stephen could lie on and convey himself around the house in a prone position. I humorously remember that he ate his food on the floor next to the dog since he could not sit in a chair. When Stephen was healed from his fractures, we donated this expertly made cart to Children's Hospital. I was told some years later, that it was still in use.

A trip to Israel that year, at Purim, gave me the opportunity to see, feel, and touch the new Israel. It was a country now four times the size of the country that I had previously visited. The loss of life in the war was tragic, but minimal, and the increase in land, including all of Jerusalem and the Western Wall was maximum. I traveled to areas and saw things that I had only dreamed about. The Israeli's were so euphoric that laughter and singing literally filled the streets. They couldn't wait to take you to see something new.

My step-mother had a cousin, a seventh generation Israeli, who spoke Arabic. I traveled with him to Arab cities now in the hands of Israel. Dad and Ros were then also in Israel. Dad and I arranged to join with an Army group and spent nine days traveling in the Sinai. Our accommodations were jeeps, Army barracks and oil field houses. We spent one night at Santa Caterina, the sixth century Greek Orthodox Monastery that is located at the base of what is thought to be Mt. Sinai. In the morning, we arose early and climbed the legendary Mt. Sinai. Upon my return home, I knew that it would not be long before I returned as things were changing so rapidly.

During winter holiday 1968-1969, Al Friedman, my partner at Friedman-Deems Realtors, a friend of his, and I went to Acapulco for a week. While in school in Mexico in the middle 50's I was in Acapulco often. But since then I had only been back a few times. Although Mexico, in general, had not changed much in those years, Mexico City had become increasingly more densely populated and dirty and Acapulco was more tourist oriented.

I continued that year to complete the Bowling Green, Ohio project as well as Worthington Terrace. We were also moving ahead with the development of Worthington Gardens. I had given up house building completely by now as economically, it did not fit in with my plans. My father built a few homes on contract, mostly for friends that wanted his touch in the construction of their home. Perhaps they wanted to be able to tell their friends that their home had been built by an Orthodox Rabbi.

In late Spring of 1970, I was in Las Vegas with some friends and won a considerable amount of money. I called Alleen and told her to bring the kids and fly out to Las Vegas.

When they arrived we rented a car and drove up to Lake Tahoe and then to Yosemite National Park. Although it was Memorial Day weekend and very warm in Las Vegas, I was not prepared for the weather at Yosemite. It was snowing and the warmest thing I had, was what I was wearing . . . . a short sleeve shirt. We spent one night at the Park Inn and we were off to the warmth of Las Vegas. I now have some first-hand experience on the geographical and meteorological climatic conditions in Nevada and California. We did have many laughs and much fun. We returned to Las Vegas and, although I had rooms in casino hotels, I obtained rooms in non-casino hotels to try to shield the casino atmosphere from my young children.

Later that summer we had an opportunity to travel to Israel with a United Jewish Appeal fact-finding mission. On this trip we were taken to the Suez Canal to view the line of bunkers that appeared to make the Canal virtually impenetrable. We of course learned, three years later at the time of the Yom Kippur War, that this was not so. We were able to see the Egyptian soldiers on the other side of the Canal. They were able to see us as well on the Israeli side.

Israel, falsely, was still in a state of elation since their success of the Six-Day War just three years earlier. However, a state of war still existed with her neighbors as a result of the Arab countries unwillingness to settle boundary disputes peacefully. The Arab countries solution was only war and terrorism.

Meanwhile In Columbus, The Torah Academy had moved to the educational wing of Temple Israel. Agudas Achim, which had been the home of the school since its inception, was beginning an extensive remodeling program and did not have the room to accommodate the school during this procedure. The school had sought housing in several of the communities facilities that could handle its needs. Only The Bexley Methodist Church and Temple Israel were cordial enough to offer us housing at reasonable terms.

Samantha began Torah Academy never having experienced classes in basement rooms with leaky pipes over her head. In spite of the inconveniences at the Agudas Achim, they had been extremely cordial landlords. We never paid rent but certainly added to the wear and tear of the building. That was partially the cause of the extensive remodeling program on which they were about to embark.

My father and his family had returned from Israel in the Fall of 1966. Their daughter Haya was enrolled at Torah Academy in the same class with Stephen. In 1971 my father made a decision to make "Alihya" and move permanently to Israel.

When they had returned from Israel in 1966, Dad no longer fully participated in my business. He only built a home for himself. The Ahavas Sholom Shul asked if he would serve the Congregation as it's Rabbi. He agreed, was elected, and a salary of $1.00 a year was to be paid to him for his services. I do not believe that the salary was ever paid.

I trust their motivation to move to Israel was partially due to the desire for a safer, more Jewish environment for their daughter Haya. Being older parents, and grandparents to children older than their daughter, they were more security- minded than Alleen and me, who were much younger, carefree, and less concerned.

Worthington Gardens was finally reaching completion. The ownership was a three way partnership. The managing partners were Leon Schottenstein, Al Friedman, and me. That year both Leon and Al suddenly passed away and I become the managing partner with two Estates. Eventually, the Schottenstein family and I became the majority owners of the property, buying out most of the interests of Friedman-Deems.

Scanning through the travel section of the New York Times one Sunday in 1972, I came upon an interesting travel opportunity. Aeroflot (Russian) Airlines had an inexpensive package that included four cities in Russia and roundtrip airfare New York-Moscow.

That Summer I boarded this primitive, ill equipped plane, whose hostesses looked like line-backers for the Green Bay Packers. I got my first taste of being a second class citizen in a classless society. Vodka, caviar, and cigars were passed to some passengers while the rest of us were served inedible food that closely resembled garbage.

Despite the travel arrangements that were run as you might expect they would be in a communist country, and the hotel accommodations that lacked even the most minimum of comforts that might be anticipated, it was one of the most interesting trips that I had ever taken. For further information on this product of my wanderlust, memoirs exist.

After my father and his family moved to Israel, I enjoyed the opportunity to be there often. It was not unusual for me to travel to Israel several times a year. For Passover 1973, we decided to spend the holiday in Israel with family. We had a wonderful stay enjoying Passover in Israel and traveling the land to visit sites and relatives. The children were now old enough to enjoy and understand the land of Israel and what it was about.

We based ourselves at the Four Seasons Hotel in Netanya and rented a large car so that we could all travel together. This was the city that Dad had chosen to live in when he decided to make Israel his permanent residence.

By now, the many trips that I had made to Israel familiarized me with the land and the highway system. With the use of road maps I was able to navigate myself and our family through the myriad of traffic, bad drivers, and necessary checkpoint roadblocks. We also always had room in the car for one or two hitchhikers. These were usually soldiers, with M 1s or Uzi sub machine guns. They would give us a feeling of security as we traveled through Arab territories. Can you imagine picking up a hitchhiker with a rifle in this or any country?

The peace and tranquility that we had known at Passover was to be shattered by the first rumor and then the confirmed reports that reached our ears that fateful Yom Kippur day in 1973. At first we did not want to believe that Egypt would attack on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

By Sunday, the following day, we were briefed on the devastating damage that had occurred and the loss of life. The impenetrable Suez Canal had been penetrated. Israel was caught off-guard and a terrible blow was inflicted. Israeli citizens living in the United States as well as volunteers were lining up at airports to either return or go to Israel.

Unlike the Six Day War, where the reports of damage to Israel were highly exaggerated, in this case all the reports of damage and loss of life were true. When I had the opportunity to go to Israel later in the year, I witnessed and observed a different country and a different people than I had seen and been with the previous Passover.

My father and family survived well but his car was drafted and he was taken along as a driver. He was mostly utilized to transport active soldiers to the front. The stories were heart-rending. Women stood along the road to the various fronts with sandwiches and coffee to feed the soldiers as the Yom Kippur Fast came to an end. In the midst of services, soldiers were summoned immediately to report to their units. It was many years before Israel overcame the damage done to the emotional state of the nation.

That year, I also ventured into a variety of restaurant operations. My partner from Bowling Green developed a complex that had a market that is commonly referred to as a food court. I opened and operated several restaurant establishments within this complex. This was one of my failing ventures. It convinced me to stick to what I know and not try to operate as an absentee owner in any business.

In the Autumn of 1973, we decided to put our home up for sale. We no longer had live-in help and this very large house was more then Alleen wanted to handle. She and I had many conflicts and the house was only one of them. Recognizing that our marriage was beginning to fail, I did not object to the sale of the house.

Our home at 268 S. Harding Rd. sold later that year and we moved to a rented condominium at 403 Westland Ave. We had become accustomed to living in a spacious home and this was very small by comparison. This became the cause for more strife between Alleen and me.

I began to stay away more and found excuses to travel and be out of town. I spent more time on communal causes and found myself at meetings almost nightly. I was in Israel four times in 1974. Once I returned to Columbus from Israel on a Friday and returned to Israel the following Tuesday for a two day cash mobilization meeting for the United Jewish Appeal.

By 1975, our differences were irreconcilable. Alleen and I had grown in different directions and the only thing that we had in common was the love of our children. Even this we viewed so differently that we thought each others motives were destructive. I discovered some communication that Alleen had with my family in Israel and I thought that it might be misunderstood.

It was summer, Stephen had just graduated from the eighth grade at Columbus Torah Academy and was about to enter Columbus Academy. I decided to go to Israel and discuss my apparent upcoming divorce with my family so that they would know both sides of the situation.

In August of 1975 Stephen and I went to Israel for the purpose of spending time with family as well as revisiting the land. As I walked the streets of Israel with my young son, I became painfully aware of how many young men, not much older than Stephen, were physically and mentally handicapped as a result of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. This experience left a mark on me that I will never forget. This also left an indelible mark on Israel and her leadership and population. They now know that they are not indestructible. Those that lived on miracles alone discovered that miracles don't always work. Those that live by might alone discovered that they were not as mighty as they had given themselves credit for being. The Yom Kippur War was ultimately won by Israel, but at a tremendous loss of life and permanent injury to many of the youth of the country.

In August of 1975 Alleen and I separated. I moved into an apartment that Baker Rental Company managed at 4159 Bay Court. It was a three-bedroom apartment. I immediately took Stephen and Samantha shopping for bedroom furniture for what was going to be their rooms. I felt that they should feel as much at home with me as if I were living with them permanently.

In December of 1975 our divorce was final. The terms were neither cordial nor friendly but, with several setbacks, we were able to resolve our differences to each others satisfaction.

In 1976 I worked very hard to put my business back together. I had allowed it to come under financial pressure in anticipation of the pending divorce. I dealt with the numerous problems that I created and got things current and fiscally in order.

In December of 1976 I was 38 years old. At home alone one Sunday night, I felt an unusual chest pain. Not knowing what it was, but concerned that it might be something serious, I drove to Mt. Carmel Hospital. They kept me an entire night, ran tests, and in the morning sent me home with a large hospital bill and a small bottle of Maalox for an ulcer.

In the days that followed I nursed myself as if I'd had an ulcer. The following Wednesday morning I was taken to Grant Hospital were I suffered a heart attack. A quick change in life style was necessary. Fortunately, I had some very good friends who looked after me. It was an extremely cold winter so, one morning a friend packed me up and took me to the airport and put me on a plane to Florida.

I remained there for about a month and would imagine that every pain was another heart attack. I charted the shortest course to the nearest hospital and visited a nearby doctor on several occasions who could find nothing wrong. I returned home the first day that I felt well enough to travel.

I had, in fact, worried myself into a real ulcer, but eventually overcome the anxiety, returned to a normal lifestyle and no longer worried about having a heart attack.

Returning home late one night, in early Spring of 1977, parked in front of my apartment was an old white Cadillac convertible and sitting on the fender was a lady in a red satin dress. In a scene and a dialect that was reminiscent of "Tobacco Road," I was addressed, "Good evening, Mr. Baker." I instantly knew that it was time to move.

Stephen was now in his sophomore year at Columbus Academy. Although he was doing reasonably well, he wanted to transfer to Bexley High School. His mother had purchased a home in Columbus and therefore he could not attend the Bexley Schools.

In March of 1977, I moved to an apartment at 485 S. Parkview Ave. Stephen officially lived with me and in the fall he enrolled at Bexley High School in his junior year.

In the Summer, I met Arlyne Monroe. I knew of her but had not met her. We began a relationship that lasted romantically for ten years and remains as a friendship through the date of this writing. She was then recently separated and not yet divorced from her husband. Under the circumstances, I would not see her alone but went many places with her and a friend.

Arlyne's parents owned an apartment in Marco Island, Florida. That winter she was planning to spend some time there with her parents. I decided also to rent an apartment in Marco Island for a month. Winter break, my children and I drove down. We returned for them to be in school. I then flew back to stay the balance of the month. Arlyne was there part of the time and our relationship advanced.

I continued to spend Winter holidays in Marco Island until 1986. Arlyne also continued to come and spend part of the Winter break time there. Her parents purchased a larger apartment and moved there permanently. I had the opportunity on one occasion, to address the small Jewish community in her parents spacious apartment for a fund raiser of the United Jewish Appeal.

I was no longer doing any building and could take longer holidays. My absence from Columbus created no special problems. Baker Rental Company was well staffed as far as the day-to-day operations were concerned. My only need to be in Columbus regularly was for my children. Stephen was now entering his senior year of High School and in the Fall would be going away to college.

The Summer before we had taken a trip to Canada and then through New England visiting Colleges and Universities. Stephen decided he would like to go to Boston University. He applied and was accepted.

That Summer my sister Haya returned from Israel to marry Yossi Winiarz. His family then lived in Columbus and were members of the Ahavas Sholom Shul. Yossi had attended school in Israel when he met Haya. She had just graduated from High School but felt ready to marry. The family gathered in Columbus that summer for the marriage of my sister Haya at the Ahavas Sholom Shul.

They moved to New York where Haya enrolled at Barnard College and Yossi at Yeshiva University. Haya began to collect degree's from such prestigious schools as Barnard, Columbia and Hebrew University. She also began to have children. As of the time of this writing, Haya is 36 years old and has six children ranging from 18 years old down to less then one year old. After living various times in Israel, New York and Cleveland, she and Yossi eventually settled in Israel permanently.

That fall I drove Stephen to Boston University for his freshman year at college. From Boston I went to New York to see how my sister Haya and her husband Yossi had settled in. With Stephen and Haya being the same age I viewed them as more than just an aunt and nephew. She was also closer to me than the half-sister that she really was.

My association with the Jewish community, and especially the Columbus Torah Academy, continued to thrive. The Torah Academy built a modern new state-of-the-art structure on a 30 acre site on Noe Bixby Rd. that was completed in 1975. Stephen's class was the first to graduate from the school although they never really attended classes there. In 1975 Samantha's fifth grade class was the first to enter the school.

In 1978 I was elected president of the school. When Samantha's class graduated in 1979, I was still president and was asked to address the graduates. I was proud of what we had built, I was proud of being President and I was proud of my children. I was certain that whatever directions our lives may take, Jewishness would continue in our family. At a time when assimilation was rampant, those boys and girls who attended day school, regardless of their religious orientation or their family commitment, remained Jewish, married Jewish, and raised Jewish children in an environment that should guarantee the continuation of what we have worked for.

When Samantha entered Bexley High School, she chose to live with me. Although the apartment was large with two complete bathrooms, we still felt crowded. I had arranged to move into a large three bedroom apartment in the newer building next door. We selected floor covering and wallpaper and were making arrangements for the move.

One Sunday we were driving on Dawson Avenue when we passed by a small ranch house at 63 S. Dawson Avenue that was being held open. We went through the house, made an offer that was accepted and changed our plans about the apartment.

The house needed extensive remodeling and I was anxious to begin the work. I was prepared to close immediately but it was going to require about thirty days to prepare the necessary documents because it was an estate sale. I knew the Executor and he gave me the keys so that I could begin the renovations. We lived for a few weeks without a kitchen. This was not a problem since neither of us were at this time very good cooks. Although it was only a two bedroom house, we remodeled the basement and put a bedroom and bath in for Stephen when he would be home in the Summers.

To this date, Stephen still has the reputation of being a basement-dweller. I would visit him each year in Boston and, compared to some of places in which he lived in Boston, this was luxury.

During the Summers, while Stephen was in high school, he spent time in Israel working and living on different kibbutzim. Samantha, now in high school, wanted similar experiences. She chose various travel options that were more structured. One of these was with NCSY. Other girls from Columbus also attended these programs.

For both Stephen and Samantha the benefit of having grandparents residing in Israel gave them the added security of someone to call in case of need. On several of their summers in Israel, I also traveled there to visit with them. I recall once arriving in Israel when my father and his family were traveling outside of Israel. I rented a car at the airport and went to Netanya to my father's apartment. When I arrived, I found Samantha and a friend about to leave for the airport for their return flight to the United States. I had no idea they were staying in his apartment but I had the privilege of driving them to the airport.

On the way I asked how they gained access to the apartment. Samantha replied that she knocked on various doors asking if anyone had the key to Rabbi Baker's apartment. One neighbor did but wanted to know who wanted access. She replied that she was his granddaughter and that her picture was on the wall in the livingroom. I cannot believe that this could have happened anywhere but in Israel.

High school for Samantha was as much a social event as an educational experience. Parenting a teen-age daughter was also an experience that kept me on my toes with new trials each day. The adventure of having a sixteen year old that begins to drive and wants a car was one that I had been through with Stephen. The occurrence of the first accident with the automobile, whether minor or not, is apparently one that almost every teenager goes through and takes their parents with them. Samantha was in a unique situation because she had her father, with the major responsibilities of her upbringing. Her reason for choosing to live with me probably had something to do with me being the more permissive of her two parents. We both survived and I wouldn't exchange the time I spent with my children while they were in high school and resided with me for anything.

Stephen in the meantime, although he was out of sight, was never out of mind. In addition to trying to get an undergraduate degree and education in the Business School at Boston University he had some money making schemes. Fortunately none required large sums of money, therefore large sums of money could not be lost. Time was another factor. One idea required time away from the purpose of going to college.

Arlyne was working in real estate rather unsuccessfully in Columbus and really needed other sources of income. Her ex- husband suddenly passed away in Orlando. He was operating a Bingo business that had no recorded owner. I suggested that she go to Orlando, walk in and take over the business as his widow. With much encouragement, and my taking her by the hand to Orlando, she did what I suggested. This was a great move financially for Arlyne as this business was very profitable. After a period of time commuting back and forth from Columbus to Orlando, she eventually moved there permanently. Although I was in Orlando often both to help in the business and to see her, ultimately the long-distance relationship would dissolve and within several years we went our separate ways.

By 1982, I was 44 years old and my time was my own. I had my interests in the management business, but I could get away almost at will. In addition to being in Israel at least once that year, Arlyne, two other couples and I chartered a large sailboat out of Ft. Lauderdale and sailed the Bahamian Islands. I have never been very interested in boating and cruising but this was special. We had the opportunity to pull into different harbors on various islands and stay as long as we wanted. Arlyne received a Telex in Nassau and had to return early to Orlando. We continued for a few days before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. I've never done anything like this since but probably could be convinced to try it again somewhere interesting such as the Greek Isles.

Earlier that year I was in Israel with Arlyne and we visited Dad and Ros. While at their apartment both Arlyne and I recognized that Ros acted strangely. I discovered that she was seeing a psychiatrist in Jerusalem. I even drove them to Jerusalem one day when I had other business there and Ros had an appointment. We later learned that she was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. As a result of this, my father's life would begin to take a different direction.

In 1983 Stephen graduated from Boston University. He did not know what he wanted to do so he applied to several Law Schools. He was accepted at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. After spending four cold dark dreary winters in Boston and jogging along the Charles River, Miami and the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean seemed appealing. After losing Arlyne to the lure of Florida I now was about to lose the first of my prodigy to the seduction of warm winters.

By 1984 Ros's illness had progressed to a point where she would eventually have to be placed in a nursing facility. Dad was dissatisfied with the quality of nursing homes in Israel and their ability to deal with this type of illness. After much consideration he decided to temporarily close his home in Israel and move to Miami Beach, Florida.

By 1985 the burden as care-giver for an Alzheimer's patient became to much for my Father to handle. After much soul- searching and encouragement, especially from my sister Hilda, who could see how taxing this was on him, Dad decided to place Ros in a nursing home.

After searching the Miami area, a facility was chosen. The trauma on my father, I believe, was greater than that on Ros. He would visit her daily and help feed her. I gave up my visits to Marco Island by now and was making frequent trips to the Miami area, as Dad needed the emotional support from family. Stephen, while in law school, would visit as often as possible.

In 1986, as I had done previously, I made numerous trips to Miami to be with Dad and to visit Ros. In the spring, Stephen was to graduate from law school. One Friday evening, prior to the upcoming Sunday graduation day, I was at my father's apartment awaiting Stephen's arrival for Shabbat dinner. Dad was a very good cook and we looked forward to Friday night dinners. As we waited, Dad mentioned that, if he or Ros were to pass away, they wanted to be buried in Jerusalem. He even proceeded to tell me, as if he had a premonition, that he did not want to be buried on the Mount of Olives, as this could some day be back in Arab hands. He spoke of the Eretz Chaim Cemetery in Bet Shemesh.

I did not give this conversation a second thought as Dad was 76 years old and in reasonably good health. I had in fact a few weeks previously, convinced him not to purchase a large insurance policy. I explained to him that the actuarial tables indicate that, if a male lives to be 74, chances are he will live to be 86 years old. If he were to fund the premiums for a large policy yearly until he were 86, the cash value would be a great deal more than the principal of the insurance policy.

Arlyne came down to Miami to attend Stephen's upcoming graduation. On Saturday night we were having dinner in Bal Harbour and I called Dad to tell him that we would not be home. We were planning a cocktail party for Stephen in a suite at the Sea-View Hotel and we decided that we would stay at the Sea-View that evening. I told Dad that the graduation was at 1:00 the next day and that I would pick him up at noon. My father was a very punctual person and he had the utmost respect for time. When I arrived at his apartment and he was not waiting for me I knew immediately that something was wrong. My father was also an early riser and went for a morning walk. When the doorman informed me that he had not seen Rabbi Baker that morning my fears were further confirmed. I entered his apartment to find him semi- conscious having suffered a massive stroke. After two days of unsuccessful treatment in the hospital Dad passed away. With his passing I lost my father, my Rabbi, my partner and my best friend.

In accordance with his wishes, we proceeded to make the arrangements for a Thursday morning burial at Eretz Chaim Cemetery in Bet Shemesh just outside of Jerusalem. Haya, who was then six months pregnant with a son that would be named for Dad, joined Hilda, Don, and me on the plane to Israel which also carried the casket. We landed early on Thursday morning, and proceeded immediately to the cemetery. As is the custom in Israel, a short but meaningful service is held in a small chapel on the cemetery grounds. This is followed by the instant internment and prayers at the gravesite.

We sat Shiva at our Uncle Leizer's home. Shiva was abbreviated by the beginning of Shavuoth the later part of the following week. Haya stayed at Uncle Leizers but Hilda and I stayed at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem. I would rise early and be at Uncle Leizers by 6:00 AM for the morning service.

During this period of time, it being prior to the Intifada, many of the cab drivers were Arabs. One morning when riding in the cab to Telz Stone, Uncle Leizer's community outside of Jerusalem, the driver inquired as to my reason for being in Israel. I did not know whether he would understand what I referred to by sitting Shiva for a departed parent. Not only did this Arab cab driver understand what I was talking about, he proceeded to turn off the radio. He understood and reiterated to me that I was not supposed to be listening to music during the Shiva period.

Another custom in Israel, is to unveil the headstone at sheloshim (the end of the thirty days of mourning following the funeral). Although we had returned to the United States after Shiva, we came back to Israel for the unveiling.

A week or so later, Hilda and Don were being honored by the Laniado Hospital in Netanya where they had contributed a substantial gift. We did not want to remain in Israel for this length of time so we planned a trip to Egypt. This was to be my first time back to Egypt since I had been there twenty two years earlier as an illegal tourist. The biggest change I saw was the burgeoning population. The Pyramids that had been in the desert outside of Cairo were now in the backyard of what appeared to be a municipal housing development in a suburb of Cairo.

On my prior trip to Egypt, I had only stealthily remained in Cairo. On this visit I had the opportunity to travel throughout all of Egypt. At one point I came upon a new town that was named the City of the October 6th Victory. How easy it is to revise history.

Although there was substantial one way tourism from Israel to Egypt, it was not publicly announced in Egypt. The plane was an El Al, but unmarked. When flying from Ben Gurion Airport, instead of going directly south across the Sinai and the Suez Canal into Cairo, the flight went west out into the Mediterranean then U-turned coming in over Alexandria and then on to Cairo. If someone were tracking the flight, it would not appear to have originated in Israel.

Upon the return to Israel, not only was the plane unmarked, but there was no notice in the Cairo airport of this flight's departure either by voice or by notice board. If you did not know where to go and at what time, you would very easily miss this flight.

The return to Israel may have been my most enjoyable since my first time there. Although at this time a fragile peace was in existence between Egypt and Israel, I still could feel the tension wherever I traveled.

To this date many Israelis have traveled to Egypt, but very few Egyptians have come to Israel. Though it is relatively inexpensive to travel through Egypt compared to Israel, this is not the main reason for this lopsided tourism. The negative press and government anti-Israel propaganda is not indicative of two nations that have signed a peace agreement.

The following week we were wined and dined by the Laniado Hospital due to Hilda and Don's donation of the main lobby in memory of their parents. This privately operated health facility has grown into a huge regional hospital complex due to the generosity of people like Hilda and Don. Most of the hospitals in Israel are government controlled or government run. There is no such facility in the region of Netanya that encompasses the fourth largest population in Israel. Therefore the Laniado Hospital is a necessity.

We gifted other projects in Israel in memory of Dad. I built a Bes Hamedresh (study hall) at the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Netanya. I endowed a study day at the Bes Hamedresh of the Lomza Yeshivah in Petach Tikvah and Hilda and Don developed a garden and landscaping at the Lomza Yeshiva. Hilda and Don continue to contribute annually for the maintenance of gardens at the Yeshivah. Dad was a graduate of the original Lomza yeshiva when it was located in Lomza, Poland.

Prior to Dad's passing, I had planned a trip with Arlyne to China and Hong Kong. I asked Uncle Leizer what he thought about the appropriateness of such a trip under these circumstances. He replied: "What would your father have wanted you to do?" This answered my question. My father would have told me to go, as he had about the same amount of wanderlust as I did.

It was difficult during these seventeen days of travel to say Kaddish but I did what I could. The trip turned out to be one of the best travel adventures of my life. For those that are interested, photos, videotape and a diary are available.

During my many trips to Orlando I become involved in several real estate ventures. I considered purchasing an apartment in Orlando as it appeared I would be spending a great deal of time there. I put a deposit on a downtown condominium that overlooked Lake Eola. I dragged my feet and realized that I really did not have to be in Orlando that much. In a word, I disliked Orlando. The traffic is horrible, the weather is not that pleasant in either winter or summer and the culture is geared to Disney world and its visitors. I eventually withdrew my offer, had my deposit returned and gave up the idea of owning an apartment in Orlando.

Stephen continued at the University of Miami to obtain an advanced degree in Tax Law known as an LLM degree. I had given up the apartment in Marco Island as I had not planned to return once Dad had moved to Miami. Neither Hilda, Haya, nor I were interested in Dad's apartment. I was the only one that enjoyed being in Florida but if I am in Florida I want to be on the beach. Although the apartment was close to the beach it did not fulfill all my needs. I proceeded to sell the apartment as it was part of the estate.

Wanting to spend part of the winter in Florida I asked Stephen to find a seasonal rental for me on the beach. He located a two bedroom ocean-front condo at 9211 Collins Avenue, in Surfside. This was a direct ocean front apartment with a view that went forever.

Arlyne's birthday was mid-November coinciding with the convention of the Council Of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. For the previous several years we had attended, and I had treated her to the trip as a birthday gift. This year, 1987, it was being held in Miami. We came to Miami and stayed at my newly-leased apartment. Circumstances being what they were, we decided on this trip that our relationship had run it's course. We ceased to be a couple romantically.

I came back to Columbus with the anticipation of returning to Florida in a few weeks for the Winter holidays. I planned to commute back and forth between Columbus and Miami over the next six months, the period of my lease.

The previous Yom Kippur, while sitting in services, I suddenly had the experience of a blind coming down over my right eye. The sight returned but I was concerned. I made an appointment with an Ophthalmologist who told me that nothing was wrong with my eyes but I should see an Internist. I ignored this suggestion until I was about to leave for an extended period of time. My physician sent me to the Ohio State University Hospital for tests. It was determined that I required immediate carotid artery surgery. I did not leave the hospital until after the surgery and did not need any post surgery therapy, so I went to Florida within a week of the operation.

While I enjoyed the partial winters that I had spent in Marco Island on the Gulf of Mexico, it was not the Atlantic Ocean. As a child in New York I saw the Atlantic Ocean for the first time and decided that someday I would live on the ocean. My dream was now almost fulfilled. I was a temporary resident of an apartment on the Atlantic Ocean.

Wanting a more permanent relationship with my childhood dream, I proceeded to look for an ocean-front unit to purchase in the building in which I was renting. The prices were a little more than I wanted to spend. A few blocks south at 9225 Collins Avenue there was a condo that was referred to as this building's sister building. There were several ocean-front units for sale. I made offers on all the units available, attempting to buy one at my price. I was successful in purchasing the exact unit in that building that I was renting in the present building.

I completed the purchase by mid-March of 1988 and proceeded to decorate over the next two months. After numerous trips back to Florida during these months the job was finished. The lease at Surfside Tower, 9511 Collins Avenue ended on June 1, 1988. I spent that night at my new apartment at the Four Winds, 9225 Collins Avenue, closed the apartment the next day and didn't return until the next season.

My dreams at the time were complete. I owned an ocean-front apartment where my clothes were hung, my furniture was placed and my paintings in sight on the wall. I could come and go as I pleased and did not have to clean out the closets.

Stephen had finished his LLM in Tax Law and was working with a small firm in South Miami. It was pleasant having him close by during the Winter months. We usually had dinner together at least once a week and he came always for Shabbat dinner.

I was not a regular Shul attendee and did not go with Dad to services in Miami when he was alive and I visited him. While in Florida the year following his death and wanting a place to say Kaddish I began to attend the Shul that he associated with while residing in Miami. To this date, I am a member, supporter and attendee when I am in Miami.

It was discovered that I had knowledge about apartment management and was asked to run for the Board of Directors of the Condominium Association. Being only a part time resident, I was hesitant. I was, however, encouraged, because of the valuable service I could be while in residence. I accepted the nomination and was elected. I have served several terms and am presently on the Board.

In the summer of 1988, I met Marcia Gurevitz. She was recently divorced, but I was not aware of it at the time. Although I knew her, and her husband as a couple since the early sixty's, we were not in the same social circle. Years would go by and our paths did not cross.

In the fall of 1988, I joined the United Jewish Appeal Presidents Mission to Hungary and Israel. Because this was my first time in Hungary, I was very interested how Judaism could survive in this Communist Country and wither in the remainder of Eastern Europe. Today, of course, Communism is no longer a ruling faction in Eastern Europe and Judaism as well as other religions are free to practice as they see fit. However, Hungary remains the only country with a sense of resurgence.

When I returned from this trip, the relationship with Marcia began to become more serious. We enjoyed each others company yet did not interfere with each others life style.

In 1989 the Columbus Jewish Federation was sponsoring a fact finding Mission to Israel that included a stop in Rome and a trip to Ladispoli. This suburb of Rome had become a transit camp for the Russian refugees who were waiting for visa's to enter the United States. Marcia did not have the opportunity to travel much during her first marriage. She had never before been to Israel nor Italy. She accompanied me and it was a great experience for both of us.

Rome was interesting and romantic. Ladispoli was a new experience for both of us. But showing someone Israel is not only the thrill of the first-timer, but also the experience of a veteran like myself seeing Israel through the eyes of a first-timer. The trip in 1989 was only the first of many trips to Israel that Marcia and I would take.

The previous winter Marcia had spent some time with me in Florida. This required my severing all female relationships both in Florida and Columbus. I had no regrets. I had been single for nearly 15 years. On my 50th birthday the previous winter I attended the funeral of a friend who was seven years younger than me. While there I came to the realization that my life was incomplete and deserved a change. The direction that my life was now taking seemed like the obvious change.

Marcia and I decided that we would be married the following June. Samantha had been seeing Theo Sumkin for a few years, and they decided to marry the following November. Theo had resided in Columbus following graduation from Ohio State University. He had recently taken a job in Miami, Florida. It appeared that I was about to lose the last of my children to the salt, sea, sun and tropical climate of Miami. This would be great when I was in Florida for the Winters but lonely in Columbus during the balance of the year.

Following our marriage in June of 1990, Marcia and I went on a honeymoon. We had been invited to the wedding of my cousin's daughter in Seattle. We combined this occasion with the opportunity to visit Seattle as well as Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. In Vancouver, we stayed at a small charming hotel named the Wedgewood. The travel agent had arranged with the hotel that we be given the Honeymoon Suite. Upon checking in, they thought there was some mistake. They didn't expect new honeymooners with old faces.

From there, we boarded a ship that sailed the inner passage to Alaska. The scenery was breathtaking but I was unaccustomed to seeing so much ice in July unless it was at the bottom of a martini glass.

After about a week, we boarded a train to the Yukon territory of Canada and stayed for two days in Whitehorse, Yukon. Since it was July and very far North, the sun never set. It was light outside at midnight. We returned to Vancouver where, after an overnight stay, we boarded our plane to Columbus and renewed our life, as it would now be, as a married couple. Samantha and Theo were married the following November in a joyous ceremony that left me very nostalgic. After their honeymoon, they settled in Coconut Grove. Marcia and I spent a great deal of time in Florida that Winter. With both my children now living in the Miami area, we saw them often. Friday nights were wonderful with my whole family gathered together. We also would join each other during the week when it was convenient.

From the time Stephen was about to graduate from the eighth grade at Torah Academy, I had a dream of a Torah Academy High School. This was 1975 and the idea did not receive much enthusiasm and I feared that it would be doomed to fail. In 1991 the atmosphere was different. Parents of students in upcoming grades liked the idea. They were committed to the idea of their children receiving a Jewish education in a High School. If one were not available in Columbus, they would resettle or send their children to school out of town.

The eagerness of the parents and the willingness of the school administration encouraged me to move for an upcoming High School. If at least five students would commit to attending a ninth grade class, I would pledge to underwrite the cost of the class. I further pledged to underwrite the first five years of the school if it were to succeed.

As of this writing, there are 70 students enrolled in the school for the upcoming year. Twelve students graduated this year, the third class to graduate from the school. These students have been accepted to the finest universities in the country. The school today is housed in an unequaled facility. Libraries that are exceptional, computer labs with international access to other computers, science labs that were built on university science lab specifications and a gymnasium that would be the pride of any private high school, make this a success beyond my wildest imagination.

In the summer of 1991, I was reading an article entitled "Roots to Roots" by a person who was known as the foremost Jewish genealogist in the country. She described how to research Polish and Russian records for family history on people whose parents and grandparents came from these Eastern European countries. The idea fascinated me because I had always wondered as to the ages of my mother and Uncle Sam Yablok, her brother. In my possession was a picture of the entire family when my mother was a young girl. In that picture she appears to be younger than my Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam, however, who is still alive, claims that my mother was the older of the two.

I contacted Miriam Weiner, the genealogist, and asked when she would be taking the next trip to Poland. She told me that she was going with a small group in October. I asked if she had room for one more and she agreed.

I travelled to Poland and hired a car and driver to take me to my ancestral towns. I did not discover what I had come for because I had the mistaken idea that the town in which the Yablok family had lived was the same town in which they were born. I was wrong. While searching records, I did discover my parents wedding certificate. For the rest of the details of this trip that are quite extensive, refer to my writings, articles, and videotape.

In 1992, Columbus had what was referred to, as a Mega-Mission to Israel. We organized over 250 people from Columbus to make the trip. Many were first timers. With this many people traveling from one city, El Al agreed to send a plane to Columbus, along with security personnel, for pre-boarding check-in. By this time I was missioned-out but the thrill of boarding an El Al plane in Columbus was an experience that I was not about to miss. Marcia and I made this trip and as always, we were not disappointed. It was first rate, first class and fun.

Theo had an offer in Pittsburgh, in his field of sales, and Samantha and Theo moved to Pittsburgh. Theo had family there and he was very familiar with the Pittsburgh area. Of course I was somewhat disappointed, from a selfish point of view, since I would not have them with me in Florida the following Winter. I've used the expression, many times, that you give your children wings and they fly away. I therefore, had to adhere to my own philosophy and let them make their own plans in life.

Baker Rental Company had begun to outgrow its office facilities. The space we had been occupying was both inadequate and undesirable. It became increasingly more difficult to attract office personnel in a tight labor market. We had looked at a number of buildings but focused on one in particular although the price was more than we wanted to pay. One night at a party I met with the owner of this building that had been vacant now for several years. Upon inquiring what he was going to do with the building, he came up with a very agreeable price if the closing could take place almost immediately. Two days later we owned 3319 E. Livingston Avenue at our price and we were about to move our offices of more than 30 years at 765 S. James Road. After remodeling and decorating, we proceeded to move our operation and management company.

The same year, 1993, Marcia and I decided that we wanted a larger home. We purchased and proceeded to decorate and remodel 2808 Fair Avenue. This was a home with a pedigree. Bexley homes that are extensive and have had a single owner for many years are known as homes with a pedigree. In other words this is the so-and-so home. So-and-so being the name of this long time owner. We purchased and lived in the Schoenbaum home. No matter how long we will live here it will always be the Schoenbaum home.

That Summer we also planned a family trip or mission to Israel. Neither Theo nor Marcia's sons had ever been there. With the help of a travel agent that had experience planning this type of trip, Marcia and I, Stephen, Samantha and Theo, Michael and Andrew Gurevitz and my niece Susan Lytton went to Israel. We hired a guide and a large ten passenger van and traveled the length and width of the land.

This memorable trip, that I hope will have a lasting effect especially for the first timers to Israel, was a great experience for all of us. We had the opportunity to spend time together and get to know each other better.

When we returned, the Ahavas Sholom Congregation called and asked if I would agree to be honored at their Annual Dinner. This honor certainly did not have to do exclusively with service to the Shul as I was not very active in the congregation. Primarily, it was a combination of interests in and out of the community that prompted them to want to honor me. Perhaps they also figured that I might be somewhat of a draw. This would derive more profits for the Shul from the Dinner. I agreed only if it were to be a first class affair held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, this hotel being the only one in the city to have Kosher catering facilities. In prior years, the Shul dinners were held in the outdated social hall of the Congregation. They agreed to my wishes, I was properly honored, and the Ahavas Sholom made more money that year from the proceeds of the dinner and ad book than they had ever made before. Since that year all dinners are now held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

When Marcia and I were in Alaska we met a female friend of mine from past years who was working in Skagway, Alaska for the Summer. She had lived in Columbus for many years but now resided in Phoenix, Arizona. She had a business idea that sounded interesting to me. It was a marketing concept that seemed like something that Theo could understand and possibly be interested in pursuing.

We stayed in contact and developed the idea to where I set up a meeting between this friend and Theo. He liked the idea, I agreed to front the operation and my friend and Theo and, of course, Samantha made another move and settled in Columbus.

They opened and equipped an office in order to pursue this venture. Although they tried to make a very good idea work they were unable to generate the profits necessary for both to earn the living that they desired. Eventually, they closed the business, The friend moved back to Phoenix and Theo pursued a career in promotion and advertising from which he had come. To my delight, after three moves, Samantha and Theo were back in Columbus.

In 1994, Stephen had a business idea that was related to the Law field. He thought that it had a better chance to succeed in Columbus than in Miami. He returned to Columbus after fifteen years of living in Boston and mostly in Miami. For a variety of reasons, the idea did not work. He also had forgotten how the Winters in Columbus are different from what he had become accustomed to.

While in Columbus, Stephen was also doing legal work for me as he also had successfully passed the Ohio Bar. He was in Orlando, Florida for me on a deposition when he heard of a position in St. Petersburg, Florida. He went there for an interview, got the position, returned to being a Floridian and, as of this writing, is still there.

In April of 1994, terrorists exploded bombs at a bus stop in Afula, Israel. Until then, these towns had been immune to the terrorist activities of Jerusalem and the border communities. A group of us in Columbus, along with others from across the country, hurriedly got together, chartered an El Al plane and flew directly into an air base outside of Afula, to make a "Shiva call."

Afula is a medium-size community in the Galilee. The terrorist bombing affected every resident of the town. These communities had felt insulated from this type of attack. They learned differently with this episode. Everyone knew someone that had suffered a loss. I have friends in Afula and I had a moment to spend some time with them even if it was only standing on the sidewalk. Going to homes of people to express our condolences was very difficult. Although the people were deeply moved by our presence and the fact that we had traveled from the United States to express sympathy, the senseless loss of life was theirs alone to suffer and sustain. Words alone could not express what we all felt but we felt better for being there and trying.

We left Columbus on Sunday, and this all took place on Monday. Monday night we spent in Jerusalem at our Hotel. Tuesday night, we flew out and were back in Columbus on Wednesday morning. A very fast, effective and tiring trip.

In the Fall of 1994, I joined another Presidents Mission of the National United Jewish Appeal. This time they were taking a pre-mission trip to Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia had a very ancient Jewish history. In Prague, the oldest existing Synagogue in Europe was still in use from the 13th century. The Jewish community was small, rather uninvolved and the Synagogue was more of a Museum than a Synagogue. A resource person who had lived in Eastern Europe for the past 15 years traveled with us. She had written a book about the resurgence of Judaism in Eastern Europe. Her motives are good but I believe that her optimism is unrealistic.

With the exception of Hungary, there are not enough Jews remaining in these countries to form a nucleus of a viable people. There are more Jews in Columbus than in all of Czechoslovakia. Here, we have rampant intermarriage despite highly cultivated educational programs. They only have a dream. My advice to all of those in Eastern Europe is that if they wish to remain Jewish, they need to leave and go to live in Israel.

At the graduation of Torah Academy in 1995, I was presented with the first Annual Leadership Award. I suppose that it has something to do with the fact that I am still an interested supporter of a school despite the fact that I have not had a child in the school for at least 20 years, and probably will never have any grand-children attending. To me, my interest is no mystery as I have expressed my beliefs often. I do not think that a Jewish community can exist without a strong viable Day School.

Later that Summer Marcia and I were looking for someplace to go. We located an interesting package via Sabena Airlines to Brussels, Belgium. From there we traveled by train to Amsterdam, flew to Paris, on to London and then back to Brussels for our flight to the United States. Marcia and I put in as many miles by foot as we did by plane. Or at least it felt like it. Marcia had never been to any of these cities and I had not been to Brussels. We had an enjoyable trip and met with family of Marcia's in Paris. These were very hospitable people who picked us up and took us to their home in the outskirts of Paris. There on a Sunday they had a cookout that was attended by their family and friends. This was a great way to complete an enjoyable trip to Paris.

That Winter our plans to leave for Florida were delayed. We were usually in Miami by December 15th. This year, Samantha was expecting her first child and we were waiting. We also did not know whether there would be a Bris. If she knew the gender of the baby she was not telling anyone. On January 4, 1995, Julia Sumkin was born. Our first grandchild was as beautiful as her parents.

We left for Florida within a few days but commuted more than usual that Winter to see Julia. Later that Winter a suspicious fire destroyed our new office. Many business records and numerous personal files and mementos were damaged or destroyed. In my absence, the office continued to operate temporarily with cellular phones. We fortunately had some vacant office space at 4207 E. Broad St. This had been a medical office but we made it work. I returned to find my office in a very small examining room with a sink. The sink actually came in handy. Those files that had been salvaged were so covered with soot, that I was constantly washing my hands.

In the fall of 1996 with problems minimized and our office being rebuilt. Marcia and I made plans to go to Australia and New Zealand. Although this is perhaps as far as you can go on a single flight, it was worth it. These are both fascinating countries. They are the same in many ways but very different in others. During our trip of more than two weeks, we figured out that we had been on sixteen planes, thirty-eight buses, ten cabs, three trains, two loughs and one hot-air balloon. Australia reminds one of the modernity of Western Canada while New Zealand is more reminiscent of the quaintness and beauty of Ireland or Scotland. Although it was our Autumn, there it was Spring. The area is so vast that there are, as here, different climates. New Zealand's two Islands have distinctly different weather conditions. The South Island was much cooler than the North Island.

We had lost a day traveling to Sidney and crossing the International Dateline. Upon our return from Auckland, we lunched in the city, went to the airport and boarded our flight to Los Angeles. Crossing the dateline the other way we picked up the day that we had lost. We arrived in Los Angeles the same day in time for pre-dinner cocktails. We retell this story often, even to our own amazement.

This was not my first time crossing the International Dateline but the thought of arriving somewhere before you left, or losing an entire day is still an experience that comes with repeated stories. In 1964, I left Tokyo on November 3rd. and arrived in Honolulu on November 2nd.

That December, we were, once again, delayed in leaving for Florida because of another upcoming birth to Samantha. She was expecting around mid-December and we did not know the gender. If it were to be a boy we would remain in Columbus for the Bris. On December 16th, Madeline Sumkin was born and although we did not have to remain for a Bris, we did stay to enjoy our second grandchild.

That Winter, we again commuted back and forth to Columbus to enjoy our two granddaughters. The office was nearing completion and plans were made to return Baker Rental Company to its Livingston Avenue location.

Haya's son Yitzchak, was celebrating his Bar Mitzvah in Israel at the Kotel (Western Wall) that October. When we made plans to attend, we decided also to plan a Greek Isle cruise following the Bar Mitzvah. The week in Israel was enjoyable, as we visited with Haya and her family, attended the Bar Mitzvah and all the festivities and visited others in the family. The weather in October is usually very pleasant and we were prepared with Summer clothes. It turned out to be unusually cool and the rainy season began early.

Greece and the Greek Isles were no better. There were days that it rained so hard it was difficult to leave the ship at the various islands. Although it was very interesting and enjoyable and certainly worth a return, I would take this trip a few weeks earlier to ensure better weather. Besides the Greek and Turkish Isles, we were in Istanbul and Athens, these being major cities with great histories.

Following this adventure we made no major trips. It is now 1998 and we have stayed in the United States so far this year. In addition to many visits to Florida and Las Vegas, we were in New York on two occasions. Marcia's son, Andrew, resides in New York and we visited with him and also attended an honorary dinner for Uncle Leizer.

Earlier in the year, Theo had an opportunity that he did not want to pass up. A position with a company in Ft. Lauderdale meant that, once again, they would be relocating to Florida and, again, both of my children and my two grand-daughters would be residing in Florida. In eight years of marriage, they have come full circle. They began after their wedding in Coconut Grove and now they are back residing nearby in Ft. Lauderdale.

I am now sixty years old and in the sixty-first year of my life. I believe that I still have a lot of living to do, as the song goes, but I will stop writing these memoirs. Perhaps my offspring will find something to add to this manuscript.

I do not have immediate plans for any new business ventures and for the time being it appears that no new grandchildren are being planned. My empirical dreams will have to be fulfilled by my heirs, if it should be their desire, by either the use of my assets or their future inheritance.

When I began in business, I was 21 years old. I planned to be a millionaire at 25 and to retire at thirty. A million dollars was a lot of money in those days. I accomplished the first but was broke at thirty. I successfully rebuilt my plan only to self-destruct at the onset of my pending divorce in 1975. I, once again, successfully rebuilt but without the same exuberance and determination that had brought me to the point of my original accomplishments.

As I complete this manuscript, the Director of Israel Bonds entered my office with a beautiful plaque that was created by an Israeli artist. It will adorn the walls of my office with the other honors and plaques that I am proud of having received. I believe that I have done a small part in "Tikun Olam," in repairing the world. I hope that I am not finished.

I am planning a regular monthly off-season visit to Florida to see my granddaughters. I have also recently put a deposit on a new condominium in Ft. Lauderdale that will begin construction in September. In October, Marcia and I are going to Israel to visit relatives and friends and to see our new nephew who was born last December. At the time of his birth, I wanted to go to Israel for his Bris but the travel arrangements were not convenient.

Finally, the advice I give to my heirs and those that have cared for me and care about me is to remember who you are and what you are. Keep in mind that life should not only be a time to pass through but life also should be a place in which each individual can and should make a difference. If you will keep in mind that each of us has an obligation to leave this world better than we find it, then each generation will make life better for the next.

The recorded world began with a single man and a single woman. The beginning of Judaism started the same. If, in our family the chain is not broken, we will succeed and survive to be a meaningful influence on the future of the world. This can only happen with a constant stress on education. You would not expect to succeed in the secular world without a good quality secular education. So you cannot expect to survive in the Jewish world without good meaningful quality Jewish education.

ADDENDUM

I thought That I would not write more memoirs for this transcript, but leave this effort for others as they wished. It is now the end of 1999, just before the new millennium. As a child I thought about living until the year 2000. It was a very extended time and I wondered If I would live that long. Now it appears a very short time and I still feel no different physically or mentally than the person I was when I originally had these thoughts.

During this past year, Marcia and I realized that we are not invincible. We decided that if we are going to make a difference in this world, that difference must survive us. We therefore created a one million dollar charitable foundation that is funded by insurance. The proceeds will be placed in a Philanthropic fund, and the interest income will be distributed to those institutions in similar amounts that we have supported these organizations in life.

During the summer of 1999, my sister Haya and husband Yossi and five of their six children made a trip to the United states and Canada to tour and visit family. Haya's oldest child, Esther is now in the Israeli army and obviously could not make the trip. They had not been here as a family for many years and it was a pleasure to host them while they were in Columbus.

In September, just before Rosh Hashana, Haya's son Yehuda, named for our father, was to be Bar Mitzvah in Israel. I traveled alone to Israel to attend this special event. Marcia was undergoing medical treatment and was unable to make the trip. I spent an enjoyable week visiting relatives, touring the institutions that we endow, and of course spending Shabbat with my nephew and his family on the joyous occasion of his Bar mitzvah.

Upon completion of my original memoirs, I was blessed with two granddaughters without any prospects of additional progeny. This year however, has been a blessed year in many ways. Samantha had assured me that she was not planning any additional children, but on September 28th, Gabrielle Rose was born and I now needed to find space to hang more pictures.

Stephen had been dating Vicki Adelman for several years and had decided that this was to be his mate for life. They were married on October 17th in St. Petersburg, Florida where the wedding was attended by our family and friends.

As the millennium draws to an end, our plans are only to spend part of the winter in our Florida residence. This will provide us the opportunity to spend time with our children and grandchildren as this century ends and the next, begins. My sister Haya stated that as each of her children was to leave home to serve in the Israeli army, she would like to have an additional child. Already being the mother of six children, no one took her serious, including her husband. However, in May she gave birth to number seven, the fourth daughter, named after Haya's mother Rosalind.

We had not planned an Israeli trip this year, having been there numerous times in the past several years. We are planning to go to Scandinavia and Russia later in the summer and perhaps we will make a side trip to Israel to see our new niece.

Hopefully the last entry in this addendum is the news that Vicky and Stephen are expecting their first child this, the autumn of 2001. The cycle joyously continues.

The joy was soon tempered by the unfortunate news that Vicky had a mid-term miscarriage. We were saddened by the news but felt especially bad for Vicky and of course Stephen.

That Thanksgiving holiday, Ester Winiarz finished her service in the Israeli army, made her rite of passage trip to the United States, and visited us in Florida. We had a very enjoyable few days with her and she with us.

As fate would have it, Vicky was soon pregnant again and on July 26, 2002, Carly Baker was born. I now had a fourth granddaughter that I was looking forward to enjoy and spoil.

I had no opportunity to be in Israel in 2002, so in November I found the time and made a short trip only to visit family. As always it renewed my faith in the people of Israel and the survival of the State of Israel.

That winter in Florida Vicky and Stephen announced that Vicky is expecting again and this time they know that it will be a boy. This will be the first grandchild that will carry on the last name. In my thinking, this is really unimportant as our name is a made up name, being a loose translation from the original Polish. The significance is that she will have two children almost within one year.

In late May of 2003 I made another trip to Israel. This time for the specific purpose to attend the wedding of my niece Ester to a young man by the name of Benjamin Golbert. They were married on June 3rd. and are planning to come to the United States for college. She is enrolled in Hunter and he at Yeshiva University, were he has received a basketball scholarship.

On August 6th of 2003 Maxwell Jeffrey was born to Stephen and Vicky and of course we were there for the birth and the Briss. This could complete all the grandchildren that I will have. It certainly completes my writings and addendum to date. This may be the end of my writing unless something significant should occur.

Having the opportunity to submit or re-submit this manuscript to the Columbus Jewish Historical Society, I will attempt to update and complete this segment of my life. Bar Ilan University is one of the largest Schools of its type in Israel. I became impressed with the work that they were doing and the student product that was emerging from the University. Among other things, we endowed scholarships at the University for deserving students. I made several trips to Bar Ilan to meet with students and staff, but in 2005, planning for their Jubilee celebration caused me to plan a specific trip. Unfortunately a last minute health issue prevented my attending the 50th anniversary celebration of Bar Ilan.

My granddaughter Madeline, aged nine, has asked on several occasions if I would take her with me to Israel on my next trip. The next trip was this past June 2006. Marcia, Madeline and myself went to Israel. We had the opportunity to see the country through the eyes of a nine year old and it was wonderful.

With this entry, I stop my memoirs. My family knows that I will never stop living, never stop working and never stop writing what is on my mind. For now this is complete.