Lest It Be Forgotten After I Am Gone: The Retiring Years - 1
...my mother, aged 85, died in 1987 after a slow and gradual decline from being a bright and vivacious woman, able to host many a pleasant and happy social occasion and tell a good joke or two - in fact she kept a little black book containing the key words of many of the best - into, towards her end, a timid and frightened little old lady, always scared that she was going to be abandoned by me in some dark alleyway when I was taking her home to her sheltered flat accommodation, after an evening spent in our company, as well as generally suspecting everyone of having ulterior motives as to her safety...
Raymon Benedyk continues his life story.
The final years of the old Synagogue building saw it gradually decline as parcels of it were disposed of, some silver, some artefacts, books and papers, furniture and the like, as well as other items that were not considered worth keeping or likely to be usable in the new structure planned to arise from the rubble of the old and much loved building, that had seen and had so much happen to it over the years, from its erection in 1925 and resurrection after the war. Many well-known figures had met their public in it, and worshipped in it, and had long since left the scene, and now it was all going to disappear, leaving only memories of them in the hearts and minds of the congregants. And I was part of it. Exciting but sad times.
My personal life was also changing in that my mother, aged 85, died in 1987 after a slow and gradual decline from being a bright and vivacious woman, able to host many a pleasant and happy social occasion and tell a good joke or two - in fact she kept a little black book containing the key words of many of the best - into, towards her end, a timid and frightened little old lady, always scared that she was going to be abandoned by me in some dark alleyway when I was taking her home to her sheltered flat accommodation, after an evening spent in our company, as well as generally suspecting everyone of having ulterior motives as to her safety.
These warning signs of Dementia I suppose were probably visible to others but, regretfully, I was not as sympathetic as I now realise I should have been, and would not accept her gradual deterioration until it was too late to seek her forgiveness.
However, this was somewhat compensated by the birth of our second grandchild, another lovely boy, in February of that year. The following year, 1988, saw us enjoying the somewhat unique experience of having both our two daughters-in-law pregnant at the same time and 'expecting' during December. In the event, both gave birth to boys again, one born on December 5th and the other on December 11th, Elsa's birthday. What wonderful presents for both of us. Now the Benedyks were really on the march!
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If you wish to make a donation to the Elsa Benedyk Memorial Fund, set up by her friends and colleagues entirely without Raymon’s knowledge to provide funds to support the children's ward of the Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem to commemorate her life of work with children in her nursery schools, it would be most gratefully received. The amount that you give will not be revealed to Raymon. He is not a trustee of the fund. Your cheque, payable to the Fund, should be sent to the fund's Treasurer Mrs I Dokelman, 14 Charville Court, 30/32 Gayton Road, Harrow, Middx HA1 2HT.
