Yesterday, we had the funeral of Zelik who died peacefully on Aug 2, 2000 following a heart attack after his surgery.
We met a warm and friendly group of his friends. They were very dignified people, and most of them used already to say goodbye to a friend from the old world. One of them, Haim went to the same heder with Zelik in the old Wollbrom near Krakow. They grew up and became opera lovers together. Haim even managed to learn Italian while in transit in Italy. They spoke also Russian and Polish.
The grave is deep in New Jersey, where most of the friends from the Wollbrom area are buried.
Zelik was eulogized by the head of the Wollbrom society, and the Yiddish speech was so eloquent that it brought most people to tears. Zelik was praised for his activity in breathing life into the organization. He certainly had a talent for the Yiddish language.
Susan and Murray also spoke a few emotional words about their father.
All of us cried a little together with Nina and Anna.
The support of the Wollbrom friends for each other is admirable. They
all live in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn a little heaven for the people who suffered a lot in their life.
His life was a stormy 82 years. Saved by Russia from the death, working in the difficult America, and finally provided a comfortable retirement period by the American Union of the Garment Workers and the US Medicare/Social Security system.