Temple News
In Memorium: David Balacaier
TBS Charter Member, David William Balacaier, passed away at the age of 92, on Monday, November 5, 2007. His ashes were lovingly collected by his nephew, Arnie Goldberg and his niece Andrea Goldberg to take back to the family plot in Queens, New York.
David
Balacaier
David was born in the second decade of the last century, March 22, 1915, in Newark, New Jersey. He was the second child of Isaac and Rose Balacaier and the second of their children to be born deaf. Only their third child, Harriet, was not affected by whatever caused David and his sister Malvina's deafness.
While their grandparents were Orthodox, the Balacaier children were raised in a more conservative environment. Jewish customs and rituals were observed in their home although there was no formal religious education.
For their secular education, Malvina and David attended P.S. 47, New York City's school for the deaf and hearing impaired on 23rd Street in lower Manhattan. One of David's teachers, seeing that so many of his students were Jewish like himself, invited a group to meet with him weekly and instructed the young students in Jewish history and Bible stories. David was fascinated by what he learned in that group. When he finished P.S. 47, he went on to Evander Childs High School in the Bronx, near his home, but left before he graduated to work in the printing trade.
David joined a hearing Boy Scout troop in his neighborhood and passed each level earning its respective badge. With that experience, under his belt, he worked as a counselor at a summer camp for deaf youths. "Bernard Bragg and 'Bummy' Burstein were among the campers in my cabin," David said, and went on to add, "I really felt comfortable in this role. It was a good experience and a lot of fun." Because of his nine years of scouting and summer camp experience, Fanwood School, in upper Manhattan, called upon David to establish and run a Boy Scout troop at their school. He later did the same thing at P.S. 47, setting up Boy Scout Troop #407. Since the number, "47", already had a designation the "0" was added.
David's hearing sister, Harriet, trained as a speech teacher and graduated from Hunter College in New York City. She taught speech at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York's Jackson Heights and also gave private speech training to students in the city. Gloria Shotland was one of her students and Harriet played an especially important role in her brother David's future.
In the early 1940's, Harriet Balacaier, who had been teaching at the Alexander Graham Bell School in Cleveland, returned to New York with her new husband, who was also a teacher in the field of special education. She called Mrs. Shotland, inviting Gloria to her new home for dinner to renew their old acquaintance. Sadie was leery about Gloria coming home at night on the subway. "Have no fear," Harriet told Sadie, "My brother, David, will take her home." And so the match was made and on New Year's Eve, 1944, Gloria and David were married.
David
& Gloria
David and Gloria later settled in California and immediately sought out young couples like themselves in the deaf community who were starting their married lives, especially the Jewish deaf community. At that time the active Jewish Deaf groups in Los Angeles were the Hebrew Association of the Deaf and the Unison Club.
When Rose Zucker, of blessed memory, approached the members of the Unison Club to discuss the need for a Jewish temple for the deaf, David Balacaier rolled up his sleeves and became an integral part of the committee that eventually founded Temple Beth Solomon. In 1960, the year that Temple Beth Solomon was established, David became its first president. He served for 7 years, continuing to serve on the board for many years after that, with a further stint as president in 1985.
David decided he wanted to get his high school diploma and attended Fairfax High School to finish the necessary courses. He then began a journey of life-long learning from the Los Angeles Junior College system taking a variety of courses at Harbor College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Valley College and West Los Angeles City College. At age 62 he earned his A.A. degree from Los Angeles Trade Tech and proudly gave the graduation address in sign language. He taught sign language classes at Valley College for six years and then his love for travel took over and both he and Gloria enrolled in classes to become travel agents and start their own business.
With that new expertise, they traveled much of the world: Israel, France, Germany, Romania, Italy, Greece, the Scandinavian countries, Russia, and Japan; just to name a few. Their love of travel, culture, art and especially visiting Jewish synagogues of the world was the highlight of their lives.
Over the decades, until the mid 1990's, Gloria and David had been among the most active and dedicated supporters of Temple Beth Solomon, chairing many committees and special events. David received the Hirsh Man of the Year Award in 1984 and there was never a Shabbat service, event, holiday or fundraiser where the Balacaiers were not very present.
On December 5th, 1999, the Balacaiers celebrated 55 years of married life together with dozens of their friends and family at a reception at the Sportsman's Lodge. Unfortunately, this milestone year also marked a tragic decline in Gloria's health; her memory began to fade and she was diagnosed with Altzheimer's disease. Eventually, David had no choice but to place her in a facility where her needs could be specifically addressed. A love affair that lasted 55 years had now entered a strange and devastating phase. David was heartbroken but made the weekly train trip to see her, even though she had only an occasional spark of memory left of their life together. He kept up that devotion until his own health problems disallowed it.
David moved to the California Home for the Adult Deaf in Arcadia, where he kept very busy. It was fitting that he reside there as he had served as a CHAD Board Member in the past so now he could reap the benefit of the same place he had so lovingly helped. As a resident, he led the Jewish Holiday rituals and observances with the same love that he guided the Boy Scouts and taught sign language classes.
With careful attentiveness to his health concerns, he made trips east during Passover, Thanksgiving and the occasional life-cycle celebration to keep his family ties with Arnie and Andrea and their families close. He adored his family and spoke often of them.
We owe David Balacaier a great debt for all he has contributed to the life of Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf and the Jewish Deaf Community over the last 50 years. He was an integral part of our founding and history and will always be remembered as such in our memories and our scrapbooks. May his memory be for a blessing.
In Memorium: Lorrain Kronick
Lorrain Kronick
Lorraine Kronick, born in Chicago on May 11, 1924, passed away November 15th at Cedar Sinai Hospital at the age of 83. She and her husband, Robert, of blessed memory, were Charter Members of TBS and she was an active member of the Sisterhood. They had a son, Paul, born in Cleveland in September, 1946.
Lorraine was a very private person so we don't have a lot of information about her life, but we know she loved TBS and was always so willing to roll up her sleeves and help with activities. She will be lovingly remembered for her efforts and contributions in the establishment of TBS. May her memory be for a blessing.
Lorraine is survived by her son Paul, and niece; Lori Kronick-Boneyo.
Student Rabbi Ruth Adar
Ruth Adar
Shalom! My name is Ruth Adar, and I am a fifth year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. I am hard of hearing and honored to serve Temple Beth Solomon this year. Before attending Hebrew Union College, I worked for the Union for Reform Judaism as a Regional Outreach Director in the San Francisco office. In the past, I've worked as a potter, as a writer, and as a teacher.
I've lived in California for 21 years, and love it here. My spouse, Linda Burnett, and I and our two grown sons, Aaron and James, live in Oakland and Los Angeles.
I grew up on a farm near Nashville, TN, and received a B.A. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, then graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
I met many of you on Yom Kippur, but I look forward to meeting everyone and getting to know each of you you as the year goes on.
Tribute to Morris Feldman
by Jan Seeley
This past Yom Kippur day I had a singularly profound experience thanks to Morris Feldman. Morris has had a very special place in my heart from the minute I met him at TBS, almost 18 years ago. He is a champion storyteller with a very Jewish sense of humor and that is probably why we hit it off so well; I adore personal stories.
Morris Feldman with his sister
On Yom Kippur morning, Morris was having a bit of a struggle with his fast and got a bit woozy and pale. We were all naturally concerned about him and encouraged him to eat, but he stubbornly refused and instead of getting upset with our nagging, he told us a story in his inimitable Morris way. I can only give you a taste of his story in this text because to fully experience that joy, you have to encounter it firsthand, but I will do my best to at least impart his message here. I learned an entirely new level of integrity and self discipline from him which I will carry with me always.
Morris was a Navy hospital corpsman during WWII stationed on the island of Peleliu in the South Pacific. On a very hot and humid 120-degree Yom Kippur day, in the midst of a bug-infested, smoke-filled, miserable war, Morris administered to the needs of injured soldiers during one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war.
To give you an idea of the appalling conditions they suffered during the fighting, Peleliu's forests were burned to the ground, on an island that was only five square miles in area and heavily defended by 6,000 Japanese. In two months time there were over 20,000 casualties, more than the current population of the whole country. The Marines landed on the southwest corner of the island on September 15, 1944, continuing a month-long assault until finally capturing the island on October 13th.
Twenty-year-old Morris hadn't eaten at all as he fasted for the Holy Day. With devotion and tenderness, he passed out water to injured and ill soldiers from canteens filled with water encircling his belt; taking none for himself.
The irony of partaking in a ritual fast in such a dire and desperate situation as this is extraordinary! How easy to abandon G-d when untold numbers of men are dying around you. But Morris is a man of honor and faith and proudly held his fast, emerging victorious on many levels.
As we nagged and fretted and worried over Morris this past Yom Kippur day, he told his story punctuating it with his final statement: "After all that, do you think I would ruin my record with G-d because of a little dizziness today?" We all fell silent knowing that no matter what we could say to try to convince him otherwise, Morris' integrity and beliefs were much more important than his body or even his immediate life.
Morris, my dear, self-effacing friend, you taught me a piercing yet soft-spoken lesson that will forever bind you to me; all I can offer you is my thanks and my love.
MILESTONES
Mazel Tov to Nancy Cronig and Sam Genensky on the bat mitzvah of granddaughter, Arielle Taylor Cronig, daughter of Mitchell and Lisa Cronig on August 18, in University Heights, Ohio.
Murray & Joan Kurz are celebrating the October 2nd birth of another grandchild, Sarah Allison Bishoff, weighing in at 6 lbs 9 oz. born to Randee ∧ Scott Bishoff; she joins her brother, Benjamin.
TBS sends heartfelt condolences to Jerry & Nina Treiman on the recent loss of his beloved mother, Mary Treiman.May her memory be for a blessing.