by Bryan Cytron | Apr 9, 2015 | 1920s and Earlier, Video Oral History |
Hannah Brahinsky z”l, a fraternal twin and one of five children, was born in 1922 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, and raised in Marysville, Kansas. Hannah’s parents were both from Russia – her father came to America in 1907 and her mother in 1911. She recognized the impact her wonderful high school teachers had on her life and mentions the effect schooling has on every individual. Hannah came to Dallas with her family in 1939, right after she completed high school, and was an involved member of the Jewish Community, with organizations such as Hadassah.
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by Bryan Cytron | Apr 9, 2015 | 1960s, Video Oral History |
Stephanie Berman was born in 1966 in Dallas, Texas. She attended Akiba Academy of Dallas through Kindergarten and later attended J. J. Pearce High School. Stephanie, a successful jewelry designer, opened a jewelry store inside the Shops at Willow Bend, but later opened her own studio. Stephanie’s husband, Peter, is an electrical contractor for commercial buildings. As a proud Jew, Stephanie urges people to stand by their religion and traditions.
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by Bryan Cytron | Apr 9, 2015 | 1930s, Video Oral History |
Rabbi Dr. Murray Berger was born in 1937 in Brooklyn, New York, but moved shortly thereafter with his family to Cleveland. Rabbi Berger’s parents were both born in Poland and made their way to America independent of one another in the late 1920s and early 1930s. While in university, Rabbi Berger decided that he wanted to become a rabbi in order to be able to help others learn about their heritage. Rabbi Berger married in 1963, the day after he was ordained. Immediately after ordination, he volunteered for the army, serving on active duty for two and a half years and staying in the reserves until age 60, retiring with the rank of Colonel. During that time he moved his family to Dallas and became Associate Rabbi at Temple Shalom for four years. Dr. Berger also served as Rabbi at Congregation Ner Tamid in Carrollton, at Anshei Emet, and several other congregations in the area, and currently maintains a private psychology practice with his wife, Bobbie. Rabbi Berger has also served as the National Deputy Chaplain for the Jewish War Veterans of the USA.
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by Bryan Cytron | Apr 9, 2015 | 1930s, Video Oral History |
Jerry Benjamin was born in 1934 in Memel, Lithuania. His family left Lithuania in 1937 before the war and arrived in New York City, where his grandparents had moved a year earlier. He first lived in Brooklyn then in Manhattan, where he lived until he finished Brooklyn College and went into the U.S. Air Force. In 1963, he moved with his family to Dallas in search of a place suitable for raising kids. After the unfortunate passing of his first wife, Jerry married Diane and joined their families as one. He has been an extremely active member in the Dallas Jewish community, leading and voluntering with many different organizations and institutions including Tiferet Israel, Jewish War Veterans, and Akiba Academy, among others.
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by Bryan Cytron | Apr 9, 2015 | 1930s, Video Oral History |
Syl Benenson was born in 1933 in Lexington, Mississippi. After high school, Syl attended the University of Texas where she majored in speech therapy. She moved to Houston after graduating and worked as a speech therapist, ultimately moving to Dallas in 1960. Syl married her late husband, Murray z”l, who worked as an accountant. She has been a heavily involved leader and supporter of the Dallas Jewish and general communities and has also been honored with many awards from various different organizations and agencies, both locally and nationally. Syl has been at the forefront of many social action programs for National Council of Jewish Women where she served as president. In addition to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, Syl has volunteered at Jewish Family Service and Temple Emanu-El, among many others.
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