June 9, 2015

Brian Ellman

Brian Ellman was born in South Africa to parents who had both immigrated there, making him a first-generation South African. He grew up in the Free State and later attended university, developing deep memories and close ties to a large extended family. He lived in South Africa for forty-five years, married there, and had four children. Working in Port Elizabeth during a time of considerable unrest and rioting, he grew concerned that it was not a good place for his children to grow up, and this political situation ultimately drove his decision to leave.

The family initially planned to move to Israel, but a tempting research offer at a Dallas university, combined with financial circumstances tied to instability in South Africa, brought them to the United States around the end of 1977. When they left, they were permitted to take only a limited amount of money out of the country. Two of Brian's brothers had already come to America, settling in La Jolla near San Diego and in Miami, though the Miami brother later returned to South Africa. Brian's wife, a speech therapist, later ran his medical office with great efficiency until her death.

In Dallas, Brian worked extremely long hours, first at the university and later in private practice, doing original research he took pride in. When the family arrived there were very few South African families in the city, and he found the local Orthodox congregation less than welcoming, so much of the family's social life centered on the university and on the tennis world, where one of his sons became a state champion and briefly turned professional. He kept the tradition of Friday night Shabbat dinner. His four children now live in Dallas, working in interior design, medicine, law and restaurants, and he has grandchildren nearby. Having returned from a visit to South Africa, he reflected on the difficulty of starting life over in midlife while remaining grateful and content in Dallas.

Read Full Transcript