Israel Glass
Israel "Issy" Glass was born in 1916 in a village in Ukraine, then part of Russia. Facing pogroms and the hardships that Jews endured at the time, his family left to join his mother's parents, who were already in South Africa, arriving in 1921 when Issy was four. His father worked in a small town as a jack of all trades within the community, filling roles such as cantor, ritual slaughterer, and teacher. Because his town had no high school beyond a certain level, Issy left home around age thirteen to complete his education in a larger city, boarding with friends of his father's for about four years.
Issy trained as a pharmacist, serving an apprenticeship at a local pharmacy before studying at the Durban Technical College, where he compressed his coursework and passed under demanding conditions. After struggling to find steady work, he moved to Johannesburg, worked for several employers including a company in Krugersdorp, and eventually bought his own pharmacy in Judith Paarl, Johannesburg, which he ran until 1980. He married in 1946, and he and his wife raised their son, Jeffrey. After illness led him to sell his pharmacy, he worked for about eleven years at the Hillbrow Hospital in Johannesburg.
When Jeffrey married and moved to America, the Glasses grew tired of the long, expensive visits to see their son and granddaughter, and in March 1992 they moved to Dallas to be near family. Issy retired, as his degrees were not accepted, though he and his wife did occasional seasonal work. They became active members of the Jewish Community Center, where his wife played piano for the children and they served as beloved grandparent figures. Later they moved to a retirement residence, where a rabbi visited regularly to discuss Jewish life and the weekly Torah portion. Devoted to his family and proud of his son, Issy urged his descendants to value family above all, to be good citizens, and to be good people.
Full Transcript
Today is November 10th, 2013, and my name is Hedley Rekusen. I'm the interviewer, and I'm interviewing Izzy Glass. Firstly, Izzy, thanks for doing this. We really appreciate it. And I want to start off way back in South Africa. Were you actually born in South Africa? No. Where were you born? In a village in Ukraine, called Dimitrovka. We came to South Africa when I was 1921, when I was four years old. So you were born in what year? 1916. 16. And your parents were born in that little chapel? Well, maybe there, I don't know, but, you know, at that time it was all Russia. Right. But, of course, Ukraine today is a separate country.
But if they weren't coming, they were, you know, in that area they were. Right. And they left because? They left. Why did they leave? Well, you know, things were pretty difficult for Jews at that time. They had a little pogrom now again, and they were in a little stit where they closed up to the area. Right. So they decided to leave me, and my mother's parents were already in South Africa. Okay. So they came to join them. and he arrived in 1921. And you were four years old, you said. So tell me about your life growing up in South Africa. Where did you start off?
Which town or city? We were in Gehousel for just a couple of months. Dad got a job in Ferenikam. And he was there until 1944. What did he do? And you know, in the little village, it was everything. The chasm, the shokhet, the teacher. Right. You know, everything that needed to be done. Had a job or so, whatever you want, in the little village. Right. And then he left, he left in 1944. But I served my apprenticeship. Well, I went to school in Fulhu, the elementary school, but they had no high school at that time. So the highest we could go was standard eight. And if we used those who wanted to go further, I had to go to the big city, to Huntsville.
Right. So I left home just after Margaret Lettsville, 13, and I was away for about four years. And I'm doing my matric. Who did you stay with? Some friends of my father's. He was a urban kaplan. He was a minister of the Jebis Young Hebrew congregation. And that's what I just lived for. For four years until I finished matric. Right. And then I came back to Periniton as an apprentice to Macron's pharmacy. I spent the next three, four years there as an apprentice. And after that, I went to college in, I went to Durban, not in Johannesburg. Of course, unfortunately, my boss made a slight mistake with my papers.
He signed them late and when I finished in, well it was the end of the year really, about March, they wouldn't take me anywhere because they said their term has already started and I'd have to come back next year. So it meant I wasted a whole year. But I wrote to Durban Technical College and I said you could come in July when they said sure, but you'll have to work hard, you'll have to do it in six months. That's part one. And if you fail you'll have to go back again. Anyway I went to Durban and I stayed with some former Fulernikha women Actually my dad had married He married them in Fulernikha And I was there, there.
I finished my first year in six months. then I did the leg back and I had I'd failed in one subject in physics in botany, I'd never done it before, so I said what do I do, they said well look you can come back you can do your part too but you'd have to do that physics and if you fail that you'll have to solve it all over again from many years. So I did part two, the final part from January but in June I had to write what in the year? And I managed to pause and I just carried on with the part two.
So I finished that at the end of the year. From then on I had to look for a job. It wasn't so easy. Were you still in Durban at the time? No, no. I came back to the re-interconnection, but I couldn't find a job there. I mean, two or three pharmacists, I didn't need another pharmacist. So I went to Johannesburg, went to the house, and they put me into a job there. I didn't like it at all. actually personally I'm going to mention the names he closed that pharmacy and I was without a job again and it was pretty difficult to get another job anyway they said you can get a job with Anasia Adcock in Krugersow so I took it and I was there for about three years were you still single at that time?
yes At first they used to send me from some of their branches to manage when somebody went on leave. It was like a local. Of course I wasn't married and I was one of the few that they could move around. Anyway after that I wasn happy But they paid you in those days you couldn live on it just barely live on it for yourself And I bought a pharmacy, Judith Ball Pharmacy, in Judith Ball, Johannesburg, I don't know if you know it. I do. You were originally a Johannesburger. I'm from Germiston. Which part of Germiston? Germiston, Lampton. Lampton, Germiston. Germiston? Lampton, yeah. Anyway, I started there and I was there until 1980.
Wow. When I was, I decided I got ill and I decided I had to have enough. And I managed to dispose of my pharmacy to the nearest pharmacy near me. and I got a job in the hospital, the Hilbra Hospital. Hilbra Hospital. You know, the old Jonasberg Hospital. Yeah. And I was there for about 11 years. So tell me when you got married. Pardon? I got married in 1946. So actually we've been married 67 years. Muzzled part. I saw my hair and my teeth. Anyway, it's been a good marriage, you know, ups and downs, like I suppose any marriage. So what did you say, 19?
What year did you get married? I married in 1946. 1946. March 1946. And you had children? My one child was my friend, my good son, Jeffrey. He is a good son. Very good guy. Yeah. And couldn't have wished for anything better. Yeah. Anyway, at the end of 1980, I got sick in the middle and I had to go to the hospital. I thought I'd like to get out, you know. So I decided to go to work at the John Asperger Hospital. And I got a job there. And I worked there for 11 years. And then, of course, my wife Jeffrey, He got married and he decided to come to America.
Right. And we came, you know, we should come and visit every two, three years. And, you know, it's a long trip and it's an expensive trip. And we had a grandchild. So we used to see him, her, every few years. Right. We'd come, she didn't know us, we didn't know her, you know. So we decided to give up altogether. And in 19... That was the end of 1901, the beginning of 1902, we came to live in Dallas. Was that a hard decision that you made, or... Well, in a way, you know, at that age, we had to give up virtually everything, our friends and some family and move away too.
Right. But we came here in 1992. March 92. And we've been there ever since. And how was it when you got here? Was it difficult when you arrived? Sorry? How was it when you got here? Here? Yeah. To Dallas? It was nice. You know, we stayed in a flat, it was good, and it was very comfortable. And, you know, Jeff was nearby. Sure. And that was my object, of course, to be here in the family. and after a year or so Jeff got rid of his old van he had and he owed it to me so I had to learn to drive a van I had to take a driver's license and it was useful of course to get around and we used it for a few years and then we got another one traded in eventually and actually that's one thing we miss now.
We haven't got a transport. We have to rely on others. So when you came here you didn work You retired No I didn work You know they didn accept my degrees No I didn But You did a little work for... How about you? You did a little work for Newhouse. Well, we did a little temporary work once for... I mentioned it. For Newhouse. Yeah. We used to practice these chokers in boxes. Right. Okay. It was just a temporary job. Sure. You know, the season, like Christmas and Easter. But most of the time we didn't work. But we joined the JCC, and we found it very interesting.
Right. It was very nice. and see my wife playing the piano and she used to we used to play for the little kids the kindergarten crowd used to play music and they used to sing and dance I used to be their grandpa and she was a grandma it was very nice we really enjoyed that and the other things that we did there, you know, it's interesting Jewish work and so on. Did you, would you say your adjustment to arriving here was pretty smooth? I think so. We met some very nice people at the JCC and through Jeff of course we met a lot of people, we used to go out with them and it was nice.
As I say, the friends we made at the JCC our age group unfortunately they're all gone they all passed away and until four years ago we were still members and then I fell above my hip I had a replacement I just couldn't drive anymore you know so we went to live at the Tremont residential a retirement home. We've been there four years. I can't say I'm mad about the place. There's a sort of Jewish history Four or five Jewish people there There were moored one time and they used to arrange a Shabbat dinner for us on a Friday night which was very nice But the people moved away or they died off and we were left with about five And they said, we don't get not less than five, otherwise I'm not prepared to make any special dinner.
And the others didn't come, they started coming, you know, the one said, you know, she's got kids here too. She was there Friday nights. So we couldn't get more than four. So they dropped off. And we get Rabbi Walk. Comes every two weeks. Gives us a look. Every Friday we have a chat. What's Jewish life here and overseas in Israel. And he reads us a piece from the toilet that they're going to read the next day. and also he tells us what a portion of the Torah explains what happened where we are I find it very interesting unfortunately I can't get the other two to come just the two of us the wife and myself come and he still comes which I admire him for he's very nice he's very nice he's coming there but it's only two people come to your verse I can't understand why they don't want to come because he doesn't sort of do a religious talk make people think oh I'm a reform and I'm orthodox or that and I don't like this he just talks to something that any Jewish person would talk about so it's a petition but that still goes were you a member of the congregation in South Africa in South Africa I was the oval the oval shul and when you came here did you join a shul I haven't joined a shul here but I used to go to what's his name Shirith and occasionally to Temple Emmanuel But I haven unfortunately I haven joined the Shufu at the moment with no transport It difficult And when you were growing up was Israel important to you Was what Israel Yes Have you been?
I've been twice. Twice? And is it still important to you? Pardon? Still important to you follow what's going on in Israel? Yes, very much so. I had an aunt living there. and she was pleased to see us we were pleased to see her and in fact she gave us a brooch that her mother had given to her and she gave it to my wife at a what do you call it a canny out brooch a very nice out brooch and I don't know what else do you want to say Well, I enjoy being here near my family, my son, and the family. They've been wonderful to us.
I don't think I would have been happy at all if we hadn't had him and her and Norma. And the granddaughter, unfortunately the granddaughter is now in San Francisco. Tell me about your granddaughter. Well, she's a very attractive girl. Yeah. What's her name? What's her name? Melissa. Melissa Ruth. What's the question? And she's in, as I say, in San Francisco. We see her occasionally. I would like to see her more often. But that's how I like this. it's always a pleasure to see her and I say it's always a pleasure to come see my son in the family as I said before they'd be really good to us I could never be happy here without them so tell me what you miss about South Africa if anything what I miss well you know we had friends I was my own boss and we had a hello and we had a little you know friends, relations and hello my doggy may I kill you I'm going to ask you next.
Yes, I'll be thrilled to do it. And afterwards... Easy, behave yourself. Behave. And did you become a citizen or not? Pardon? Did you become a US citizen? Yes. Okay. Yes, what, ten years ago or more? and but you know since this breakage I had on my hip and had a replacement I haven't been able to drive so that's quite a drawback you have to rely on other people and of course Jeff has been really wonderful well I can see why I can see why he's been wonderful because you're pretty easy to be wonderful to. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I try to be a good father.
I think you are. So overall, you're glad you came here? Especially now. It's not my... I wouldn't like to live there now. No. I'm sorry, but it's not the sort of life I'd have loved. and my friend Zaro will go. I've just got one left, and I correspond with him on Skype. That's good. And he gives me the news He all right He got a big family there still so he you know fairly happy but otherwise I'm not family there only was a few cousins and so in the time most of them were older than me not that I'm such a youngster but you know how old are you now?
I will be 97 next month. Okay, no horror. What date's your birthday? Christmas Day. Christmas Day. May I have you to write a piece? Yes. I'll do you afterwards. Yes. One final thing. If you could send just a little bit of advice to your great-grandchildren. Do I? If you wanted to give any advice, any words of inspiration to your great-grandchildren, what would you tell them? I say, be good to your family. Family is everything. You'll find out later, that's my opinion. And, you know, be a good citizen, be a good person. and I just hope that you will be healthy and well and notice from your family.
Thank you and you too and thank you for doing this. Thank you.