War - Holidays - Family Name
Sandra and I were born during the Second World War. Manchester was heavily bombed due to the docks.
MANCHESTER'S INDUSTRIES MADE IT A TARGET FOR GERMAN BOMBERS Manchester and the surrounding area was a major centre of industry during the Second World War, making it an important target for German bombers. The city's infrastructure was badly affected by the air raids in December 1940. Both of the city's main railway stations were hit, as was the bus station. A whole section of the city centre had to be cordoned off. Water supplies were affected and electricity was rationed. In August 1939 war was imminent so the Government made plans for the evacuation of schoolchildren and others from areas most likely to be bombed. From September 1 1939, 172,000 children and 23,000 adults were evacuated from Manchester over three days making it one of the largest evacuations of a single area. Crime did not stop because the nation was at war, so police had to cope with the extra demands of wartime while still carrying out their usual duties. They made preparations for attack, warned of air raids, tackled black market smuggling and performed rescue work. But some major civil landmarks escaped unscathed including the Town Hall, Central Library and the Midland Hotel. A theory about why this area was saved came from an American Intelligence officer who claimed to have uncovered papers indicating Hitler wished to set up his headquarters in the Midland Hotel. |
Before the Second World War, Britain was not self-sufficient in many materials. Less than one third of the food available in the UK at the start of the war was home produced and the country had to import some 20 million tons each year, including meat, cheese, sugar, fruit, cereals and fats as well as large qualities of fuel. The government read the warning signs and began planning for rationing in 1936, hoping to be better prepared than during the First World War, and by 1938 had already printed ration books.
Hitler was determined to starve this country into submission and directed the Kriegsmarine, using U-boats, mines and surface raiders, assisted by the Luftwaffe and Italian submarines, to strangle the transatlantic lifeline. The resulting Battle of the Atlantic became the longest continuous campaign fought by any of the armed services, lasting from 3rd September 1939 until 8th May 1945. |
our mother's Priorities - nylons, lipstick, tea tray
Our parents lived through 2 world wars.
"Through the book Millions were like Us, I realised that for women during the Second World War make up and looking good was still incredibly important. I remember our mother fell over in the street.
She was much more concerned that she had a ladder in her nylon stockings than that she could possibly have hurt herself.
Our mother gave Sandra and I a gift of a make-up case with make up in it as it was important that you did the whole thing correctly. She would put foundation her face on first, then she powder, then very strong bright red lipstick on her lips.
In restaurants after she’s finished eating she would get her lipstick out with no mirror and put it on her lips. Unfortunately sometimes she missed and the lipstick smeared around her mouth.
When I won a place to go to the Royal College of Art in 1964, my mother in good faith bought me a tea service set as she thought this was what was essential it was either aluminium or stainless steel, tea pot, coffee jug, milk jug, a round tray, sugar basin. No one else had anything like that amongst my fellow students," Myrna
"Through the book Millions were like Us, I realised that for women during the Second World War make up and looking good was still incredibly important. I remember our mother fell over in the street.
She was much more concerned that she had a ladder in her nylon stockings than that she could possibly have hurt herself.
Our mother gave Sandra and I a gift of a make-up case with make up in it as it was important that you did the whole thing correctly. She would put foundation her face on first, then she powder, then very strong bright red lipstick on her lips.
In restaurants after she’s finished eating she would get her lipstick out with no mirror and put it on her lips. Unfortunately sometimes she missed and the lipstick smeared around her mouth.
When I won a place to go to the Royal College of Art in 1964, my mother in good faith bought me a tea service set as she thought this was what was essential it was either aluminium or stainless steel, tea pot, coffee jug, milk jug, a round tray, sugar basin. No one else had anything like that amongst my fellow students," Myrna
Proof from the web about our family
We discovered records of our correct family name. Judel Einger otherwise known as Joseph Horowitch, Also our father was an Alien and in 1951 he got his Naturalisation papers.
In 2022 Richard Casson from Manchester found the Horowitch Census stating that our dad and all his family were born in Dvinsk, Russia. The trades are listed as Rag Merchant, Traveller, Assistant Rag Merchant.
Yiddish
We all used Yiddish expressions in our daily life. Yiddish was the only language our grandfather knew and he was illiterate in any language. Our Dad could actually speak Yiddish. In 1960, just before he died we all went to Israel for a holiday and we were amazed to heard him speaking to a man in Yiddish.
Here are some Yiddish expressions we used in everyday conversation.
chutzpah courage or confidence or cheek. goy A non-Jew, a Gentile. mensh An honorable, decent person male or female,
mishegas insanity or craziness. A meshugener is a crazy man. oy vey Exclamation of dismay, grief, or exasperation.
shlep To “shlep around - dragging themselves, perhaps slouchingly. shlemiel A clumsy, inept person. The kind of person who always spills his soup. shmooze Chat you op by flattery to make small talk to get you to buy or do something
schmuck Often used as an insulting word for a self-made fool, spiel A long, involved sales pitch.
shiksa A non-Jewish woman, all too often used derogatorily.
Here are some Yiddish expressions we used in everyday conversation.
chutzpah courage or confidence or cheek. goy A non-Jew, a Gentile. mensh An honorable, decent person male or female,
mishegas insanity or craziness. A meshugener is a crazy man. oy vey Exclamation of dismay, grief, or exasperation.
shlep To “shlep around - dragging themselves, perhaps slouchingly. shlemiel A clumsy, inept person. The kind of person who always spills his soup. shmooze Chat you op by flattery to make small talk to get you to buy or do something
schmuck Often used as an insulting word for a self-made fool, spiel A long, involved sales pitch.
shiksa A non-Jewish woman, all too often used derogatorily.
Photos from our albums. Sandra and Myrna, Mum, Dad and Aunty Bea who made crochet lace tablecloths for Mum.