Eva Epstein Newspaper Story

Jerrold Landau found this article about Aunt Eva in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, March 8, 1999.

By Cynthia Nyman Engel

She was born on June 6, 1904 in Ogdensburg, New York, smack in the middle of the 10 Cornblat children, and grew up in Smiths Falls, "Where," she explains, "my father was in secondary materials."

Then, with a twinkle in her eye, 94-year-old Eva Epstein adds, "He was a junk dealer."

Coming from such a large family guaranteed, all through her life, that there were always plenty of people around. "So I never had the feeling I was going to be left alone," she says.

But today Eva Epstein is alone. And, being alone, the widow of the late Samuel Abbey Epstein and the sole surviving member f the original Cornblat clan readily acknowledges, "I cannot imagine living along. I am so grateful that I had Hillel Lodge to come to."

As a resident of the lodge, Eva Epstein can relax and enjoy the company of fellow residents, secure in the knowledge that kind and caring staff are always there to respond to all her needs.

"I am very well cared for here at Hillel Lodge," says Mrs. Epstein. "The care here is excellent. The meals are good, and they are kosher. The rooms are comfortable. We have a synagogue here, and the people are friendly.

"It's not an exciting life but it's a very secure life," she says with obvious contentment. "I find it very fulfilling. I've had the same friends for years and," she says, smiling her charming smile, "we are all getting older at the same time."

Mrs. Epstein held a responsible job in an insurance firm until she was 75. She chuckles at the memory of obtaining her skills from the Kent Street school for secretaries which bore the lofty name of 'The School for Higher English and Applied Arts.'

Both she and her husband Sam, a travelling salesman, were active in Jewish communal life. Although the sprightly nonagenarian admits, as a young woman she had never anticipated giving a Jewish seniors' residence as her home address.

"I remember that our Emunah Chapter held meetings here and that I was involved with the Women's Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge," she says. "Other than that I don't remember giving Hillel Lodge much thought. But I am so grateful it is here for me. I have enjoyed every minute of my life here.

The modest Mrs. Epstein fails to allude to here years as a volunteer and board member. She ably served as the board's secretary in the late '70s and early '80s.

Eva Epstein is looking forward to taking up residence in the new Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge in the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre on the Broadview Jewish Community Campus.

"Besides the Jewish atmosphere, we will have easier access to so many recreational and social opportunities," she says happily.

Indeed they will. Once the new seniors' facility is located on the Campus, residents easily will share in community simchas via an underground tunnel leading directly into the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building. The Jewish communal family will be complete.

The Community Capital Campaign has launched the final thrust of its fund-raising efforts to raise $1.5 million that will see a state-of-the-art Jewish Home for the Aged rise on the Jewish Community Campus. For our deserving community elders, for the deserving elders we will become, please respond generously.

Update on Eve Epstein

Here is a picture of Rachel Meira Landau (Tzippy and Jerrold's daughter) sitting enjoying a smile with her great-great-aunt Eva Epstein. Since Uncle Sam zl passed away, Eva has been living in the Hillel Lodge old age home in Ottawa. She is surrounded by many people she has known for many years, and enjoys participating in all the activities there. Whenever Tzippy and Jerrold visit Ottawa, they bring her up to date with the goings on of the family. If anyone of the family visits Ottawa, be sure to stop in and say hello.

Update on the Zelikovitz's

I recently received this email from Solomon Epstein's brother Samuel Cohen's great-grandson Joel Zelikovitz. That makes him our cousin.

Dear David,

I was recently shown the Epstein Family tree. I thought I could fill in some blanks. I am Joel Zelikovitz. My paternal great grandfather was Samuel Cohen. (We have great photo's of him & his family).

My father, William, passed away June 25th 1997. He was President of Maude Lake Gold Mines which recently was taken over by McWatters Gold Mines. My uncle Joe Zelikovitz just passed away last week. The Ottawa Citizen did a wonderful article on him last Sunday. He played for the Roughriders and still holds a record for most interceptions in a game.(7) However the CFL started in 1958 & his record was 1938 Oct 15th. So it is a Canadian Senior Football Record not a CFL record.

Joel Zelikovitz

He also sent some updates to the geneology page. I found a link to an earlier newspaper article about his uncle, who was called the "Flying Hebrew" by the sportswriters of his day. The article is in the next post.

The Flying Hebrew

'Flying Hebrew' a star once more thanks to nursing home
Sunday, November 17, 1996 - Ottawa Citizen

Display cases at the door of every patient's room at the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre are the best ideas designers had. Without them, a person wouldn't get to know people like The Flying Hebrew.

For two years, I've been a regular visitor to the Perley. My mother lives there. Call them chronic care patients, or long-term stay clients, or find another name, but for most of them it's the last home they'll have. Most have serious damage caused by age. Many can't communicate. Many are bedridden.

One man, a stroke victim, is confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. We've often made eye contact and I have wondered whether he was aware of his surroundings. Sometimes, he seemed barely able to stay awake. At other times his bright blue eyes seemed to be seeing into me. Often, they seemed angry.

His wife spends most of her day, every day, with him.

I learned his name from the plate on his door. I was able to check the display case. There was a framed photo and a newspaper clipping. I met handsome young Joe Zelikovitz, Ottawa Rough Riders No. 25, star "flying wing" (halfback) of the 1930s. The clipping was from Ottawa Jewish Bulletin and Review, 1986. Hang on: There must be a mistake. It says he intercepted seven passes in one game. It seems improbable.

There's more. The brief history paints him as one of Ottawa's greatest athletes in many sports, and he earned the nickname The Flying Hebrew courtesy of the sportswriters of his day. He is a member of the Ottawa Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

A check into the Canadian Football League record book gives the record for most interceptions in one game to Rod Hill of Winnipeg, Hamilton at Winnipeg, Sept. 11, 1961. Five only. Greg Fulton at the CFL Hall of Fame in Hamilton said records only go back to when the CFL was formed in 1958. Zelikovitz played in a league known as The Big Four: Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton. Seven interceptions in one game seemed unlikely to him too.

The game was Oct. 15, 1936, a Saturday. The following Monday the Citizen's coverage was massive, and written by sports editor Tommy Shields. Reading through it I was surprised at the number of names of players I had know later in their lives. Andy Tommy. Tiny Herman. Leo Seguin would go on to become Ottawa police chief and sign my first press card in 1962. Carl (Soggy) Norton would go on to head a squad of Ottawa detectives and spend much time telling me to go away because I bugged him.

Zelikovitz was the hero of the day. But no mention of seven interceptions.

Joe's wife, Inez, was spoonfeeding him at their regular table against the window. I told her there must have been a mistake about the seven interceptions. She was adamant.

Back to the microfilm. Bingo. There it is in a sidebar by reporter Jack Koffman. Zel, the Hebrew Flying Wing, intercepted seven passes. He was prominent from start to finish.

Sports heroes of his day were routinely offered jobs with the police department or fire department. Without television sports heroes to overshadow them, they were applauded when they walked into rooms. They were paid little and did it for the love of the game.

Joe turned down an offer to be a cop, and became the third generation to run the family business on Bank Street, Zelikovitz's Leather Goods. He and Inez had no children.

I was waiting for Inez to take the photo out of the display case, and apologizing for doubting her, when eye contact with No. 25 was made again. He was in his wheelchair, held in by a tray locked across the chair's arms. It was probably imagination, but I thought I saw laughter.

Now I could see not the man who is, but the man who was. There was some sense of guilt for not seeing him sooner, and for not paying more attention to those display cases.

He's 82 now. The stroke hit in 1990. Among his peers today, he is still a top physical specimen in that he requires no medication.

The rooms are occupied by men and women who often can't walk or talk. Many drool and babble. But they are also there in their fighter planes, war nurses' uniforms, wedding clothes and family reunions. Strong hearts have robbed them of dignity by letting other parts wear out first.

Joe Zelikovitz, through his display case, gave me something of a smarten-up slap. A newspaper clipping and a photo give him back his dignity. He is no longer a damaged old man, but a story. He's a reminder that if we keep our eyes and minds open, we can still learn from, or at least be reminded by, people like him. The reminder is to look beyond the obvious.

Sadly, many occupied rooms have empty display cases.

Sharon & Mike's Wedding

At the ceremony itself

The guests at the wedding


The dancing and happiness

And the new extended family

Sharon's New Extended Family
Top from left: Mike's son Amitai, Limor (Eitan's wife), Mike's son Chovav
Sharon's kids: Tzippy, Eitan and Talya, and Mike's son Matanya
Lower row: Mike and Sharon

Eli and Gila

Eli Rachlin, son of Bernie and Sara Rachlin, married Gila nee Goldstein of Teaneck NJ in Long Island. Eli is doing a postgraduate dental program in New York, and Gila is a speech pathologist.

Here's how Eli describes the shidduch: "We met at a friend's house where we were both invited for a YomTov meal. For years, my mother had been saving my late bubby's ring (Fanny Epstein, AH) for me to present to my future wife. This makes the fact that Gila and I met on Shmini Atzeret (Fanny Epstein's yartzeit) all the more bashert and remarkable!"

Tamar & Eli Seeman

Here are some pictures from Tamar Emerson and Eli Seeman's wedding, which took place in Toronto on 18 March.




The couple at their Purim Sheva Brachot