Left: Taron Tachman and grandmother Florence (Flo-Flo) Tach-
man. "One of the most wonderful grandmothers in the world. I
can call 20 minutes before coming over and a five-course meal
appears. She's more than a grandmother; she's a good friend,"

Grandparents give us
gifts we cherish for a lifetime.

courage and strength have always
been an inspiration, but even more so
since the death of Weil's father last
year.
"My grandmother misses [her son]
tremendously, but she still carries on
with such dignity," she says.
Those young adults fortunate
enough to have living grandparents
know too well that there is little time
to waste. Farmington Hills resident,
Rick Goren, 26, lost his last living
grandparent this year, but says he
feels very lucky to have had four
grandparents living nearby while he
was growing up. As Goren got older,
he learned to cherish the times with
his grandparents.
"My grandpa would always sit at
the head of the table and lead the
seder. It will be hard this Passover
without him," says Goren. "It was
great listening to the old stories. A lot
of my Jewish identity came from my
grandparents. They came over from
Russia. It made me proud of my her-
itage."
It was Goren's grandfather, the late
Sam Resnick, who taught him about
caring for others.
"My grandparents were really in love.
My grandfather took care of my grand-
mother [Sonya] before she died. Less
than one year after her death, he died. I
think he died of a broken heart."

West Bloomfield resident, Jennifer
Rosenwasser, 28, has enjoyed a very
close relationship with grandparents
Sylvia and Israel Abramovitz, of Oak
Park.
"I am very fortunate that they are
alive,"-she says. "When we were
young, we used to visit my grandpar-
ents in New York. Before our visits,
my grandfather would stand in the
ticket line at Times Square for hours
to get us tickets for the best shows.
The line would circle around a few
times, but he would wait," she says.
"I love hearing my grandparents'
stories of how they came to this
country. You can never tire of that. It
makes me feel pride that they are
alive for me to hear their stories, and
what it took for them to come here.
They really appreciate living in this
country," says Rosenwasser.
"They have shown me that life
isn't easy, and that there will be perils
and hardships to face. But, if you
want something bad enough, you will
make it work."
Rosenwasser says it was her grand-
mother's strong work ethic that she'll
remember most.
"She worked hard all her life, so
her children and grandchildren could
live better. As a woman, she sets an
example for all of us."

❑

Grandmother Marianne Reinstein with
Sandy Rockind. 'My grandma is my miracle and my inspiration."

Debbie Weinstein between grandmothers Fanny Greenbaum and Rose
Plotnik. "I enjoy hearing stories from the good old days."

2/27
1998

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