Mazel Toy!
A Lasting
Secret
A forbidden relationship
has thrived for 60 years.
Joseph and Lillian
Greenblatt
JENNIFER L. MATTLER
Special to The Jewish News
I
magine getting married and
afterwards going home to your
parents' house and not telling
a soul that you just tied the
knot. That is exactly what Lillian
and Joseph Greenblatt did 60 years
ago this month.
Both sets of parents were against
the young couple's relationship.
Lillian explained, "My parents
thought he was a regular playboy, a
tennis bum, and Joe's parents didn't
think I was good enough. We were
both the first kids in our families to
get married. At the time, I was 22
and Joe was 21."
Joe was a friend of Lillian's broth-
er and was often visiting at her -
home. One day she joined Joseph
and his mother when they went
shopping and realized she liked him.
"We would go for rides, hug and
kiss ... We knew we liked each other.
I don't really know when or how,
but we started to talk about getting
married," said Lillian.
3/26
1999
52 Detroit Jewish News
One of the women Lillian worked
with at Sam's Cut Rate Drugs in
downtown Detroit offered to drive
the happy couple to Indiana so they -
could marry. "We got married, went
out to dinner and then went to our
separate homes that night," Lillian
said.
Pretending that they were single,
Lillian would only wear her wedding
band to work. Joe would come over
every day and visit "his bride" at her
parents' house.
Lillian's sister became suspicious
and one day went through Lillian's
purse. She found the wedding band
and told their parents. They insisted
on a Jewish wedding, so the couple
remarried in June, 1939, and began
living together.
The Greenblatts had no money
and were unable to go on a honey-
moon. At the time, Joe was working
at Federal Department Stores. They
found an apartment near Lillian's
folks.
As the years followed, Joe and
Lillian had two children, Esther and
Ernie, and now six grandchildren
and 10 great-grandchildren. They
are very close with their family and
see everyone often. Esther-Radin,
the Greenblatts' daughter, said, "My
mother would come over with her
sister and help me out with my kids.
She did not work, so she had plenty
of time to spend with our family."
The Greenblatts' granddaughter,
Danielle Fantich, said, "They just
burst when they see their great-
grandchildren. It keeps them going
and they are so cute together. We
really are a very close family."
In 1980, Joe retired and the cou-
ple moved to Florida. They moved
back to Detroit within two years
because they missed their family so
much. Once back in town, Joe came
out of retirement and began working
four days a week at Lou's Car
Gallery. He quit his job last
December when Lillian had a stroke
in order to take care of his spouse.
She has recovered and now they are
enjoying her renewed health.
So, what is the Greenblatts' secret
to such a long and happy marriage?
"My Grandpa is a real jokester and
Grandma always laughs," said
Fantich. "They are so right for each
other." Esther Radin said her parents
are "very warm and giving people. I
have been married 36 years and
hope that my marriage will be as
good as theirs."
Joe's advice to others: Just say,
"Yes, dear" and "talk over everything
first." He laughed, and said he
always told his wife, You manage
the money and I'll make the money.'
That was the deal when we got mar-
ried."
The Greenblatts truly enjoy being
together. They take walks and do
errands together. He helps me with
everything," said Lillian.
She stopped driving after her
stroke and Joe drives her on her
daily errands and waits patiently in
the car, even when she "schleps him
to different stores just to save two
cents," laughs their granddaughter.
So what does a couple who's been
married 60 years do to celebrate
their anniversary? They "spend it
with family," of course!