18 | AUGUST 29 • 2024
O
nce upon a time, more
than 100 years ago, in the
far away land of Akron,
Ohio, lived a little girl named
Gittel Kahan. Gittel’s parents, Emil
and Mary, owned a
store on Main Street
where young Gittel
would sell the Akron
Beacon Journal in
front of the building.
Less than a mile
away from Main
Street stood Grace
Elementary School. Gittel looked
forward to attending school with
the other neighborhood children,
but her parents became concerned
about children who might tease
Gittel because her name was
different.
Emil and Mary decided to
bestow an American name on
their precious Gittel. They used
the name of the school and Gittel
would forever be known as Grace.
Their small family eventually
moved to Detroit where Emil
became the president of their
Orthodox synagogue and the
treasurer of the local Jewish
National Fund. Mary went on
to develop a solid reputation
as a wonderful cook, baker and
babysitter.
And little Grace grew steadily as
the years rolled on. When she was
24, Grace married William “Bill”
Naftaly in 1937.
Sadly, Grace’s father passed away
in 1951. She wanted to honor her
father’s memory and prayed for
another child so she could pass
on the name of Emil. In 1952, 13
months after Emil’s passing, Jerry
(me) would be born. My middle
name is Emil.
In 1954, Grace, Bill and their
three children moved from Detroit
to Oak Park. Little Jerry was
destined to carry on the leadership
qualities of his grandfather. I grew
up to be elected mayor of Oak
Park.
RETRACING MY
MOTHER’S STEPS
Even at age 100, Grace would
reminisce with me about her early
years selling newspapers in front
of her father’s store. As she shared
memories, I thought it would be
nice to visit Akron where she grew
up. Perhaps I could walk in the
same steps she took to school 100
years earlier. However, my mother
Grace passed away in March 2015,
just 22 days short of her 102nd
birthday.
A road trip was planned in
2023, eight years after her passing.
I wanted to accomplish two
goals. First, I arranged with my
Walking in My
Mother’s Footsteps
My attempts to restore the historical marker
where my mother Grace went to school
Jerry Naftaly
Special to the
Jewish News
OUR COMMUNITY
ESSAY
LEFT: The historical
marker in front of
Grace Elementary
in Akron, Ohio, that
Jerry Naftaly wants
to get restored.
BELOW: Jerry
Naftaly and his
mother, Grace.