Sidney’s Brooklyn (1941-1960)
Above: In the classroom, 1947, 1967
In creating this section of my website I wanted to remember my late husband, Sidney Gross (1941–2016). His stories about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940’s and 1950’s are wonderful fun and filled with nostalgia! Sidney had a virtually photographic memory for names and events. He was a gifted storyteller who deserves to be heard, even if the voice must be mine.
Sidney wrote the essays that I’m calling “Sidney’s Brooklyn” in 1980 for a collection of his grandmother Bertha’s Jewish recipes, which he and I published in a limited edition for family members. Sidney grew up in a kosher-keeping home. His childhood was wildly different from mine, as I am the daughter of outdoorsy types who believed in rugged individualism and self-sufficiency. Sidney and I stuck together through our 50 years of marriage with much storytelling across the divide!
Stories from Sidney’s Brooklyn are listed below. Enjoy!
64th St. and Bay Parkway, Brooklyn
How We Stopped Being Kosher, Part 1
How We Stopped Being Kosher, Part 2
The Value of Abandoning Familiar Foods at Passover
Gefilte Fish and Pitcha, Or Why Some Traditions Do Not Continue
