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LChaim
People doing opto ethers
by Robyn Freedman Spizman
“Play it again, Esther!”, That’s
what her fans say when they request
another song. From “Hello, Dolly”
to “Shalom Alechem,” Esther
Friedman knows how to make
those piano keys jump. Whether
she’s entertaining for residents at
the Jewish Home or volunteering
for one of many organizations, this
is a woman who carries with her a
special tune no matter where she
goes.
At the age of 12, Esther began
taking piano lessons. However, two
years later she had adapted her
own style and made her sonatas
rock. Her piano teacher claimed
she couldn’t teach Esther when she
began to “swing” the classics.
Esther, though, was happy to do it
her way and has done so ever since.
In fact, this unique style has led
people to say, whenever they see
her, “Here comes the music lady.”
When Sandra Epstein and Betty
Jacobson nominated Esther, they
wrote how deserving Esther is of
being recognized in L’Chaim. Be
sides having served on the boards
of the Jewish Federation, the Jew
ish Home and others, Esther is also
a life member of Brandeis and
Hadassah. She is a past president
of Ahavath Achim Sisterhood and
was the first president to serve
three years. Esther, however, is
quick to point out that her inspira
tion was Reva Epstein. “When my
husband Jake passed away, it was
Reva who got me interested.” In
fact, Esther was so involved that
she was selected as one of 20 people
in the United States to go on the
1966 UJA mission to Israel and
Europe. In 1974 Esther was the
recipient of the Peace Award at
The Israel Bond Dinner and, given
by her family, is the Ahavath Achim
Friedman conference room in her
honor and in memory of husband,
Jake.
Along with these accomplish
ments is another that is also close
to Esther’s heart. For the past 15
years she has been chairman of the
volunteer corps of the Jewish Home
and she’s a past president of the
volunteer corps as well. She received
a plaque from the Home for 25
years of dedicated service. Esther
hoped that this story on her for
L’Chaim would encourage others
to become involved in volunteer
work at the Jewish Home.
Susan Milberg, community rela
tions director at the Home said,
“Esther is so special and she has
put an inimitable stamp upon the
office of the president of the volun
teers. She puts community needs
before her own.” While talking
about Esther’s feelings about the
Home, her co-worker and long
time volunteer Bess Harris com
mented that “if you come to work
at the Home, you can’t come here
thinking of yourself. You are per
forming a ‘boomerang mitzva.’”
Esther fully agreed, saying, "Not
only do you give a mitzva but the
love you receive in return gives you
one right back!” Bess added, “All
you have to do is when you see
someone without a smile, just give
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Esther Friedman has smiles to share.
them one of yours.” Esther, like
her volunteers, has plenty of those
to share.
Esther, a native Atlantan, recalled
growing up in Atlanta. She was the
only girl in a family that included
five brothers, so her “helping out”
started at home with her mother.
When Esther was 18, she taught
fourth grade at the Fair Street
School for three years. She is proud
that many of her students are lead
ers in the Jewish community and
remind her of those special days.
Esther’s musical talents were appre
ciated at an early age and she
became known as “the life of the
party.” From weddings to syna
gogue plays to organizational
meetings, Esther was recruited to
accompany anyone and everyone.
This was one volunteer who could
tune herself up and make any func
tion come alive.
Esther said that one of her big
gest kicks is her Thursday after
noon music hour playing at the
Jewish Home. Whether residents
are from Russia, Germany or At
lanta, when she plays her songs
they hum along. These Yiddish
songs or other familiar tunes have
become an ingrained and close
part of their memories. It seems to
Esther that for this one hour, there
is no time loss or lapse of memory.
Esther added, “When I leave from
playing or working at the Home, I
feel younger... in fact, I feel just
like a spring chicken even though
I’m not much younger than some
of the residents.” At the young age
of 80, Esther continues to do all she
can to help bringjoy and happiness
to others’ lives.
As proud as we all are of Esther,
that is how proud she is of her own
family: children, Barbara and Jack
Geldbart, Sandy and Gerald Fried
man, and Charlotte Falk, along
with 10 grandchildren and a great
grandchild. Esther, though, has a
heart big enough for the many
other which she includes in her
“great big family.’
Esther may play piano as a solo
ist, but with all she does you feel
the accompaniment of a symphony
orchestra. She is one very special
lady who will make your heart sing
right along with hers. To Esther we
say: L’Chaim...and keep on play
ing it—again and again!
WEEKLY QUOTE FROM LESTER S BOOKS
“You cannot make another person happy, without
subconscious resentment, until you are happy first.”
Lester Pazoi
20 YEARS
HENNESSY ^acMrc
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PAGE 25 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 18, 1986