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PAGE 14 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September 12, 1986
There is more about school and
Hidden mementos surface
during remodeling of home
by Vida Goldgar
When Rael Levin undertook a
remodeling job on a Rock Springs
Road home not long ago, he didn’t
imagine that he would uncover
anything more than years of debris.
He was wrong.
The project was challenging, but
not unlike others his Michan Con
tracting Company had done. The
owners wanted to turn the dark
unused attic into a master suite.
One of the first chores was to
shovel all the old insulation into
plastic bags for disposal.
Levin caught sight of a rectangu
lar piece of paper stuck in a floor
board crack. He might easily have
♦
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ignored it but a second glance
showed it to be an envelope. Cu
rious, he brushed aside the dust.
The purple 3-cent George Washing
ton postage stamp betrayed the let
ter’s age. The Providence, R.I.,
postmark—Dec. 10, 1936—con
firmed it.
“Miss Shirley Zipperman, Wash
ington Terrace, Atlanta, Georgia”
was the address. No ZIP codes
back then. On the back of the enve
lope was the name “Ruth Riddell”
and a Providence address.
Tucking his find away for more
careful examination later, Rael went
back to work...only to discover yet
another memento. Propped in a
dark corner was a wooden plaque,
adorned with an American eagle.
AZA No. 518, it read; then “Serv
ing Our Country,” with 15 names
beneath.
Recognizing that the child’s let
ter and the World War II plaque
would have special significance to
someone, Levin asked the owner of
the house for permission to try to
get them to the right people. It was
granted. He made inquiries in the
neighborhood and learned that the
house on which he was working
had once belonged to Sam Zip
perman, though the letter was ad
dressed to Washington Terrace.
It was Rael’s wife, the former
Dominique Storch, who suggested
that The Southern Israelite might
help. He brought the letter and the
plaque, showing the letter first.
Under a monogrammed “R” and
“Dear Shirley,” the writer asks to
be excused for not writing sooner;
then talks about her aunt’s wed
ding, telling cousin Shirley that
“They got your mother’s telegram
just after the ceremony and read it
out loud.”
especially book reports: “After the
teacher passes it back I’ll send it to
you and you can see how the boys
(Oh, my pen is leakingjand girls up
north make book reports. Then
maybe you can send me one—how
you make them. I’m sure my class
mates would be interested... .”
There are best wishes to “aunt
and uncle” from Ruth’s parents
(“mother is taking care of the baby
right now...”) and indications that
Ruth had visited Providence that
summer.
It ends with “P.S. Please write
soon.”
The plaque is a little worse for
wear. The proud eagle’s wings are
gone. But the names of the World
War 11 servicemen are sharp:
Marshall Hirsch, Jack Kaler,
Leon Goldstein, Asher Marks,
Stanley Tenenbaum, Stanley Sro-
chi. Jack Hirsh, Sylvan Chajage.
Alvin Saul, Lester Cohen, Alvin
Saul, Lester Cohen, Alvin Green
berg, Marvin Rubin, Leonard Bock,
Donald Wender, Fred Reisman.
I wo items from the past—hidden
many years in the Rock Springs
Road attic are certain to have spe
cial significance. The AZA plaque
probably belongs with BBYO or in
our community archives but the
letter is a family treasure.
Let us hear from you.
South State
Mortgage, Inc.
Specializing In
Conventional First Mortgage Residential Lending
“As a broker we can shop the rates for you."
•Complete lifted and ARM interest rates
• Kctmuiumg Available
• Professional Mortgage Counseling
• Las) Pte-qudlilung b\ phone
•Call lor Appointment
Joel A Harris
Loan Off icer
6135 Barfield Rd.. Suite 210. Atlanta. Geoijiiu 30328
Bus:2S2-8808; Oig.Pager:890-37QS; Home:993-S6S6
SINCE 1927
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