The first stop is 482 East 95th Street in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Bernice was born on June 3, 1922 to Jack and Eva Dramen. My great grandparents were most likely were the first tenants in this house, since it was built around 1930. Bernice’s father worked as a trucker and Eva was a stay-at-home mother caring for two daughters (my grandmother had a younger sister named Harriet). My grandmother excelled in math and history, and she loved playing punchball with her friends. During the hot Brooklyn summer nights, she and her sister often slept on the fire escape, as it was cooler than sleeping in their small apartment. \*Picture is owned by the NYC Municipal Archives.

In 1940, Bernice and her family moved to 551 Bushwick Avenue. She spent most of her teenage years in the Bushwick Library reading everything she could get her hands on. Over the weekends, she and her friends would go to Coney Island and rent out a locker so they could enjoy the beach and boardwalk.

During this time, she attended Bushwick High School where she continued to enjoy math and history. According to her high school yearbook picture, she was a member of the civil service club, the stenographer club, the menorah clubs, and held two secretaryships during her time in the school. I had not known when she was still alive that she had been a part of all of these clubs in high school, but they all really fit my memory of her. My grandmother was big on tradition especially for the holiday. I have fond memories of her singing and dancing to Jewish holiday tunes and enjoying holiday treats. My grandmother had dreams of becoming a lawyer. Unfortunately, after high school, right at the end of the Great Depression and start of the Second World War, she did not have the means to attend college and started working in a garage as a bookkeeper.

My grandmother came from a family of musicians and dancers and in 1940, my grandmother attended a dance at the Hotel St. George. The hotel had a huge ballroom and was known for hosting dances and other social gatherings during the first half of the 20th century. It was there that Bernice met and instantly fell in love with my grandfather Charles Sarnoff, a first-generation Jewish boy from Brownsville, NY. My grandfather had already enlisted in the army and was waiting to be deployed at any minute. While he was still home, he used to take the trolley from Brownsville to Bushwick to see Bernice. Together they would continue to dance and fall in love. My grandparents got married on April 2, 1944. Shortly thereafter, my grandfather was stationed in Orlando, Florida. Bernice quickly adapted to any situation, and she moved down to Florida to be with him. This is a later picture of them down in Florida.

After my grandfather was discharged, they rented a room on Green Avenue in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I know little about this time period in her life, but I know she wanted to start a family and also have a career of her own. In 1948, my aunt was born, and they moved to Pulaski Street in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. Here, she raised her daughter while also working as a bookkeeper. In 1955, my father was born. Here is a picture of them in front of their building. Eventually they moved to 4120 46th Street in Sunnyside, Queens

My grandfather was a social man. He enjoyed going to dances and dining with friends. Wanting more social interaction with his friends, my grandmother agreed to move the family to Trump Village in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The new Trump development was so popular because it was in walking distance of the Coney Island beach and boardwalk (which I think was a plus for her, too). The family moved between 1964-1965 and that became their permanent home. My grandmother collected knick-knacks and decorated the apartment with a ton of them. My fondest memories are playing with seashells she had collected in Florida and in Coney Island, staring at a beautiful miniature carousel, and admiring the “Children Eating a Pie” painting by Murillo (which apparently was a common painting to have in one’s home during the 1950’s and 1960’s).

At that time, Bernice began working for Robert Originals, a jewelry factory in Manhattan (20 West 36th Street) as their bookkeeper. Robert Originals was known for their custom pieces. My grandmother was in charge of, as she said, “doing the figures,” and making sure all of their transactions were accounted for. She was in charge of the factory’s 100 workers payrolls and she wrote everything by hand in multiple ledgers. I admire my grandmother for keeping track of all the purchases and receipts. As someone who is not good with numbers, I was always in awe how quickly she could add, subtract, multiply, and divide. During this time, she also enjoyed playing Mahjong with her friends, spending time with her children, and taking trips to Florida during the summer.

My grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1994 at The View restaurant atop the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. My grandparents had never been in a limo, so my parents rented one just for them. They enjoyed wonderful food and views. My grandmother who was a huge fan of chocolate cake, enjoyed the Broadway themed deserts the restaurant offered while looking out into the beautiful city skyline.

My grandmother was so excited to have her first granddaughter when I was born in 1996. I was born 3 days shy of her birthday, so I like to think I was a nice present for her that year. My grandparents loved playing with me and watching me grow. As my grandmother would say, “I gave her nachas,” which is the Yiddish word for pride and joy. My grandparents often took me to the park and the irony of this picture is that I actually went to the high school in the background years later.

I have wonderful memories of spending time at my grandma’s house looking at family photo albums, eating food from local restaurants, and listening to stories about her past. My grandmother was one of my biggest supporters. She attended every birthday party and dance recital I had. She boasted to her friends about my good grades, she applauded me when I won awards, and she even willingly listened to my awful clarinet playing. She was always worried I was going to, “knock myself out,” because I had so much energy. I loved spending time with her and savored every moment.

We often went out to eat with our family at Caraville in Midwood, Brooklyn. They were known for their delicious food and even better desserts. While it is no longer open, one of the former owners of Caraville now owns the Mirage Diner and he remembers my family fondly.

My grandmother died in 2011, one year after my grandfather had passed. While she was just an ordinary woman from Brooklyn, she was one of the most extraordinary women that I have ever known. While she was a reserved woman, she had tremendous pride in her family and would boast about them to her friends. Tracing her life has really allowed me to see my Brooklyn roots and learn more about my grandmother’s life journey. I miss talking to her and dancing with her. I honor her not only during Women’s History Month, but every day. Thank you for coming on this journey with me! I hope you saw some new places and even some old familiar ones, too!