Frieda & Schick Feinberg
January 9, 2018 |
Fate has always played an important role in Schick and Frieda’s lives.
They were married in January 1949 after meeting each other on a double blind date. They were not originally dating each other that evening but a single word “MESHUGAH” brought them together. Frieda overheard Schick say that Yiddish word to his date and knowing Yiddish herself began a conversation that has lasted over sixty-eight years.
Frieda grew up in Dresden, Germany and moved to the United States when she was eleven. Her father was already living in the United States and her older siblings had escaped Germany to Israel. It was time for Frieda and her mother to take the long voyage from Antwerp to New York. They were in the hotel, when they heard an announcement asking for them to come to the office. Afraid that they were in trouble or being sent to a concentration camp they made their way to the office only to find out they would not be able to sail on the original ship. They were told to wait for another boat that would leave in two days. They waited the two days and boarded the new ship only to hear a startling announcement. The ship that they had originally been set to sail on had sunk and there were no survivors.
Schick had his own experience with fate during the war. He was stationed in Tokyo when he was walking to the synagogue on a Friday night with three other Jewish GI’s. On the way they ran into General Douglas MacArthur who asked, “Where are you young soldiers heading at seven pm? They told him they were going to Sabbath services and he said, “Glad to see we have some pious young soldiers.” And they said,” Thank you, Sir.”
Frieda and Schick credit their marriage to ballroom dancing, bowling, playing poker, loving life and “never going to bed angry.” Frieda says, “He’d smile and I couldn’t stay angry.” Fate brought them together and blessed them with two children, nine grandsons and fifty-three great-grandchildren and as of today two great-great-grandchildren and counting.