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"KINDHAYT" (childhood) MEMORIES
*In Yiddish "der vays lign" means the white lie
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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*In Yiddish "der vays lign" means the white lie
The term "icebox" is still used by some older New Yorkers who owned real iceboxes in earlier times. Today, out of habit, they call "der fridzhider" iceboxes.
Sam Levenson ("In One Era & Out the Other") wrote about his mother-in-law (AKA "shviger"), who clung to the old ways and poo-poo'd every new device. "Like so many of her contemporaries, she would not relinquish her old icebox. It stood in the same spot in the same kitchen for a generation. Hidden underneath it was the traditional pan, which had to be emptied regularly. Often there were hysterical screams in the night: 'The pan!' She had even trained her children to be panhandlers. 'Two hands, not one hand; take short steps; don't make waves; don't laugh; don't cough; don't sneeze; wear shoes.'"
And now to the ice man. The ice man was someone who cut, sold, and delivered ice. For every refrigerator that replaced an ice box, the ice man lost a "koyne" (customer).
What were the tools of the ice man? Wires to tie the bags of cubes, hooks, tongs, and ice picks. Being an ice man was a very arduous, "shver" (difficult) and straining lifestyle. The ice man usually began his day at 4:00 a.m. and finished late at night, depending on both the "sezon" and day of the "vokh" (week). Many ice men worked seven days a week and through "yontoyvim" (holidays).
Many people--Jews and non-Jews--have written about their experiences with the ice man.
Jerry Rothfeld wrote, "My Brooklyn was the era of the '30s. Saw the first automatic car wash on Coney Island Ave.--all the kids couldn't believe their eyes. Hot summer days we would wait for ice man so that we get free chunks of ice from back of his wagon." (His neighborhood was East 8th and 9th Sts. between Aves. U & V.)
And Arnold Fine (I Remember When," The Jewish Press, Aug. 3, 2007) wrote, "During the summer months, if it was an extremely hot day, we would take a carriage and walk to an ice house, which was about 10 blocks away to get ice 'wholesale.' Ice at the icehouse was half of what it cost when the iceman brought up ice. So, when the weather really got hot and the ice melted very fast, Mom would buy her regular order of ice from the iceman, and then 'shtilinkerheit,' very quietly, send us to the icehouse with two or three towels and blankets in the carriage. Once at the icehouse, we would buy a chunk of ice for a quarter, quickly wrap it in a towel, then cover the towel with the blanket and start running back to the house before it melted. When we got close to our house, and if the iceman was still on the block, to make believe we weren't scabs, my sisters would stick me in the carriage and I would sit on the cake of ice as if nothing happened. Of course, by this tme the ice was melting, leaving a trail of water as we rode along. I'll never forget one time, as my sister passed the iceman who was a very friendly fellow and wanted to make conversaion, she smiled, pointing to me and said, 'Oy, he has to go to the bathroom, so please excuse me...'Then she ran for the house.
I'm certain he knew we were smuggling ice into the house, but he never let on."
___________________________
Marjorie loves to reminisce. Her favorite
song:
"Those Were the Days" by Mary
Hopkin.
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days.
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