My name is Batsheva Ettinger. I am a highly motivated, pre-dental, American, Jewish girl. The person I am today is very strongly influenced by my roots. Looking back at my father’s parents who immigrated from Poland and my mother’s parents who were born and raised in Brooklyn, both played a major role in my development into the person I am today.
My father’s parents both lived in Poland when World War II broke out. My father’s father, Tzvi Ettinger, grew up in Zholkva, Poland until he was 25, when the war hit. Life was very difficult then. He was imprisoned when he tried to avoid being drafted to the Polish army. Then, in 1940, he was drafted into the Russian army and later was deported with his unit to Siberia where he suffered from unfathomable horrors—freezing winters, starvation, and diseases—until the end of the war in 1941. When he returned home, he found that his entire family had perished.
My father’s mother, Zeisel Steiger Ettinger, grew up in Sanok, Poland until she was 12 years old. The only trade she learned was to be a seamstress, as was traditional for women in Eastern Europe at the time. Then the German’s came. Like many other Jews, she was deported with her family and shipped off on a cattle car for 6 weeks—a car packed with bodies, with no food, no escape and diseases spreading like wildfire. She ended up in Siberia where she and her father caught malaria, and although she barely survived, her father succumbed to the disease. My grandmother wrote a memoir of her experiences, calling it “The Darkness of Siberia”, to pass on to her children. Through this book, we were able to learn many of her tragic stories of suffering. She describes how they weren’t tortured or killed, but they were forced to work in such terrible conditions that many people became ill, including her father. She wrote, “Our father became swollen, his feet don’t move. The worms are eating him alive, the situation is so tragic, I know he will not survive…we are here to die.” She also wrote about a strong will to survive that allowed her to withstand the unbearable conditions. Knowing how she fought adversity proves to me that my heritage is one of survival and strength.
My father’s parents met after the war in a DP camp and immigrated to the US with just the clothing on their backs. Here, they worked hard to build themselves up, living the “American Dream” of coming from nothing and working to become contributing members of society. Without the benefit of parents or family support, they made their way in their new home. My grandfather worked in a clothing factory and my grandmother as a seamstress and together they made a life for themselves in Cleveland and eventually in Brooklyn. Although they worked menial jobs, they managed to save up enough to buy a house and live comfortably. Together, they were living proof that immigrants can succeed and thrive.
Though neither got an advanced education, both of my father’s parents strongly believed in getting a good education. Ironically, neither of them had the opportunity to pursue an advanced education because of the war that interrupted their lives. Their encouragement and support, however, led my father to pursue a BS and MBA degrees, and his certification as a CPA. He now has his own accounting practice with many employees and continuously reaps the benefits of the hard work ethic that my grandparents taught him. In addition, my father has been in charge of helping distributing the assets of a few of his wealthy clients to charitable organizations. He has been using this opportunity to give to the community and fund Alzheimer’s research as well as supporting schools of needy communities in Israel.
Throughout the hardships my father’s parents faced in Europe and the economic difficulties that they went through in America, there was one thing they constantly held on to: their faith. It was their love and connection to Judaism and their belief in G-d that helped them persevere. This passion was passed down to me, connecting me to my religion in a sincere, real way.
My maternal grandparents lived very different lives than my father’s parents. My mother’s parents were both living in America during World War II. They both attended Brooklyn College, the first of many in my family to attend this school. My mother’s father, Seymour Grumet, grew up in Williamsburg where his father owned a grocery store. He attended a private Jewish Yeshiva and studied to become a Rabbi. After studying education and Hebrew in Brooklyn College and earning a masters in school administration from City College, he began to teach and eventually became the principal of a public school in Brownsville. He worked for the Board of Education for many years. He was a beloved educator and administrator who earned the respect of the communities he served. When he finally retired, he took the opportunity to give to the community. Even though he was a very learned man, he believed that there’s always more to learn, so at 65 years old he went back to studying Rabbinic law. Feeling the need to give to others, he drove disabled or elderly people to pray or learn. This was always his attitude: to constantly be doing, giving, helping and growing.
My mother’s mother, Harriet Weinstein Grumet, studied education as well. Growing up during tough economic times, her family did not have much. She became an elementary school teacher and worked for the Board of Education, just like her husband. Eventually, when she made enough money, she bought her parents a television, phonograph, and sewing machine. After raising her children, she went back to school for a masters degree in educational evaluation, and then worked many years in that specialty.
My mother continued the “legacy” of attending Brooklyn College and teaching, and is in fact currently a part time professor at Brooklyn College in the Computer Science Department.
I am the youngest of seven kids, each of whom (until my twin and I) have gotten a BA/BS and a master’s degree. The work ethic that my grandparents passed down continues to influence all of our lives. My schooling, my religion, my experiences, are all a product of my roots. I am living at home now and attending Brooklyn College, as my parents and my mother’s parents, as well as a few of my siblings, have done. I practice my religion with pride and I am proud to be a part of the Jewish community—a community that values education, health, and benevolence. This affected my decision to pursue a career in dentistry which will allow me to help others in the future.
My roots taught me to appreciate every moment of life and live it to the fullest. I learned from my father’s parents to value my privileges and to work hard to succeed. And I learned from my mother’s parents to give to others in my community and pursue what I enjoy. My roots taught me that anyone can make something of themselves. And they taught me to work hard and persevere to reach my goals. This is who I was taught to be and it is the person I hope to become.
