Number 09: My parents held a dinner at our home, Livsof, in Bantry Bay on the Friday night before the wedding of Avrim Paradisgarten to Beryl Opland on Sunday 27, 1967. Avrim is my eldest first cousin. It was also the birthday of Avrim’s father z”l, my Uncle Hymie, on Friday the 25^th. Sunday 27 December was the Silver Wedding Anniversary of Hymie and Millie his wife!  I was a flower girl at the wedding together with my cousin Debbie Sirkin. Their wedding was during Chanukah, so all the cousins stood together, lit candles and  sang Chanukah songs at the Wedding Reception.

Avrim & Beryl subsequently changed their surname to “Eden”. They live in New Jersey, USA, with their children and grandchildren fortunately living quite close to them. Avrim & Beryl are very family conscious and caring. Despite the distance, we keep in close touch with them and also manage to see each other from time to time.

Growing up we were fortunate to have many cousins, although not all of them lived  in Cape  Town. In this group photo my Dad is there with my Mom  and all her siblings and their spouses, and also some of my first cousins on my mother’s (Paradisgarten / Sirkin) side.  

Often for Pesach and Rosh Hashana we would get together and celebrate the Chaggim. Sadly most of the family now live outside of South Africa in Canada, Australia and Israel. On my Mom’s side l had 18 first cousins. One, Cyril Rabinowitz, has sadly passed away. Of the remaining 17, 15 live overseas.

Besides Louis and Rae and their family, all the others lived in Cape Town at the time.

Written by Sheryl

In the photograph from the back left : My Dad with my Mom sitting in front of him.

Avrim Eden with Beryl in front of him.

Hymie Paradisgarten with Millie in front of him.

Benjy Rabinowitz with Sylvia in front of him.

Hymie Baker with Milly in front of him.

Morris Sirkin with Leah in front of him.

Louis Sirkin with Rae (obscured in front of him).

In front standing: In orange – Sharon “Shonny” Ben-Zion (nee Rabinowitz);  Ilana Edelstein, my sister; Linda Geva (nee Sirkin); myself: Sheryl Schkolne; Debbie Danilewitz  (nee Sirkin); Shelley Givati (nee Sirkin); Samuel Paradisgarten.

In front  on the floor. Ingrid Elbertsen (nee Sirkin); my sister Margo Gordon (nee Edelestein); Athene Hummel (nee Sirkin); Clive Sirkin; Trevor Sirkin (obscured  by holding Jacque the French poodle we had).

Missing from the photograph is Steven and Ivan Paradisgarten; Ruth and Sandra Baker; Solomon, Elaine and Cyril Rabinowitz. My brother Sascha Edelstein and cousin Bradley Sirkin had not yet been born.