Ida Feder Moraff (1902-1962) was born in Tauroggen, Russland on September 3, 1902. She was 10 years old when she came to Cape Breton with her mother Miriam and siblings Fanny, Sophie and Ephraim. Her father Shmuel Aaron and other brothers came to Canada in advance. She attended Whitney School and went to night school. She became a business woman at a very early age in her life, as her family was struggling financially. She worked at Garber’s, a ladies wear shop. She married Hymie Moraff, and had five daughters: Evelyn, Shirley, Sybil, Thelma, and Bernice (Betty). Later she worked in the family business, Moraff’s Ladies Wear on Victoria Road. Ida died of breast cancer in 1962 when she was 59 years old.
Every Thursday, I would come to my grandparent’s house on Victoria Road after school. On Thursdays, Grandma baked bread for Shabbos, and she also made bagels. I would love coming into the house, filled with the most wonderful aromas of fresh baking. The bagels were quite hard, like a Montreal bagel. I would break off a piece, tear it open, and stuff butter into the seam of the warm bagel. There is nothing quite like my grandmother’s bagel – other bagels are a pale shadow of my grandmother’s delicious bagels!
Nate Nathanson had an ice cream parlour on Victoria Road, and my mother as a young girl worked Sundays from 8 a.m to 7 p.m. selling ice cream. When she got off work, Nate gave her a whole dollar. She went to visit Tilley David, a very close friend of her sister Fanny. The family had a stove in the middle of the room. She pulled out a stick of doublemint gum, and instead of throwing the gum wrapper into the stove, she threw in her first dollar! Mom’s favourite ice cream was maple walnut and she loved chocolate-covered ginger candies.
Mother belonged to the Hebrew Women’s sewing club. They used to make bedspreads and tablecloths. She was a founding member of Hadassah in Sydney, and was active in Hadassah for many years.
Cousin Ida’s brother, Ephriam Feder, married my father’s cousin Bella Gaum. Bella was the daughter of Pesach (Phillip) and Minnie Gaum. The Gaum, Moraff and Feder families are all related in many ways as you can see.
Every Thursday, I would come to my grandparent’s house on Victoria Road after school. On Thursdays, Grandma baked bread for Shabbos, and she also made bagels. I would love coming into the house, filled with the most wonderful aromas of fresh baking. The bagels were quite hard, like a Montreal bagel. I would break off a piece, tear it open, and stuff butter into the seam of the warm bagel. There is nothing quite like my grandmother’s bagel – other bagels are a pale shadow of my grandmother’s delicious bagels!
Evelyn Moraff Davis provided this story:
Nate Nathanson had an ice cream parlour on Victoria Road, and my mother as a young girl worked Sundays from 8 a.m to 7 p.m. selling ice cream. When she got off work, Nate gave her a whole dollar. She went to visit Tilley David, a very close friend of her sister Fanny. The family had a stove in the middle of the room. She pulled out a stick of doublemint gum, and instead of throwing the gum wrapper into the stove, she threw in her first dollar! Mom’s favourite ice cream was maple walnut and she loved chocolate-covered ginger candies.
Mother belonged to the Hebrew Women’s sewing club. They used to make bedspreads and tablecloths. She was a founding member of Hadassah in Sydney, and was active in Hadassah for many years.
Cousin Ida’s brother, Ephriam Feder, married my father’s cousin Bella Gaum. Bella was the daughter of Pesach (Phillip) and Minnie Gaum. The Gaum, Moraff and Feder families are all related in many ways as you can see.