Im catching the end of WQEDs rebroadcast of Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn (Great Performances) and Im all farklempt, hearing her beautiful rendition (with Chris Botti) of Irving Berlins Whatll I Do? My beloved grandmother, Bertha Robins, used to sing this with my brother, Jeffrey, when he was a small child. My grandmother came by herself, at the age of fifteen, to this country, with only the clothes on her back, and her lunch, which was stolen. She came through Ellis Island, and worked as a milliner, in the sweatshops, on the Lower East Side, until she met my amazing grandfather, Oscar Robins -- (a distant relative) who married her, and then moved to Pittsburgh.(He died, before I was born, and I am named for him. He was an insurance agent for New York Life, and a devoted supporter of Jewish causes.) She was such a loving grandmother, who is still missed, today(she died in 1975, the year I began my work at KDKA-TV.) She was self-educated, loved to read the newspaper, appreciated the talents of Marie Torre, and taught her children and grandchildren the wonder of music. She had a beautiful voice, herself, and took her children (including my mother, uncle, and aunt) to the YM&WHA concerts, to see some of the finest classical musicians perform in Pittsburgh. She taught all of us an appreciation for opera, and knew all of the plot lines, as well as the music. My grandmother is certainly missed today (along with her daughter -- my mother). Music has that power to bring back memories, and there is no one better than Barbra Streisand, to make that happen (The Way We Were).
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 07:02:45 +0000
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