By Ron Karpel

Haya was born in Poland on October 22, 1921, to Yitzhak and Hannah Bornstein. Hannah and Yitzhak had four children – Tuvia and Tzipor were older than Haya, and David was her younger brother. The family was financially secure, but their commitment to Zionism led them to make Aliyah to Israel in 1925 when Haya was just three years old. They settled down in the growing town of Haifa, designated by the British Mandate as the main port of entry into Israel. As work began to construct a breakwater for the new port, Yitzhak bought a cart and a mule and made his living transporting large rocks for the construction. The work on the port continued from 1927 to 1933. He also transported construction materials used for building the new neighborhood of Hadar Ha’Carmel, higher up on the mountain. Yitzhak passed away on December 13, 1934. To support her family, Hannah opened a grocery store in Hadar Ha’Carmel and lived in an apartment opposite the store on 11 Yosef St. Haya, who was only 11 years old at the time, had to drop out of school and help her mother take care of the home, her little brother David, and assist with the store.

Zeev

Zeev Fine trained as an auto mechanic and driver, skills that were in high demand in 1930s Israel. When they met, he was employed at a bus company’s repair shop. Haifa boasted several cooperative bus companies: “Chavr”, “Hakesher”, and “Mishmar Ha’Mifratz”, each serving different parts of the city and its surroundings. Eventually, these companies merged into a single cooperative named “Shahar”. Zeev was in charge of the repair shop at the Shahar bus company when he fell in 1948. Haya and Zeev tied the knot in 1941. At the garage where Zeev worked, there were also a few British citizens. They expressed interest in attending the wedding to experience a Jewish ceremony. However, Zeev and Haya preferred not to have foreign guests at the ceremony. Therefore, they sent out two sets of invitations: one for relatives, specifying 6 PM as the time of the chuppah (Jewish bridal canopy), and another invitation for the British guests, indicating 7 PM as the time of the reception following the chuppah. The British guests were disappointed not to witness the chuppah. At the time of their marriage, Haya was 20 years old, and Zeev was approximately 22 years old.

The date on the picture above is June 28th, 1939. In Hebrew, the date is written day/month/year. She wrote “For You Zeev 28/6/39”. This indicates that they were likely dating at the time the picture was taken.

Yitzhak was born in 1944, and Erela in 1947. Zeev and Haya worked and saved until they could afford to buy a share in the transportation cooperatives “Shahar”. Formed in December 1947 from a merger of the cooperatives “Chaver” and “Mishmar Hamifratz” operating in the Haifa area, “Shahar” later merged and became the cooperative “Egged” (Greater Haifa Services). Today, it is known as the “Egged” Transportation Company LTD. “Shahar” was a cooperative company, and by purchasing a share, Zeev became a full-fledged member of the cooperative with all associated rights.

During the civil war (30 November 1947 – 14 May 1948) between Arabs and Jews, prior to the outbreak of the War of Independence in May 1948, Haya and Zeev resided in Kiryat Haim near Haifa. Zeev worked full-time as a mechanic at Shahar. Some records indicate he was the head of the repair shop during the day and volunteered to serve in the Haganah at night. On the day before Pesach Eve, Zeev, accompanied by his co-worker Shraga Goodes, was dispatched to retrieve a bus that had broken down on Mount Carmel. While returning from Mount Carmel, between Nesher and Kibbutz Yagur, they inadvertently found themselves in the midst of a battle between the forces of Kaukji, who had come to assist the Arabs in Northern Israel, and the Haganah’s Battalion 22, which had been sent to halt them. The Haganah won the battle and drove Kaukji forces away, but Zeev and Shraga were killed. Haya was left alone to care for her children, Yitzhak, aged 4 1/2, and Erela, just 9 months old.

The next day, the Arabs fled from Haifa, including most civilians. Although the Jews emerged victorious, 24 individuals were killed in the battles. Haya received an invitation to a large room in a house on Nabiyim St., where all the fallen soldiers’ bodies were laid out on stretchers. Relatives came to identify their loved ones. Since it was the eve of Passover, the fallen soldiers needed to be buried that day. The funeral procession passed through Herzl St., and then they boarded buses to reach the cemetery near Tirat HaCarmel. Almost all of Haifa’s residents at the time attended the funeral, everyone who could. Aunt Tzipora recounted accompanying Haya during the funeral procession, sitting behind her on the bus journey to the funeral. Given the ongoing danger of traversing the city center, as not all Arabs had fled, and uncertainty lingered regarding whether those who remained would continue to harass Jews, the buses ascended Mount Carmel and descended the unpaved Derech Ayam road to reach the area of Tirat HaCarmel. This account is drawn from Roni’s recollection of Haya’s story.

Passover eve after Zeev fallen…

Haya moved back to live with her mother Hana at 11 Yosef St. for assistance with raising Yitzhak and Erela, as well as to support Hana at the store. Her full share at the bus cooperative company provided some financial support during this challenging time. Hana’s grocery store, while a source of income, was insufficient to sustain the extended family on its own.

Simha

Simha and Haya met at a ball organized by the Jewish Agency of Israel for widows of the Israel War of Independence. At the time, Simha was grappling with an ulcer, which he attributed to inadequate nutrition at the Soviet gulag during the Second World War. He contemplated traveling to his brother Gershon in Canada, seeking better medical care than what was available in Israel at the time. Simha found himself torn between marrying Haya and traveling to Canada. During one of their dates, Haya told Simha that he needed to get serious. She was not willing to continue dating him unless he offered her marriage. This conversation took place as they were walking up Ha’Tzionut Avenue, a road that ascends steeply on Mount Carmel. After saying he needed to be serious, Haya walked quickly up the road towards the bus stop near the Baha’i Gardens. Simha, realizing the gravity of the situation, hurried after her and proposed marriage at the bus stop—an anecdote recounted by Zeevi, Yitzhak’s son.

When Moti was born, Grandma Hannah still ran the store, and Haya assisted her there. When Ronny came into the world, Erela would take him for walks in a stroller along the street. Passersby would often stop and admire the baby, asking, “Whose cute baby is this?” Erela, who was around 8 years old at the time, proudly replied, “Mine.”

Building a new family from two broken ones, especially for the children, is a challenge. Yitzhak, who was older, advised younger Erela, “He, Simha, is not really your father. You do not need to do as he says. ” Simha embraced the children with immense love, treating them as if they were his own. Even wanted to adopt them formally. However, Haya objected, wishing to preserve Zeev’s memory and surname in Erela and Yitzhak. Simha never made distinctions between the children. Erela says she has never felt discriminated against. I too have never felt discrimination, only when I grew up did I learn that Erela and Yitzhak have a different father. When Erela married her husband Haim, Aunt Malka, David’s wife, said to Simha that the wedding was very beautiful. Simha replied “I am marrying her (Erela) like a princess, because she is an orphan.”

In 1956-57, they relocated to Mount Carmel in Haifa, settling into a 2-bedroom apartment on the 1st floor of 26 Havradim St. (now Halilach 3), offering 90 m2 of space, which was a considerable upgrade for the expanding family. The building had only one other apartment on the 2nd floor, and the entrance was shared with a similar, mirrored building, Havradim 24. A few years later, a significant remodeling project was undertaken, adding a 3rd bedroom for Yitzhak, enclosing two of the balconies, and expanding the living room and kitchen. The neighborhood was still in its early stages of development and sparsely populated. In the nearby wooded valley, wildlife, particularly jackals, was occasionally spotted. There were only a few other apartment buildings in the area, along with a couple of single-family homes. Haya resided in the same apartment until her passing in 2013.

Reluctantly, Haya allowed Erela to reside and study at Kibbutz Mizra with her cousin Mati, who was the son of Shmuel, Zeev’s brother. Many joyful weekends were spent with Simha driving the entire family in the Chevrolet truck to visit Erela at the Kibbutz. The kibbutz boasted a meat factory, and Simha always made sure to purchase products from the factory shop. As a child, I particularly enjoyed the sausages from Kibbutz Mizra. Grandpa Shlomo, Zeev’s father, lived in Afula, a short distance from Kibbutz Mizra, so naturally, we stopped by his place as well. Despite being religious and refraining from travel on Shabbat, Grandpa Shlomo understood the importance of flexibility in maintaining family unity and agreed to have Simha bring the family to him on Shabbat. It wasn’t until I grew older that I learned that Grandfather Shlomo was not my biological grandfather. Nevertheless, he was the only grandfather I had ever known

Trips to Europe…

Erela officer graduation…

Simha passing…

Ludwig…

Grand Children and Extended Family…