The Bio

Jacob Berman was (probably) born Yankele Belzczik in “Kricthilik,” near Rovno, Russia (now Rivne, Ukraine) in 1892. He came to the U.S. with his father Pinchas Yosef in 1905(?), with his mother and his sisters, Jenny, Bella and Sarah following in 1912, by which time his father had changed his surname to Berman His father was a butter-and-egg man in Philadelphia, and Jack helped him in his store until he married Rose Brodsky in 1915, at which point the young couple moved into the Brodsky family home.

Jack set up his first grocery store at 19^th and Dauphin. He and Rose moved above the store and Sylvia and Mort were born while they still lived there. Then they moved to an apartment above a dry-goods store on Girard Av. where Arnold was born. They stayed there until 1929, when they lost their store with the market crash.

From here they moved to a grocery store on Susquehanna Ave. which also failed in 1931. At this point they moved back in with Rose's mother and two sisters, Freda and Berthe (her father Yehiel had died in 1927), just a few doors down on Columbia St. in West Philly from the Zeitlins.

Jack opened another grocery store at 62^nd and Malvern, which Mort named "Teach Your Dollars More Cents," painting the sign himself. This sign nearly put Jack into court for copyright infringement, as, unbeknownst to Jack and Mort, this was the trademark of a Baltimore chain of stores. The sign was quickly removed and no damage was done. The family was getting ready to move above the store when it, too, closed.

In 1935 they moved to 60^th and Allman where Jack opened another grocery store. This proved to be more of a success. Rose helped out in the store, as did the boys whenever they could. Jack, however, ordered the goods, made the signs, set the prices and, in short, ran the operation. He also made his own cole slaw and potato salad, which he sold in the store.

By this time, Sylvia was married and Jack was a short, round, bald and jovial model grandfather. To his customers he was Mr. Berman, but to his family and friends, he was Jack. He almost never smoked or played cards (typical pastimes for Brodsky family get-togethers). He had a driver's license for a while, but then lost it when he lost the car and never renewed it when he got a new one. This, however, did not stop him from driving like a cowboy. Though stopped occasionally for his driving habits, he always managed to talk the police out of ticketing him before they had time to ask for his license!

On New Years Day, 1956, Jack and Rose celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary. One year later, Jack was working in the store as usual when he felt ill. At the hospital it was discovered that he had a heart condition. He was left in the hospital for the night, though he said he felt fine and told the staff he wanted to go home. That night, he passed away.