My father, Menachem Mendel Kowalson came to Winnipeg in 1905 from the town of Smalki in Bellaruse, just south of today's St. Petersburg, Russia. Three years later my mother, Ada, joined him with 3-year old Annie. The young family settled in the Selkirk & McGregor neighbourhood and five more children were born to them - Anna, Sam, Bella, Morris, and lastly I -Esther.

The neighbourhood was my life, and I hardly knew other parts of the city existed. It was a very cosmopolitan area with Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian interspersed with Yiddish and English. Going to cheder at the Talmud Torah was a fun neighbourhood event - one girl would pick up the next and they would go together to the next house and so on. Together with my friends, I attended Aberdeen School, and later St. John's High School.

My parents practiced their religion. They were active at the Ashkenazi Synagogue where my father was a balkrea. I have strong memories of waiting for the bus at Redwood and Main to take shallach monis to my uncles in Elmwood. My mother was a passionate Zionist, who often did sewing or canning for others in order to earn extra money to send to Israel. She saved as much as she and was able to make a substantial monetary contribution to Israel.

Mother had many passions. She was a voracious reader and also loved tending her plants (especially cacti), listening to Saturday afternoon opera, Orphan Annie, and Coca Cola. I absorbed many things from my mother and especially enjoyed sewing and gardening. My love for sewing later led to a job at Singers on Main Street where I taught dressmaking and enjoyed making samples for the window displays.

My father was completely immersed in the Jewish community and its many activities, but more than anything else, he was a consummate teacher. It is almost 50 years since his death and I still run into former students of his, who speak of him with affection. Busy as he was with his many activities in the community, my father still found time to teach needy students without remuneration. Both he and my mother were an undoubted asset to the Jewish community.

My parents have reason to be proud of their many grand and great-grand children, and I think they would be particularly pleased by the fact that one of them is carrying on the tradition of teaching. For my part, I am proud of my parents, the way they conducted their lives and the values they instilled in their children were exemplary - and this is my tribute to them.