Australia
The trip
We left Israel israel first week in August and arrived in Sydney on the 5th September 1955.The trip to Australia took a circuitous route because of the same old story. No ship leaving an Israeli port can go through the Suez Canal. Our first leg was therefore to Venice in Italy. On the way we stopped in Cyprus and did a spot of touring.
We then went through the Corinthian Canal in Greece, a man made canal saving shipping a great deal of distance and therefore time.
When we got to Venice we stayed overnight in a hotel. The next day we took a hideous overnight and overland train trip to Genoa via Milan. Fortunately the train was nearly empty because the wooden bench seats were not built for comfort and I was able to stretch out and slept on and off most of the night. To make it worse, it was quite hot and the window was wide open and being a coal driven train, I remember waking up with my hair full of bits of coal. Mercifully we got to Genoa and boarded our ship, Neptunia. First stop was Naples.
On board the ship Neptunia in Naples
Spectacular castle near the port in Naples.
After Naples it was nonstop to Australia, but this time via the Suez Canal.
An important event took place aboard the ship when we crossed the Equator.
Nellie with a costume and crown is King Neptune’s wife, David far left.
A ceremony takes place whenever a ship crosses the Equator to thank King Neptune for allowing safe passage to the ship across the Equator. A man is dressed as King Neptune and Nellie was chosen as King Neptune’s wife and was dressed up with costume and crown. A short speech to thank King Neptune is made and then a lot of fooling around takes place and ultimately all concerned get dunked in the pool. I played some minor role.
Australia
Our first stop in Australia was Fremantle followed by Melbourne. Finally, on September the 5th we arrived in Sydney and we were met at the wharf by the Steinbergs. We stayed with them for about a week in Bellevue Hill and then moved in with Mom’s step sister Masha Tomchin and her son Paul. They had a grocery shop in Roseberry and a flat above.
I went to my new school, South Sydney Boys’ High School in Randwick. The last term just started and I had a very tough time because my English was quite poor. To make things worse French was mandatory, so I had two languages to contend with.
While Dad always said he liked working in an office, he was unable to get such a job and had to settle for whatever he could get. He got a job in a dry cleaning shop called Smart Little Taylor in Wynyard Arcade in the city, and spent all day taking people’s dirty laundry across the counter. This was a huge step down from representing Israel in Iran. He hated it.
Mum at the same time got a job in the Eveready battery factory in Roseberry, a short walk from Masha’s shop. While she was not enamoured with her job either, they both had a job and income, albeit not great.
Around the end of 1955 we moved to a flat in Naremburn. We had two bedrooms plus a sun room and this became my abode. In the beginning of February I started my new school, Crows Nest Boys High School, where we had four parallel classes. My English was still very poor and I struggled to keep up, but with each term I improved my position and by the end of the final year came 6th in the whole year.
The school was not a particularly good school and was classed as a technical school. We had woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing as part of our curriculum. I did well in these subjects and subsequently was quite good with my hands. Up until the previous year the school only went up to third year and its main aim was to prepare the boys for going into the trades. Professions never got a mention.
Crows Nest Boys High School 2nd Year 1956David top row 3rd from left
Sport was an integral part of school and I alternated between tennis and swimming in the summer and soccer in the winter.
My English improved and I finished up in the school debating team. We had a debate in front of parents and friends during Education Week in 1957
Debate during education week
I joined the school army cadets and stayed through to 5th year and it gave me a good sense of discipline as well as being fun. I was very proud of my uniform. We had camps once a year in the Singleton army base where we had basic field training and while at school we did basic arms training. During Education Week we paraded from the Domain down Martin Place past the Cenotaph, along George St and up Bathurst Street and into Hyde Park. I was given the honour of carrying the flag. It weighed a ton at the start, and became progressively heavier.
Cenotaph at Martin Place 1957
I was given the honour of carrying the school flag during Education Week 1957
In a weak moment in Fifth Year, I allowed the football (Rugby Union) team to talk me into playing the season with them They needed me for my size. We came last in the competition and the nearest we came to winning a game was when we lost only 32 nil.
David: Top row 2nd from the right
In the cadets I was promoted to Cadet Underofficer, the highest rank available to school cadets. It was equivalent to a second lieutenant in the army, one pip on the shoulder and a peaked cap and short jacket for formal wear.
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On Education Week 1959 we marched the usual route and the CUOs (Cadet Underofficers) led the company wearing battle dress, short jackets, slouch hats and gaiters.
The five Cadet Underofficers for 1959
David: Top row on the left
Crows Nest Boys High School
Fifth Year 1959
David: Second row second from the right.
Leaving Certificate 1959
End of high school, end of an era
Dad spent several months working in the laundry while constantly looking for a job in an office where he preferred to work. He finally landed a job in a major electrical contracting company called BGE (British General Electrics). He became a PA to the head of the Mechanical Division John Drabble, being involved in all accounting processes, a job he was most suited for with his contractual work background. Dad was in heaven.
Mum in the meantime got a job as a manicurist in an upmarket hairdressing salon in town doing what she would rather have not.
Sima, Galia, Ann and Natalie arrived in Sydney from China on the 31/7/1956. Dad organised for Sima to have a job in BGE and Galia was able to get a job with the Starks (Geron’s adoptive parents) who had a dress shop with a workroom above. By profession Galia was a dental surgeon but her qualifications from China were not recognised in Australia. In time, she did a conversion course which went on for a couple of years in the dental faculty, got her degree and was able to practise. Ann and Natalie went to high school.
Our families became very close and we got together at every opportunity.
Nellie Dad Sima Babushka Mum Galia Ann Natalie and David - Naremburn
Nellie gets married
Nellie met Geron Puterflam, German born, and after a period of courting they were married on the 15th February 1959 in the Great Synagogue in Sydney.
Wedding party ready to go to the synagogue from Naremburn.
David, mum, Nellie, Babushka, dad and Flower Girl cousin Natalie.
Geron lost his family in the Holocaust in Europe and came to Australia on his own. He lived with Mr and Mrs Stark who became his de facto parents. He worked in the rag trade all his working life.
Nellie and Geron leaving The Great Synagogue after the wedding
David, dad, mum, Nellie, Geron, Mrs Stark, Babushka, Mr Stark
Nellie and Groomsman David
March 1959 our family is naturalized
Reverse
On the thirteenth of March 1959 our whole family attended the Willoughby Town Hall where a mass naturalization ceremony took place and we became Australian Citizens.
It is from the details from the back of these certificates that I finally knew for certain that dad originated from Vyazma and mum from Vitebsk, and my place of birth was listed as Shanghai China.
Betar
Early 1956 I made friends with Leo Goorevich and Shelly Sakker whose parents and mine were acquainted from China. It was through Leo that I started going to Betar meetings, usually held on Sundays, and to the camps which took place every school holiday.
Betar formed the pivotal point of my social life. I look back at those days as the happiest fun filled days of my life where everlasting friendships were made. Betar was a household name for me anyway because of dad’s history in Betar in China, so it was quite natural for me to become part of it here.
While Betar was still in essence a Zionist organisation, it did not have the same fervour that gripped Betar in China. It was a lot more social. We had lectures, “sichot”, and singing Israeli songs and dancing as well as sporting activities. The friendships that formed meant that a lot of our ex-Betar activities were undertaken in big groups like going to movies, beaches, hikes and having parties.
Senior camp December 1960 David sitting on the Magen David
Senior camp 1960 dancing the Hora
Hiking on Bundeena sand dunes 1960
Fancy dress party David and Danielle
L-R Leo Martha Eva David Sailing on Sydney Harbour
Ziva Evelyn Sol David Picnic
Young Etzel at play.
Jack, Alfie VDP, unknown drummer, Henry Bish, David, Ziva Mekler, John Ziegler, Clive Kessler, Alex Freitag, Leo Goorevich
Jam session in camp with Miriam Golovesky, wife of Shaliach Chaim, Tommy Traurig on the accordion, Miriam, Evelyn, Anna, Clive David (on the recorder) and Leo.
Our last year in Betar
University
The year after I finished school I started a Science course at Sydney University. Crows Nest Boys High School did not prepare me too well for University and I finished up having to repeat the first year. This too was a struggle but I got through and switched to second year Medicine. In retrospect, this was one of the worst decisions of my life as it takes the very top notch students to make it through the course. I was not of that calibre. You had to have a near photographic memory to cope with the massive volume of work, and there was virtually no time for revision. Not being an academic, it became all too much for me and after a total of three years at the University I was defeated and demoralised.
During my last year at the University I bought my first mode of transport from money I earned during the holidays. It was a French make, Motobecane, which ran on the smell of an oil rag, an important factor for an impoverished student.
My pride and joy, “Moby”
My first job
My first job was with G.D. Searle and Co., an ethical pharmaceutical company providing medicinal drugs. I underwent a two week course to familiarise myself with the drugs and the various parts of the body they affect. My time at the university came in quite handy. On the first day of the course, the manager asked me to take a box of pamphlets to the lecture room. When I lifted the box which was quite heavy, something went in my back. This came to haunt me the rest of my life as it was not a soluble problem. I visited doctors and chiropractors more times than I can remember, and at the age of seventy one (71) I discovered a way of putting my back in when it went out.
Just before the course started, my manager called me and was strangely awkward when talking about printing business cards for everyone. I caught on straight away and suggested that I use the name Layman instead of Leymanshtein. This was a spur of the moment decision. My manager was quite relieved that he was not the one who had to suggest the change. I have been using the name Layman ever since.
Dad and Sima working in the same place had the obvious problem even though Sima spelt his name Leimanshtein while we were Leymanshtein. Quite often there were confusing situations in the office. One in particular that affected me goes to the time when I had my first job as a Medical Detailer, a fancy name for a Pharmaceutical Representative. The job entailed promoting the company’s drugs to the medical profession. The job involved considerable travel as I was stationed in Newcastle and had the whole North Western NSW as my territory.
Early one morning I set off travelling north and was going at maximum speed as I tended to do in those days, miscalculated the angle of a bridge I was approaching at 100 miles an hour, and went through the rails of the bridge, flew across the river, landed on the far bank and rolled several times before finishing up back on the wheels. Every panel of the car was smashed. I was wearing a seat belt which no doubt saved my life. The car was a total write off. One of the 4x4” timber rails of the bridge speared the car from end to end, pierced the floor behind the accelerator, hit my ankle, and went through the front seat, the back seat and finally speared my suitcase in the boot of the car.
Twelve feet of rail were sitting in the car from end to end. I had two huge bruises on my hips from the safety belt and I was on crutches for two weeks from the bridge rail hitting my ankle. It is worth noting that when the rail passed through the front seat it missed my back side by a few centimetres. In short, I am lucky to be able to tell the story. I was taken to Newcastle Mater Hospital by ambulance where I was treated, and the manager of DHA, the company’s distributor in Newcastle, picked me up from the hospital and took me to the railway station from where I took a train back to Sydney.
When I was still in the hospital I rang my manager in Sydney to inform him of the accident. I then rang my Dad at work to tell him the story as well. In the meantime, my manager called the manager of DHA in Newcastle to ask him to look after me. He then rang BGE and asked to speak with Mr Leymanshtein. Instead of being put through to dad they put him through to Sima and the manager told Sima of my accident. Sima ran to Dad who at that moment was talking to me, and tried to tell Dad that there is someone on the phone about me being in an accident, but dad kept waving his hand for him to be quiet because he was trying to listen to me. Total circus.The next day in the Newcastle Herald there was a picture of the car, and the caption said “A man walked away from this because he was wearing a seat belt”. The authorities were trying to promote the wearing of seat belts as they were not compulsory yet, and this photo suited their purpose.
I stayed with the Medical Detailing job for less than a year. I was bored, and living in Newcastle away from friends and family was unsatisfactory.
Through Geron, I was able to get an agency in the “shmatte” business selling ladies wear in Sydney and NSW country. Subsequently I was able to pick up other agencies which supplemented my income without incurring any extra expenses. During that time I acquired a shop in a Central NSW town called Cowra. This too was a poor decision and after 2 years I closed it down.
At the same time I did a six month course programming computers. Getting a job proved to be impossible as everyone wanted experienced programmers but no one was willing to give that experience. I even resorted to offering my services for free just for the sake of getting the experience but that too met with a brick wall.
We bought a semidetached in Clifton Rd Clovelly. It had three large bedrooms, a lounge room and a dining room. The bathroom was off the dining room and the toilet was off a tiny veranda off the kitchen. There was a tiny front yard and a larger back yard.
Dad’s company BGE merged with GEC and Mr Drabble was put in charge of the Mechanical Division for the combined group. He took dad with him up the line. In later years the whole group amalgamated with AEI and Mr Drabble became the Director in charge of the Mechanical Division. Again he took dad with him. Dad now had a team of qualified accountants working under him although he had no formal qualifications whatsoever. Amazing progress. When dad turned 65 he retired to a well-earned rest.
At this point my luck changed. I met Helen.
The Cousins
Ike and Freda
Ike (Isaac) met Freda in the Israeli Military. They married in October 1957. Their first child Dan was born in 1958. They migrated to the US in 1961 and at first lived in New York where Ike continued with his love for aviation and joined Pan American Airlines. He started a career which spanned 35 years. He progressed from the tool room to being an Aircraft Inspector. He shortened his name to Leiman, for similar reason that I did mine to Layman. Linda was born in July 1963. In 1987 they moved to Florida to enjoy a more pleasant climate.
Ike was forced into an early retirement when Pan American closed down. Ike and Freda enjoyed retirement and travelled extensively.
We met Ike’s daughter Linda in 2015 when we went on a trip to the US. She was now 51 years old. We were going on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale where Linda lives so we made contact and had a lengthy pleasant lunch with her. I learnt family details which I didn’t know and was able to update the information I had. Linda married Filippo Coraci, a Sicilian, and they had three children. David was born 1985, Lisa was born 1989, and Joe was born 1991. At the time we saw Linda, Lisa was about to be married. Linda’s brother Dan lives close to LA but we never got to meet him.
Joseph Lisa and David
Ike passed away in 2008 and Freda passed away in 2014. Linda told us that because of Ike’s love for aeroplanes, especially the Steerman which he worked on while in the Israeli Airforce, he had a model of the aeroplane put on his heart in the casket, and the inscription on his tombstone reads as follows:
Isaac Leiman
“Coming in on final approach. Landed 10th June 2008”
He loved his planes to the very end.
Ann and Alec
Ann married Alec Kanch 29th January 1967
Galia Alec Ann Sima and flower girl, Alec’s sister Natasha
David with the bride
Ann and Alec had two children. Andre was born 12/03/1971 and Lena was born 23/05/1972. Ann was an accomplished pianist and taught piano all her working life and Lena took after her as a pianist and teacher. Lena married Kolia Kulikov and they have three children, Adrian, Andrew and Anastasia. Andre was a qualified ladies’ hairdresser but got tired of it and gave it up. After several changes of occupation, he settled for being a paramedic, and together with his wife Luba, moved to Brisbane. They have two children, Sophia and Larissa.
Andre and Lena
Lena and Kolia Kulikov
Andre.
No pictures of Luba and children available.
David turns 21
Turning 21 is regarded as a major milestone. Most of our crowd were approximately that age give and take one or two years. It’s celebrated in the traditional Australian manner, that is, with lots of drink. It is also customary to do a “chugalug”, in this case there was one and a half large bottles of beer. It is mandatory to drink the lot in one go while everybody sings a bawdy song ending with “drink it down down down”, repeated till the drink is finished. To be honest, when I finished I saw blue stars in front of my eyes.
Mark Silberstein, David drinking, Barry Read, and Ian Groden conducting
There followed a few slurry speeches and the party went on. Our whole family was there and Babushka made her famous beef stroganoff. After the party, I drove everyone home but I can’t remember much about that trip.
Nellie and Geron
The children
Mark was born 9th of July 1963, and Kim on the 11th of January 1966.
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Mark’s Bar Mitzvah 1976 Kim’s Debut 1982
Mark graduates in Commerce Law 1986
Kim graduates in Chiropractic 1988
Natalie marries Michael Vetz
Natalie met Michael in Sydney in 1969 and two years later went to live in Melbourne. According to Natalie, they eloped. They went to live in Melbourne because the degree course that Michael wanted to do was not available in Sydney. They lived together for three years while Michael studied at the Swinburne University and received his Bachelor of Applied Science degree. They got married in a Melbourne registry office on the 7th September 1974 after which they informed Galia and the rest of the family.
Natalie and Michael have two sons, Kris and Timothy.
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