Osias and Emilia Leinweber

The photo was taken in Tel Aviv, in the 1970's. My brother, Osias Leinweber, and his wife, Emilia, are in the photo. Osias Leinweber, my younger brother, was born on 1st March 1932 in Bucharest. He was our first-day-of-spring gift. [Ed. note: 1st March symbolically marks the beginning of spring. People celebrate it by offering flowers and small presents to their loved ones.] Osias didn't go to high school. He chose the way of playing in bands - he had an ear for percussion instruments. He joined Adesgo [Romanian stockings factory that still exists today] to learn a trade and be able to turn an honest buck. There he became a member of the factory band and he went to play at weddings and baptisms. At a certain point, he left Adesgo and got a job in the restaurants business. He played at a restaurant in Ferentari, and then at the 'Dunarea' [restaurant], and the 'Pescarus' [restaurant]. He also played at the dining terrace in Herastrau Park [the 'Monte Carlo' restaurant], until he was hired by the 'Ion Vasilescu' theater company. He went on tours to Israel, Russia, and Poland, and then he came back and played for the 'Savoy' [Theater]. Without letting us know, he submitted his emigration papers and left to Israel [in the 1970's]. He didn't spend much time there. He went to Germany, where he worked for a while, and where he has been living for 30 years. He played with Gaston Marin, the pianist, at a spa [in Germany], and with other Gypsy fiddlers. Some of them would remain there, others would return - all this went on until the communist authorities made it impossible to wander around. Osias had a stage name. When he joined his first artistic band, a Jew from Cernauti told him he would call him Fredy. So, this became the name he was known by in his world of artists and band players. His wife is a Christian woman named Emilia. Even now, at 77 or 78 years of age, she looks very well; she's about 7 years older than my brother. They owned a bistro, but it went bankrupt in 1991 - its location had become unattractive. He applied for his retirement pension, and then he found a job as a receptionist in some hotel. He now works as a sort of guard for some stores. His wife used to be a tailor. She had good drawing skills and worked in a large store. Her retirement pension is not very high. She now works for the Jewish community club in Frankfurt and is highly esteemed.