Spotlight on...  BERNIE AND RUTH WALDOW

Bernard (Bernie) and Ruth Waldow met at a B’nai Brith Social on March 11, 1949.  It was a chance meeting that has lasted for over 62 years together.  After only one month of knowing each other, Bernie was sure Ruth was the one.  He proposed, she said yes and 8 months later they were married. 

Before meeting Ruth, Bernie served in the Army from June 1943 to Dec 1945.  At the age of 20, in December of 1944, his Division was moved into position along the border between Belgium and Germany.  The ten of them in his squad were based in a road house that eventually got surrounded by the Germans.  Not receiving their supply of ammunition they ended up having to surrender.  The next 4 months of his life were spent walking or riding in boxcars to four different prison camps.  Sleeping on wooden shelves, straw mattresses and eating only one slice of bread with a bowl of soup each day.  Bernie was a prisoner of war, but was lucky enough to make it back to New York on May 14, 1945, Mother’s Day, and of course the first thing he did was call his mom to let her know he was okay and on his way home. 

Ruth and Bernie came to Adat Shalom before they were actually members.  They were members of Beth Torah and had many friends at Adat Shalom that were members and would join them for events.  After the merger of the two temples, they stayed and have enjoyed everything from services, programs and events.  Their favorite program is the Friday Night Shabbat Dinners.  “It is a comfortable place to be, haimish, and we love Rabbi Perlo”, said Ruth.  She is involved with the Nifty Fifties at Adat and has served as President for three terms already.  The Nifty Fifties is a group of about 20 couples (in their 70’s and 80’s) that get together once a month for a meeting and once a month socially for a dinner or play.  And they are looking for more members.

Together, over the years, they have done amazing things.  The two of them have been volunteering since 1965 for the City of Hope.  Shortly after participating in a fundraising drive for a friend with leukemia in the early ‘70s, the Waldows helped to create a chapter called the Dorothy Polansky Chapter and have raised over $2.4 million.  This was done through a City of Hope Thrift store in Culver City.  They did business for 33 years and Ruth was the one who ran it until it closed 5 years ago due to rent increases on the building.  They opened it, worked in there and did everything for it until the last day.  Bernie has also been President of the Chapter for over 45 years now.  He says that all the things they are involved with is what keeps them young. 

Ruth and Bernie have 2 adult boys.  One is married with 2 children and lives up north and the other lives in Los Angeles nearby.  In her spare time Ruth tends to her garden and is a great cook.  And Bernie is very supportive of everything Ruth does.

When asked what one thing would you take with you if you were on a deserted island?  Ruth said she would take Bernie and Bernie said he would take Ruth, they answered almost simultaneously!