News You Can Use

RTA NEWS YOU CAN USE

March 19, 2019

A sad message about the passing of
a good friend of Harvey and RTA, George Bishop

We were informed recently that Harvey and Rona Brodsky's dear friend, George Bishop passed away in February. George was an honored member of the tire industry family, and we received this message from his son and family:

Dear Friends,

For those who haven't heard, we wanted to let you know that our father, George, passed away last month.
He lived a full life for almost 92 years and enjoyed his friendships with each of you.

Thank you for being a part of his life,

Karin and Dan

We at RTA honor George, and his family, especially his wife Ditta, and we send our deepest condolences.

Along with his deep ties to the tire industry, George was the former president and CEO of Truflex/Pang Rubber Products and 2001 Tire Industry's Hall of Fame Honoree. Mr. Bishop began his career in the tire and tube repair supply business in 1955 and also received the ITRA's Industry Leadership Award in 1999.

Harvey Brodsky, RTA's founder and backbone, told me many times of his deep friendship with George and his wife Ditta, who survives George. I'm sure Harvey would have wanted to acknowledge his long time friend and the many happy times they shared together over the years.

Through Harvey's connection with George, I learned that George was a Holocaust survivor, of his active involvement with his history and Jewish heritage.

In a letter to Harvey a few years ago, George told of this ongoing connection to his high school years in the City of Cluj in Romania and his efforts, with others, to hold together the group that he had studied with as a young man.

George's efforts were to help reconnect the school group and their loved ones, and we'll share it here with you.
This is George's account in a letter to Harvey from a few years ago:

Dear Harvey,

I have arranged our last school meeting
I probably told you the story: When the Hungarians in 1940 got back Transylvania, (they) promptly threw out all jewish students from the 8 high schools we were attending during the Rumanians who had Transylvania before(1920-1940).

There were 17000 jews in the City, Cluj in Rumanian, Kolozsvar in Hungary.

We managed to open a Jewish high school "zsiglic" in an abandoned cloister, 80 to a room bringing our own chairs

Since all jewish teachers have been fired as well, we got the best, university professors et all.
Every student entered at the same level he stopped in his previous school.

Some graduated the first year, others entered in 5th grade, I in the 10th.
All together 1200 student went through the school in its 4 years of existence

The school operated until 1944, 4 years, when we were deported to Auscwitz, I to Bergen Belsen etc.
Somewhere in 1960, 5 survivors who wound up in NY met, and started wondering who else is alive
Let us have a meeting I said, but with who?

I remembered a  friend in Buenos Aires, one in Toronto a few in Los Angeles other many more in Israel etc.
We started making lists,  writing letters, asking all those we knew to give us other names.

A couple of years later we had a mini meeting in Transylvania, and two years later the first real meeting in Israel.
By then we found survivors in 17 countries and 5 Continents.

Including wives and even some children, we were 300.

One teacher was still alive. We mounted an old fashioned school desk on the podium and the youngest pupil about 50  years old then reported to the teacher: 200 present 1000 absent and we cried.

Ever since then we meet, either in Cluj or in Israel.
I am part of the organizing committee  and the treasurer. I collect money to bring our friends who cannot afford it to the meetings, mostly from Hungary, Rumania and also some Israelis.

This is the 8th and LAST meeting, hopefully 50 will attend but have over a hundred children and grandchildren and a few great grand children. I had my son Dan and Christiana at two meetings.

I wonder if this is a story for the Guiness book of records?

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George's story again reminds us that we must learn from history, or we will be in great danger of repeating those same events. I only personally met George one time, at the home of Harvey and Rona, but he was very kind to me and acknowledged my commitment to RTA and the industry. To those of you who had the privilege of knowing George, we are very sorry for your loss.

If any of you would like us to pass on messages of condolences to Ditta and George's family, please send them to us here and we will pass them on.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• • •

Sometimes,
you have to let go of the picture
of what you thought life would be like
and learn to find joy in the story you¹re living.

You can always reach Jeffrey Parks at RTA by phone at 831-620-5345

or email: jeffrey@retreadtire.org