ESRA Magazine
ESRAmagazine
ESRAmagazine categories

Ruth’s Century of Memories

Ruth Lapan today with birthday flowers

Hearty congratulations to Ruth Lapan who has recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Born in Portland, Oregon, on November 27, 1915, she moved in her youth with her parents and sister to New York's Lower East Side. Later on she lived in the Bronx. In her twenties during World War II Ruth was one of the first female students admitted to study education at the City College. She taught grades 1-8 at an elementary school.

Ruth was involved in the arts: dance, classical music and so on. She played tennis near her home, and was an active sportswoman. At a late age she wed Arthur Lapan. Her mother was pleased with this marriage, because Arthur, a philosopher, spoke "Mamaloshen and even nowadays Ruth recalls Yiddish phrases. In the late 1970s, the Lapans immigrated to Israel and settled in Zichron Yaacov where she lives today in the same house. It was at the Nili elementary school that I met Ruth, who volunteered at the library. I started visiting her at home and we had enlightening conversations. She has contact with sister who lives in New York near the Lincoln Center, and who is still working at the age of 98. Ruth is a vegetarian and is a regular customer at her local organic food shop. She enjoys a good glass of wine with her meal. Nowadays she lives with a lovely Filipino caregiver with whom she often enjoys a concert at Elma.

She joins her friends at the monthly ESRA brunches, and even hosts her close friends from time to time for the monthly Shabbat dinners. In her free time she listens to, and absolutely loves, Maria Callas, her favorite opera singer, and she enjoys classical ballet. She still thinks of returning to the Big Apple because, she says, "it is quite boring here in Zichron". She adores Central Park and thinks that its planner was brilliant, "such a wonderful place it is". At Chanukah, we lit the candles and we sang together the brachot. Ruth, we wish you many more years of health and happiness.

Ruth Lapan in her younger days (left), enjoying sport(right)


Betty Kazin made aliyah from Holland in 1964. She took part in excavations at Massada, worked in hotels, and now organizes workshops at the TechnionS

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Guest
Thursday, 28 March 2024

Captcha Image

Israel

MagazineIsrael- 2019-homepage
There are pockets of coexistence
which kindle hope.
Old cities and very new cities with amazing stories
Find out about the Israeli art scene
The best tours in Israel with ESRA members