Chana Simpson: Head Counselor Camp Emuna 1956-58, Mother of Bnos Menachem, Tranquil Home - RC Dalfin

it's a tribute for Mrs Hana Simpson the wife of Reb label Simpson the daughter-in-law of Reb ellia Simpson the freedb is secretary foras the Reb's secretary Confidant and much more I'll break this tribute into two parts one is historical biography biography and the other part is some personal Recollections growing up here in B Park her son my good friend yok Simpson the only child of The Simpsons of Hana and label Simpson I spent many time many hours at their house learning together with other there were five of us in B Park who learned inab Parkway and we lived in B Park the winter twins B myself and Y Simpson and shabas afternoon on Long shabas like now we would after the meal in the afternoon we would go over to his house walked over there and um we learned together and then played board games we'll talk about that a little later and how important it is to learn from this environment M for children today but anyway uh KH Simpson was born in Williamsburg in 1936 her father was born 1898 or 1899 I believe he was born here in America as well because his father came over in the 1880s 1890s but her father went back to Europe and then after hit announced his his plan in 193 three with my comp and and all of that he saw the writing on the wall and he said he's going to America his wife didn't want to leave he left and he said I'm ready to send you a visa to come it's either a Visa or a get you know the point being you have to come now of course she came and a few years later uh they had the daughter Han she was one of four believe she had two brothers and one sister growing up in Williamsburg she was exposed to a very very home the parents her her her parents were very from her father never touched his beard here in America in all those years and his he had a bden p he was they came originally from Hungary and the family were were by Nature very from people very people and she grew up in that environment and growing up in Williamsburg she had an education in Bas yako of Williamsburg in fact I have the um the yearbook of 1949 and she's listed there as one of the students who is involved kind of in helping other students maybe teaching a little bit again she was a young um a young teenager then but uh you could see that she was given some prominence it's interesting there's no picture of her in there whether she didn't a want her picture they didn't put it in I don't know there are other pictures and also I I believe in that there's Esther Goldman who became later her sister-in-law is part of that group in this yako of 1949 yearbook anyway she went into teaching she taught in the basak of of the Bron basak of the side bakov of Williamsburg and later even after she married and they opened up a Simpsons jewelry store on 13th Avenue the world famous Simpsons jewelry store the beautiful store and the Beautiful People and the service they've given so so wonderfully well to heeden um for 70 uh 70 years or so um she even taught then in the beginning in in bako part-time and anyway but 1956 after RAB JJ he opened Camp ATA he wanted her and her friend who were not liches to be the head counselors they came he called him for a meeting to his house and he met with them and he told them to pay is so and so they weren't happy with him they said you know they can't do it then you know they said thank you they're going to go to get another job said to them you have two choices either you can walk out through the dining room and you'll be met by the counselors that laich girls from CR Heights a Russian girl from Russian families who just come over and they're going to be your counselors and you'll have to deal with them because they I've told them already that you are the head counselors or you can jump out the window if you want to escape naturally they didn't and they AC became the head counselors issue was that the lifestyle and the culture with the kabad Russian girl girls from Russian backgrounds and had just come to America was very different than KH Simpson and her friend who were Williamsburg girls and grew up in in a much different atmosphere and they couldn't relate to them and they wanted to leave they came to reab said ask the Reb he asked the Reb and the Reb said explain to them what laich is they don't have an idea what kabad is they don't have an idea what laich is in America and how you have to be M car of someone and bring them closer you know and also explain to them that these girls you know they just came there's a certain cultural uh issue here because their parents were running for their lives from Stalin and they didn't really get that education and on and on and on and therefore let them give him some slack you know KH accepted it with her friend and they remained being the head counselors the next year 1957 is when the re came to visit Camp of gave out sidur I believe and when he had ROV give out S I think and when he gave out the S um the Reb gave a big smile seeing KH Simpson because he knew of this you know her her issue and you know how she was upset oh yeah she said that when he when asked her 1957 to be the head counselor again she said I I I agree but it has to be counsels that I bring for bakov he said fine and so for 1957 she brought her own staff but nevertheless that EBA gave her that twinkle of the eye you know with a smile and when she got her s that you know I got you you know and and I'm told that and I saw it myself in in growing up and you know knowing her from the childhood that she became a full-fledged full-fledged laaber you know although they lived the Simpson's um the the family name was fman fman and they lived on bford Avenue across the SAT house originally was the s b medes and naturally they had they had a a c closeness a relationship the families did but they the family himself I believe became because her brother older brother zusa zisha he lived in Heights in the 57 in those years and he became the manahel or one of the leaders in the Yesa the B which was at 184 Brooklyn Avenue where the pH stayed in 19 29 I made a a clip about that the details a videoed it it's um you should look at that but that then that the bever bought that property and that's where he started his Casas in cran Heights and zish fman was his man of the yes they became very close to him so they became but again they first they had lived when they were children they lived in Williamsburg across the SBA so there was a connection there but Hana um being in Campa really got to know kabad from you know kabad even though in those days you know no one was pushing it was a very different time but nevertheless you know the re came she saw the and an interesting story is told that when the re came be she had all the campers line up and they made a a sign and when the walked in he had the children shout out why because she had seen and grew up with the when they would when he would come out from time to time they would say so she by her when a come she knew you say so babbe she was the first M anyway going back to the uh to her development so she was already you know 1956 20 years old in 1959 a cousin of hers Rabbi landow whose mother's maiden name was fman knew label Simpson and also knew her the cousin and and he paired them together and they asked the and the Reb said it was a good idea interesting um their father wasn't so much for the with he was more influenced by sat and Etc um so when he brought to the S when he when he when he said I I have two I he had two suggestions other different other than you know different than the Simpson the said there must be a third he was like shocked how he knew whatever I don't know and um when he heard who the third was he says it's a good family I I know I think Rabbi Simpson you heard of him is was KES KES KES very very holy anyway she marries label Simpson and of course like Lael Simpson was very very quiet those who knew him you can not you can hardly hear any word from him so on the first date they dated you know they met and they dat they met and she's speaking and he's not saying a word so the next time she's not interested in meeting him again I I can't you know marry someone doesn't talk so the next time he he spoke all the entire time and the joke is that he spoke enough more than he spoke the next 50 60 years but anyway they uh opened up the Simpsons jeweler jewelry store and actually the one who on 13th Avenue where the and all 50th Street where it's today it was Ellas Simpson who himself took over his cap had a toolbox and he bang banged in nails and screws whatever into the and the with the panels and he made and he made a little shop for them to do retail jewelry um and they still have the toolbox of rebellia Simpson he was very handy and good good with his hands and that's how it started they went into after years they went into the re and he went to re label and said he's Panos is not making Panos you know he's just paying bills and uh theb said it's Kenn Z can't be Lael was a every V from the Reb didn't ask the said to Ken Z he goes out tells his wife tells Han the says did you ask him but did you tell him but the books we did a we did an accounting and we're not making money she says I he says to her I should tell the I the re said can if the re said it can't be that's the reality and the family says that from that day on they started to make Panos Panos from their store the said it's Ken Z so in other words there has to be a change or you made a mist steak whatever pretty much the rest of her life was dedicated to to helping people to working in the store she was very much involved she didn't many times went to Manhattan to to do the shopping of of jewelry the buying of jewelry and uh for the store you know on wholesale and then they sold on retail things like that I want one other part then lately they opened the school but together open up the store Andel and KH Simpson very much the the financial backers of the Yesa in a big in this of the school of the BOS girl schoolab girl school in CR Heights and I've developed a school that's sh it's beautiful near and good learning and the Simpson family the the and his parents were very much part of it that himself was involved in in the administration and then different things it's not just like you know you write a check and you go and do whatever you want but uh he took a personal interest and his mother Han was was pushing him to get involved and she herself was involved so this is a when the on the way to the oil to be buried the they stopped they stopped at and all the children came out and they said Till him they had papers and they said Till him because she was like the bbby the mommy of of of of B which itself is for her the sh of course not just a few things from growing up when when I went to the house The Simpsons house in the 70s talking about 74 75 76 maybe 73 even it was such a tranquil place it was quiet it was clean they had only one child their son and it the Serenity and the peacefulness was was contagious you know my home and in the Winter's home and some you know we had other siblings and other things you know we came it was my home and the Winter's home with Holocaust homes we were second generation Holocaust Survivors there's tension with that The Simpsons was you know both born in America a blel was born in in in America and was born in America a lot of Tranquility and that itself was so soothing you know soothing feeling such a peaceful feeling this the way I felt I don't know how my friends felt but I I felt this way that's that's the first thing that comes to mind the second thing I would come in and I would see many times um how han Mrs Simpson and and label and reab Simpson are sitting at the kitchen table and sitting and having a glass of tea and just talking a few words you can barely hear you know but that also was a very very uh powerful scene that I saw how a husband and wife you know are communicating and relating in a certain way which wasn't rash noise and friction I don't mean negative friction but you know loud and it was uh was a very important lesson for me as a very young uh teenager to see this finally the when we came there we would learn first and after learning we play board games and and Mrs Simpson would say to me I remember she would call me K my name is k she said it was such endearing love that I I still I still remember it now so this is now 50 um 50 years later or so and and it's it's it's ringing in my ear the the she was a very very warm outgoing person you know and over the years whenever she saw me she would Express that warmth I remember at the the ver of her lat's grandson zoman Simpson I went over to her and I didn't think she would remember me she know she wasn't doing well and oh much older of course and um she remembered me how do I know because the the next day she told y her son oh you know I saw doin and even at the wedding Z's wedding I I got I got around the M over there in the back and I went up to her and she was really really much weaker and I I said ma to her and uh she responded so bem that that these childhood memories live on and we take them as a lesson for us and may her May alah and I can just tell you that she went 100% into the became and interesting I was told that her husband AB Lael never told her what to do about you know religion and if she after a while asked him he would say sometimes yes you do it this way you do it that way he was a very much a so he didn't push you know on her you know I mean again she her she was she came from home but I'm saying not notab but she herself gravitated to that and um has left a beautiful family with grandchildren and and great grandchildren and M will soon see Masia