“Unpacking the memories of a family store” – A Jewish Advocate Feature Story, published June 29
UNPACKING THE MEMORIES BEHIND A FAMILY STORE
With documentary, daughter delves into her parents’ past
By Tana Goldberg, Special to the Jewish Advocate | Published June 29, 2012
Imagine walking into a department store and being greeted by a large “NO BROWSING” sign. Then, when you ask if a jacket comes in another color or size, the owner kicks you out and tells you to shop elsewhere.
That was the experience of generations who shopped at Birke’s Department Store in downtown Lowell, often described as the T.J. Maxx or Marshalls of its day with regard to quality and pricing. However, shopping at Birke’s was not for the timid or faint-hearted – that is, if owner Nathan Birke was around.
But behind the gruff exterior was a man who could crack you up with a joke and break your heart with his story.
That story has been turned into a documentary film, “Browsing Through Birke’s,” by his oldest daughter, Szifra Birke. “It was a funny title for the film, because you couldn’t browse through Birke’s if my father was there,” Szifra said. Fortunately for the success of the store, Nathan was not in Birke’s much of the time, as he was out meeting with vendors and wholesalers.
But “Browsing Through Birke’s” is more about a marriage than it is about merchandise.
The tale begins on the streets of Lodz, Poland, in late 1939, after the city had fallen under Nazi occupation.
One day, Nathan Birke, a prosperous entrepreneur in his 30s, happened to offer a ride to an itinerant carpenter named Lazer. When they arrived at Lazer’s home, he invited Nathan inside because it was close to curfew. There, Nathan met Lazer’s beautiful 18-year-old daughter, Sally. As she would later tell the story, Nathan took one look at her and “he never left.”
On March 24, 2012, “Browsing Through Birke’s” screened at Congregation Beth Israel in Andover, MA, and included a post-film Q&A with Szifra Birke. Many of the people who attended had memories of the Lowell store and their shopping experience there, which they agreed was unlike any other. Among the attendees were Carol Courtessi Marchand, Marsha Driscoll McGee, Ann Kinneen Desrosiers, Elaine Quigley Sheehan (alias “Dungaree Doll”), and Barbara Albert Sturtevant, who all exclaimed:
“We loved Szifra’s presentation! As graduates of the ‘Birke’s School of Shopping,’ we always felt so fashionable because our clothes came from New York!”
A remarkable time was had by all — a special thanks to everyone who attended and shared so many of their memories!
Welcome: The Birke Story
Dear Friends:
Thank you so much for visiting this special site dedicated to a truly remarkable story: that of my parents, Nathan and Sally Birke, and the community they created in their adopted home of Lowell, Massachusetts. It is in their honor that I helped produce the hour-long documentary film “Browsing Through Birke’s,” which highlights the journey my parents made as Holocaust survivors in Poland to entrepreneurs and business-owners in the United States. This site was not just created to honor their spirit, but to continue telling their story through the eyes and voices of all of those who met or befriended them.
As you learn more about their journey and the circumstances that brought them to America, I hope you will keep in mind your own stories of family, friendship, and success. I hope you will use this website to stay connected to us and to share your own memories and thoughts of the Birke family, including our beloved Birke’s Department Store. Feel free to leave your comments on this page anytime or contact me personally at szifra@birkeconsulting.com.
Thank you for visiting, and please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Szifra Birke
Visit the Birke’s Department Store Photo Gallery with amazing photos by Kevin Harkins
browsingthroughbirkes.com 