Phillip Goldstein
Phillip Goldstein came to Saint John from Russia in 1903 with his wife in 1903. He started his working life in Saint John as a tailor and later owned a dry-cleaning business – Phil’s Quality Cleaners on Prince Edward Street.
Rose Goldstein
Rose Goldstein was the daughter of Joshua and Rika Rubin and had a sister.
Goldstein family
Philip and Rose Goldstein had three children – two sons, Benjamin (1908-1993) and Maurice (1910-1985) and a daughter, Bertha (1918-2002).
Ben and Bertha Goldstein
Benjamin Goldstein (1908-1993)
In his younger years, Benjamin Goldstein studied piano in Saint John under Mose Ewing and in Boston, but was told his left hand was too heavy. He played the music for silent movies in the early 1920s at the Imperial Theatre on Kings Square and at the Opera House on Union Street. After “talkies” came in, he turned to playing dance music around the city and in communities in New Brunswick and Maine as part of a 16-piece orchestra under the direction of Alfred Jones and with Bruce Holder’s band.
He opened Ben Goldstein’s Music Centre at 105 Union Street in 1932. He decided to open the business in order to have better service for ordering sheet music. He faced some challenges choosing to open a store in the middle of the depression, but it turned out to be a very successful venture. Later the store relocated to 101 Charlotte Street. Generations of Saint Johners bought their sheet and recorded music at this store. He also sold instruments and accessories. Ben Goldstein handled the music for the New Brunswick Competitive Festival of Music held each spring in Saint John. The store closed for good in 1975.
Ida Goldstein (1907–1983)
Ida Goldstein (1907–1983) was the daughter of Abraham and Mary Freedman and had a sister – Anne (Holtzman) and three brothers – Jack, R. Bernard and Ben. She married Benjamin Goldstein on June 4, 1933. Ida Goldstein helped out in the store when her husband went off to play in some of the local bands. She was well known in the Jewish community for her baking for community events, including kichel, a delicate dessert made from flour, eggs, and brandy and dusted with sugar after baking.
Ben and Ida Goldstein
They had two daughters: Roslyn (1936-2020) and Janet.
Maurice, Bertha and Ben Goldstein
Morris Goldstein
Morris Goldstein married Lillian and moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He worked as a shoe salesman before moving away. He is buried in the Beth Israel Synagogue Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Bertha Goldstein
Bertha Goldstein married Robert Master in January 1957. They had no children. Bertha was employed as a clerk with Princess Dress Shop, Jacobson’s Furniture Shop, and Dalmy’s Ladies Clothing. She volunteered at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum and was a member of Hadassah-WIZO and the Shomer Club.
Bertha Goldstein, age 4
Robert Master (-1979)
Robert Master (-1979) had served in the armed forces of the United States during the Second World War. After he came to Saint John, he married Bertha Goldstein and worked as a taxi driver.
See also: Freedman Family
References:
Louis I. Michelson Archives and Research and Exhibition Files, Saint John Jewish Historical Museum
Marcia Koven – Weaving the Past Into the Present (Saint John: 1989 and 2008)
The Evening Times Globe / The Telegraph Journal (Saint John newspapers)
This project is made possible with funding from the Archaeology and Heritage Branch, Province of New Brunswick through their Exhibit Renewal Digital Component program and the unwavering support of the Jewish families who made Saint John their home.
