The Berman Book

The Berman Book First Edition May 1986 Second August 2018

To Bergen and Michael Love Kath

The images here are reproduced from the original book discovered in Es’ archives and recreated by Kathy for the wedding of Michael and Bergen 26 August 2018

Written, Designed and Created by Essie (Dr. EsmĂŠ Berman) For Michael In his First Year.

To commemorate his Antecedents from Africa

Dedication  

Letter from the Author - and Grandmother To Michael

EsmĂŠ: Author, Educationalist, African, Intellectual, Artist, Designer.. and now Grandmother, committed herself to educating her months-old grandson about his genealogy and heritage.

May 1986

And so a book was the logical item to create.

Reproduced here

2

Who Am I?

Es apparently called Michael Paw-Paw then. An African version of the American Papaya.

Is there a reason for calling him PawPaw? Look at the picture of Michael in a car - orange with black round wheels.

Look at a paw-paw: orange with black round pips.

The Parents made it to Page 3… after paw-paws

3

The Bermans 


Es and Hi

Genealogy 101

4

The Berman Family Tree

5

Great Grandparents

Teddy & Bobsy - Es’ parents

Love Kath

And Hi-Hi’s parents ….

The images here are reproduced from the original book discovered in Es’ archives and recreated by Kathy for the wedding of Michael and Bergen 26 August 2018

Great (Great) Grandparents

Bobsy’s….

Teddy’s….

7

The Berman Family of Africa

David, Russell, Kathy….

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And (of course) Hi-Hi




Essie

& Hi-Hi

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And Back to  

Russell and David in Africa

Love Kath

The images here are reproduced from the Kathy too original book discovered in Es’ archives and recreated by Kathy for the wedding of Michael and Bergen 26 August 2018 11

And More Berman Stories..  

Extended family.. Some of which ‌just .. exited and ended.

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The Cohens of Dallas  

This book focused on the Berman African Family Tree.

The Cohen Dallas Tree awaits recordal by another author in another book‌

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And‌ Michael Jason Berman.

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There were more creative greetings from Es over the years‌

By EsmĂŠ Berman (undated)

And even more…

By Esmé Berman (undated)

Methodically archived and labelled.

For discovery when the time was right‌

But Now

It’s time for a New Book:

The Bergen & Michael Book of Love

Beginning with an updated puzzle…

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2

3

4

5

8

10

12

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15

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19

7

9

11

13

6

17

20

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26

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44

ACROSS 1. The groom 6. Bride’s last name 8. Possessive pronoun when referencing your spouse 9. The bride 11. Too young for marriage 13. Ring hand is attached to it 16. A boxer from the 60’s 17. Espresso, Dolce and Gabbana 19. The feeling after a night of partying 21. Hurt when dividing cocaine into portions 23. They tied the (k) 25. Michael was born there 26. A lifetime full of it 27. Ocean’s after ten 30. House of drinking 31. Whale (island) 33. Province of Canada 34. School exams 35. You do this with 23 Across 37. Mother or the groom 41. Friend or sex act 42. Outdoor activity 43. Information Technology 44. Mother of the bride

DOWN 2. When I am in debt 3. Home of the brave 4. See singular 5. Groom’s last name 6. A plastic toy and father of the bride 7. One preposition 10. Father of the groom 12. French dark chocolate at night 14. A place to shop 15. Bergen is known for this 18. Bergen and Michael are in 20. Basketball team 22. The first word in UI 24. Gardens 28. A venue for a wedding named after a queen 29. Musical unit 30. Fying rodent could be male 36. Not out 37. The couple’s home town 38. What grandma Es wrote about 39. Filmed in Victoria 40. Snow sport

By Esmé Berman (undated) and Kathy Berman (2018)

And a 1992 poem by Es. Updated for 2018 by Kath

TO BERGEN AND MICHAEL ON KICKING IT FOR LIFE 24 August 2018 In days of yore, and long before

Male chauvinists were masters of the earth.

In times just past - don’t be aghast, but…

Women were deemed of little worth.

A woman’s lot was to be contained.

From a successful career she was to be restrained.

Her role it was to serve her man,

With iron, mop, pot and pan.

“A wife is duty-bound” it was said

“To love and obey night and day

To massage her man’s ego, and his oversized head.

And above all else, to keep him happy in bed!”

For generations, brides endured

Tyranny towards their gender.

They denied their needs, and subsumed their dreams

For oven, and stove, and, later, the blender.

But time goes by, and morés change

(A few less rapidly than we could wish!)

Women have claimed their equal rights

From pot and pan …to petrie dish,

Rockets, bridges, nuclear fission.

For girls adept at algorithms

They’ve left men to struggle with long division.

So, as Bergen and Michael now Kick it for Life There’s no pressure for Bergen to be the perfect olde-worlde wife

To bow and scrape and live in strife.

Not expected to please only her spouse

Bergen can wield keyboard, laptop, and mouse

And digitally control their mutual every need

With online access… even to weed.

As One they’ll Kick it.

And embrace with outstretched hands

Sea, sun, sky, snow. Desert sands, and foreign lands.

A perfect couple the two will be

Bonded together in perfect equality.

And so we gather here to toast the stylish pair

On behalf of Esmé Berman - she of rare

Wit, charm, humour, and truly great genes

Which brings us back to the original theme..

May your love last forever until your last breaths

And Bergen make sure you obey Michael until your…

NO WAIT!

LETS PARTY and then find a huge mountain to climb

For this is the start of Bergen Berwoman* and Michael Kay name swopping time!

*Bermxn in contemporary gender-neutral terms.

By Esmé Berman (1992) and Kathy Berman (2018)

And .. For the In-laws.. More Es Whimsy from her files (unaltered).  

By EsmĂŠ Berman (undated)

The original, unexpurgated wedding poem of 1992.

In days of yore, and long before Male chauvinists were masters of the earth.

In anni domini, not long gone by, Mere women were of little worth.

A woman’ s lot was to be a Missus Or to wither alone as a miss; And fond mamas would school their daughters In approved procedures for domestic bliss: “You are duty-bound to serve your spouse To massage his ego and warm his bed; And since your fate is his to command, Above all else, you keep him fed!”

For generations, brides endorsed That treachery toward their gender: They denied their needs, subsumed their dreams Into the mixing-bowl, the oven and the blender.

They thrust aside the poet and the leader in their souls And sweated o’er the roasting-pan and cookie-cutter Intent on the concoction of designer meals, On lavishing their lords with cream and butter.

But time goes by and morés change A few less rapidly then we could wish And wives are claiming equal rights While cholesterol annuls the gourmet dish.

No longer driven just to please her spouse New projects occupy the bride-to-be.

She takes no lessons at the Cordon Bleu; But, sadly, nor does he!

Of course there’ s McDonalds and Charlie Browns, Sizzler and KFC But this loving pair will stare to death If they stay at home to watch TV. A survival kit is thus essential For Bergen the Maid and Michael the Man It’ s out fervent hope that both will cope By cutting a bagel or opening a can!

By Esmé Berman (1992)

Youthful Self-portrait

By EsmĂŠ Berman (undated)

EsmĂŠ, Bergen, Michael. South Africa , August 2016.