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October 31, 2008
Bridge between generations
New arrivals in Vancouver love being close to grandchildren.
MICHELLE DODEK
Many members of our community have fascinating stories of relocation and memories of places they used to live. The common denominator for some of these people is that they have recently come to Vancouver to be with their grandchildren and children.
These grandparents have faced many daunting realities when uprooting themselves from the communities they have been part of for decades to live in a new city. Moving is stressful for anyone, but when you are leaving behind the home in which you raised your children to set up in an apartment, it can be very difficult.
Esther Robibo moved with her husband, Chalom, from Montreal in the spring of 2006. "We had a big home. I miss it, but I only have two grandchildren and I'm not going to sit and look at furniture the rest of my life!" Both Lois and Walter Gumprich, from Saskatoon, and Diane and Noel Jampolsky, from Edmonton, left behind large homes and found the cost of living in Vancouver very high. They are happy now in their two-bedroom apartments and enjoy beautiful views of the ocean not found on the Prairies. "You grow attached to your home and space even if you don't need it anymore," remarked Lois Gumprich. "We planned our move for two years to get used to the idea."
Walter Gumprich said he misses the outdoor way of life in Saskatoon and his friends of 44 years, but that his life is full of joy here. "There is nothing quite like the experience of watching your grandchildren grow up. Our five grandchildren range in age from one to five years old and all of them are thoroughly good company." His wife added that they have many friends here, most of whom used to live in Saskatoon and have "immigrated" to the coast over the years. She plays Mah Jongg with three ladies on a weekly basis, all of whom are old friends from back home. Noel Jampolsky has been able restart a longstanding tradition of poker night with friends who are also living here from Edmonton.
The Robibos found a very special way to integrate into the Vancouver Jewish community as soon as they were set up here. They went to Beth Hamidrash on one of their first Shabbatot here. They were early and the first person they met was Rabbi Ilan Acoca. When they learned his name, they were flabbergasted. In 1955, a Rabbi Acoca had married them in Casablanca. That rabbi had been a relative of Esther Robibo. He was also the grandfather of the rabbi standing before them. "That morning, the rabbi told this story to the congregation and that was our introduction to Beth Hamidrash.
We made friends right away and it was like we [had been] here 20 years!" Chalom Rabibo beamed as he recounted the story.
As they settle into a new community, these grandparents have found that being a meaningful part of their grandchildren's lives is priceless. They love to babysit, and it is also a huge help to their children. "We are not here only for the grandchildren," commented Esther Robibo. "We live close and when we are asked to babysit we come right away."
Daniel Gumprich, father of three girls, feels "it's nice to have my parent here on so many levels. We have family Shabbat and holiday celebrations. They see our children on a regular basis and we get their help for babysitting. It's extremely helpful."
Like the Gumpriches, the Jampolskys also have all five of their grandchildren here. Noel Gumprich refers to his grandchildren as "the dividends" and loves being with them and his wife mentioned that, "The beauty of being here is that we can drop in on each other at the drop of a hat and we spend all of the holidays together. I love it!"
All three couples feel lucky that their children decided to settle here. Diane Jampolsky prefers the rain to snow six or seven months a year and, although she didn't mind the cold Saskatoon winters when she was younger, Lois Gumprich now appreciates the more moderate climate here. The Robibos agree: "It's good to retire here. Our son, Danny, warned us that it rains here all the time, but it's not so cold and there is no snow like in Montreal so we can go out walking every day here." Esther Robibo continued with a twinkle in her eye, "and we have sun when we look at our grandchildren, so the rain is not so bad."
The Jampolskys wanted to move here while still healthy so their kids wouldn't have to worry about them. They knew it was the right move at the right time in their life. Walter Gumprich agreed fully with this practical approach and goes one step further: "So often I have heard people lament that they missed seeing their grandchildren grow up. I feel like asking them what they have done about it. Why not move? We have found that the most enjoyable time we spend is with our grandchildren."
Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver whose full-time job is caring for her two small children.
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