Esther Bloch

God Was Always with Me: Memories of Mama Esther Bloch

In those five words she summarized the story of her life: "God was always with me."Born in nineteenth-century Russia, Rachel-Leah "Lena" Chipkin later went on to become a pioneer, a businesswoman, and a true "Yiddesheh Mama." God Was Always With Me takes us through her childhood and teenage years in Libau, Russia, to New York, where she refuses to marry the cousin who sent for her. Later on, during a courageous trip to Chicago, Illinois, she reacquaints herself with and marries the love of her life: Max Weinstein. From a farmhouse in Gifford, Indiana, to her life as a Jewish resort keeper in South Haven, Michigan, God Was Always With Me tells the story of Lena's loss of two infants, her love of her children, and the hardships and sorrow that accompanied her joy and happiness. Most important of all, she shares her faith in God and her never-ending optimism. Written by her youngest daughter, author Esther Bloch, God Was Always With Me is a tribute to Lena's memory as well as all the immigrants of that era who faced life in America with hope and courage.