Life in America
1900: Chelsea, MA
Acting as a transition home, the appartment in Chelsea was the launch pad for the family in America.
Rags
When Morris arrived in the United States, he took a job selling rags in Boston Harbor
"He absolutely despised the job" (Weiss)
He was a well educated man (he attended Yeshiva back in the homeland) who could speak fluent English (meaning assimilation was easier)
Cars
Morris believed that the horse and buggy was a "doomed" industry
He thought that cars were going to become "the next big thing"
Working under General Motors, Morris opened the first autoparts shop in Massachusetts at 531 Columbia Road in Dorchester (he eventually opened up 15 shops)
Devoting his life to the company he founded, Standard Auto Gear, Morris eventually passed his love of entrepreneurship to his children
1911(ish): Dorchester, MA
Seeking more space for their growing family, Morris and Sarah moved to Dorchester, MA.
Business
The Depression
Even during the Great Depression, Morris and his sons were able to keep Standard Auto Gear going strong
"No one could afford to buy new cars, but in order to keep their old ones running, they needed new parts" (Weiss)
Instead of taking cash, the company bartered for compensation
Weiss distinctly remembers a customer bringing "enormous boxes of tea" in exchange for a car part
Family
Growing Up
Sarah's job was the homemaker: cleaning, taking care of the children, and cooking
Sarah learned English, eventually teaching Yiddish to Julius
Julius and his brothers had happy childhoods
However, the highest level of education that Julius attained was his junior year of high school, something that would significantly impact his children
At this point, Julius went to work for Standard Auto Gear full-time as an assistant manager
He helped run the company's location at 616 Commonwealth Avenue, near Boston University
Julie, Bernard, and Anna
Onset, MA
In 1936(ish), Julie decided that he had enough money to buy a house on Cape Cod to relax in
Anna wanted a house in Falmouth; it was close to Hyannis where she could go shopping
Julie thought that it would take too long to travel there (there were no highways then)
Onset was much closer, so Julie bought one there
The house acted as a vacation place for the family, staying in the family for years
Movies
Morris noticed the growing popularity of movies
He founded one of the first movie theaters in the Greater-Boston area (Weiss recalls that it was in either Chelsea or Everett)
"One of Morris' sisters made the popcorn while the other sold tickets" (Weiss)
Morris opened more theaters across the state, however he had to close them all when World War II hit
Julie and his car (date unknown).
Julie's Family
Julius met Anna Lebow through mutual friends
Anna was a "catch back in her day - she was even proposed to by a lawyer" (Weiss)
Anna and Julie were married in November of 1931
The newlyweds moved into Morris' home in Dorchester
Julie and Anna had three children, Bernard (born 1934), Paul (born 1936), and Sheila (born 1938)
Onset in the 1920s.
Special Featurette: World War I
In 1917, Julius was drafted to the army
While he did not deploy, the 21 year-old Julie honorably completed his service
Julie, growing up around an autoparts store, was very comfortable around cars
He made the mistake of saying that he knew how to drive and fix them
Julie was assigned the exhausting task of tinkering with and testing trucks before they were shipped off to Europe
After a year, Julie volunteered to be a cook
While having no background or knowledge in the field, Julie rose to the task
Weiss claims that Julie was "only in the kitchen to eat"
1941: Brookline, MA
Lifestyle
Economically speaking, the family was wealthy, however, Julie hated when people displayed their wealth
Much later, when he visited his inlaws (Sheila's husband's family) in Manhattan, he was disgusted by their opulent appartment
Julie spent much of his waking hours working for Standard Auto
After Morris passed in 1951, Julie became the Vice President of the company
Unlike his father who loved deep sea fishing, Morris didn't have very many hobbies. Instead he:
Loved to sit and read in his huge, leather armchair
Enjoyed napping to relieve the stress from work
Loved watching the Red Sox, always taking Paul and and Sheila to games
After his children left the household, Julie and Anna spent a lot of their time traveling throughout the world
They loved going on cruises, especially to Cuba
Julie loved going to the house in Onset, especially by himself, relaxing in the sunshine
Education
Julie emphasized education for his children, mainly because of Jewish tradition as well as his deprivation of it
Early in life, Julius opened a savings account for his children's education
Didn't want his kids to be a part of Standard Auto Gear
Bernard, Paul, and Sheila all attended Ivy League institutions
The boys both graduated from Harvard while Sheila graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
The proudest moment of Julie's life was when Bernard graduated from Harvard Law School
When Bernard decided that he wanted to become a doctor, Julius was furious
"How could you take someone's place at Harvard Law School?"
Julie in Onset.
Arrival Story
While Julius' eldest son Bernie was attending school in Dorchester, he witnessed a fight at school
Disgusted, "my mother insisted that we move to Newton" (Weiss)
Instead, Julius moved the family to a large home in Washington Square in Brookline
Newton didn't have any houses at the time, just apartments
The house was much closer to Standard Auto Gear
Judaism
Julius and his family belonged to Temple Ohabei Shalom, a reform synagogue in Brookline
While Anna enjoyed going to temple, Julie wasn't the biggest fan
However, he believed that attending services was good for the children in making them good Jewish people
Julie typically fell asleep during long sermons, taking the chance to catch up on his resting time
Morris told Julie: "You don't have to go to temple, you just have to belong to one."
Julius followed this advice after his children left the house
Julie and his eldest grandchild, James in 1968(ish).
Passing
Each winter, Anna and Julius escaped from the harsh Massachusetts winters by traveling to sunny Miami Beach, staying in hotels
In February of 1969, Julie and Anna were on their annual trip
Julie felt a little pain in his chest before he went to sleep, but he didn't complain too much because he didn't want to worry Anna
Julie passed away of a heart attack that night, peacefully in his sleep
He was 72 years old
Julie left Anna, his three children, and one grandchild (and three more to come)