Embedded Files
Street peddler in Cuba
New Beginnings
New Beginnings
At 20 years old, David and Tauba had to start a new life in a new country all while not understanding the language, currency, or culture. They began by peddling goods and merchandise door to door which eventually became a brick-and-mortar location for them to open their store.
Creating a Family
Creating a Family
On October 23rd, 1943, Hilda Zeligman was born. Her early life was standard, going through primary education and graduating high school. At a beach club for youth, El Casino Deportivo de la Habana, Hilda was approached by a man named Benny Peljovich. It was there that they met, and later at a synagogue, El Patronato de Cuba, Benny put his chain around Hilda's neck, explaining that his mother had told him that the woman he put his chain on would be the woman he marries. Hilda was still too young to marry, but they began dating.
(Benny and Hilda)
Castro's Regime
Cuba's Lack of Opportunities
Cuba's Lack of Opportunities
Hilda was planning on going to a university in Cuba when Fidel Castro's regime came in and closed it down. Her backup plan was to go to a typing/secretarial school owned by an American company to hopefully find work. After a few months, the company went fully ghost and the school was shut down. Her sisters' husbands had a shoe business running, and that too was abruptly taken over by the Castro government. For Hilda, and many others living in Cuba at the time, opportunity was scarce.
A Chance For Success
A Chance For Success
Even with nowhere to study or work, Hilda pursued a succesful career. She went with her sisters and their husbands to Miami to assist them in opening their shoe business, but returned to Cuba afterwards. She realized that she could not begin her career there, so she flew back to America in 1960.
Flight from Havana to Miami
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