GABY

Gaby’s life as a school-age girl in Ramat-Gan was one she often recalled as being among the happiest times in her life. She loved her classes, classes that included a thorough grounding in English. Her command of Hebrew was flawless, a skill she often put to good use assisting her parents and Werner whose difficulties with the language were never ending. She liked to tell of the times before Wolfgang left for America when the two of them would confide to one another in Hebrew at the dinner table, causing consternation among the grownups who were left out of the conversation.

It was a time of ardent nationalism as the young nation strove to establish an identity. Scouting was the instrument of choice. It gave Gaby an opportunity to visit many of the country’s historic sites, to participate in the daily life of various kibbutzim, to learn folk songs and folk dances, and to wear a uniform that signified her patriotic support for the epic military struggles then being engaged in by youth only a few years her senior. Through it all, however, she never forgot her German identity. How could she? Every day began and ended in the company of Hans, Ilse and Werner who showered her not only with affection but with all the cultural and linguistic trappings of their Berlin heritage. Without a doubt, they indulged her every wish and sought to make her happiness their principal concern. It’s no wonder she’d always cherish memories of that time in her life.

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Life became more complicated for Gaby upon reaching the age of eighteen. Freshly graduated from high school, she was immediately inducted into the Israel Defense Force. Basic training was rigorous, even for young women, and included bayonet training among other combat skills. Gaby would laugh when her American fiancée some years later complained about the rigor of his basic training, easily demonstrating how much more demanding a time she and the other young Israelis had been forced to endure.

Gaby’s military specialty was intelligence, and over the months of her enlistment she successfully rose through the ranks to that of sergeant, acquiring critical skills in the process. But matters of the heart darkened that time in her life somewhat indelibly it seems, for she had developed a crush on a handsome young soldier only to have her best friend steal him away. Gaby was always a most loyal friend, a trait that stuck with her throughout her life. Perhaps somewhat naively, she always hoped others would behave similarly. When they didn’t, she was sorely distressed. The betrayal in this early case continued to trouble her for years afterwards.

Upon discharge from the IDF, Gaby made preparations to pursue a career in architecture. She secured a job as a technical illustrator/draftswoman with a local firm and applied to the Technion, Israel’s premiere scientific university—a kind of MIT—where she could expect to receive the very best training available. To her profound disappointment, however, she was not admitted. Unwilling to settle for a less prestigious educational experience in Israel and harboring some doubts about sticking with architecture as a career choice, Gaby began to think about joining her brother, Wolfgang, in America.

But while such ideas were under discussion in the household, tensions were building between Israel and Egypt. Gaby was called back to active duty by the IDF and was assigned to the headquarters of Israel’s military chief of staff, General Moshe Dayan. On October 29, 1956, Israel invaded the Sinai. As a key intelligence specialist in his headquarters one has to imagine Gaby was privy to a steady stream of reports documenting the rapid assaults that led to the seizure of an impressive list of military objectives by the time hostilities came to an end on November 7th. Four months later, Israel withdrew from the captured lands and Gaby was released from military service once again.

Gaby’s inclination to pursue her education in America had hardened during those months and she corresponded with her brother and aunt to learn what possibilities might be available to her. At the time, her brother Bob was enrolled in UCLA’s School of Engineering in West Los Angeles. He suggested she apply to UCLA as a foreign student. She liked the idea and her aunt was supportive even though it meant Gaby would be living in California rather than New York City. Working with the school, and with United States counselor officials in Tel Aviv, she assembled all necessary documents and formally applied. UCLA not only accepted her but credited her with more than a year’s worth of advanced standing based upon her high school academic record and her scores on various entrance exams.