{geni:about_me} Vetta Alter Ginsburg was born in Braille, Romania, on August 14,
1877. Her parents were Ya'acov Yoisef and Chava Alter. She was the
youngest of five siblings. The oldest was a brother named Nachman. Then
came Rochel, Baila, and Shlema. She was very petite in her physical
stature, never reaching the five-foot mark. Spiritually, though, she was
known to be very pious and quite religious.
"Grandma talked about living as a young teenager in a village in
Romania. She spoke of the time when the Prince of Romania came through
the town. All the eligible ladies lined the streets of the town and as
the prince passed, if anyone interested him he sent a man servant to find
out about them. Grandma and her family also went out ed to witness the
spectacle. While they were watching the progression, the manservant came
up to my great-grandmother and my Grandmother and her sisters and asked
about Grandma. He asked her age, if she was promised to anyone, etc. He
then asked her religion. When she said that she was Jewish, the
interview abruptly ended and grandma never heard any more from the
prince. Grandma always thought that the prince wanted to meet her, but
could not meet a Jew. It just wasn't done."
The family moved to Bucharest and soon after her brother departed
with his wife and children "for the West". They settled in France. While
in Bucharest, Vetta met Yisroel Ber Ginsburg. They started to date, and
when she had accepted his third date, that was a declaration of
willingness to marry! The date was to the "king's" inauguration! Before
they left Romania, they had their first child. On their way to America
they stopped in Paris to see her brother.
They arrived in the United States in the early 1900's. It took a
couple years to travel across the United States. They stopped in a few
locations along the way, deciding where to settle, and had two more sons
during this time. Finally Grandma and her family, and two of her sisters
(Schlema and Baileh), settled in Los Angeles, in 1904. Her other sister,
Rochel was already here. They bought a house at 2040 West 27th Street, in
Los Angeles, and Vetta lived there till she died, many years later. She
had two more children while living there.
Her Husband had an eye for the modern life, but she kept the
traditions of her heritage, maintaining a Jewish Kosher house.
In 1934 she became a widow. She continued though, spirits undaunted,
to be the matriarch of the family:

"From the time I was very young we used to go spend summers at
Grandma's house. She had lots of room and was home all day. Mom and Dad
both worked, so we would spend our time with her. She had thin but long
white hair down past the middle of her back and I used to brush it and
braid it into one long braid. She would wrap that one braid into a
little bun on the upper back part of her head. She had small features
and was usually very soft spoken and accommodating. I towered over her,
even as a young child. When I was twelve, she was 4'11" tall, and I was
about 5'5".
. "Grandma crocheted beautiful doilies and she liked the soap operas.
Passover Seders were usually at Grandma's house when she was able and she
made gefilte fish from scratch. She also made chicken soup and matzo
balls from scratch and cooked the whole dinner on a beautiful old stove.
Grandma had a house filled with pictures of her children and her
grandchildren and I always loved to go to her house. She was always kind
to her neighbors and they, in turn were kind to her."- her granddaughter
Shirley

"My earliest memory of Buba in her house also has Buba's sister,
Shlema in the picture. My childhood memory of these two sisters was one
of great contrast. I remember Buba as never ever complaining about
anything. Shlema, however, was always kvetching about something. Buba
was thin, her sister not so thin One time Shlema fell and broke her hip
ņ that was good for years of agony and complaining.
"Members of my generation (Miriam thru Sandy, in chronological
order), I'm sure, all have fond memories of visits and events at Buba's
house. Her back yard had many fruit trees ņ figs, apricots, lemons, all
put to good use. Fresh lemonade was always available. We used to pick
figs right from the tree and eat them on the spot.
"Buba's ice box ņ she really had an ICE BOX. She had to buy an
electric refrigerator when, one day, her ice man proclaimed, "I'm
terribly sorry, Mrs. Ginsburg, but you're the only one left I deliver ice
to ņ I have to quit delivering ice because there's just no call for it
these days." I remember her refrigerator with its coil on top ņ the
latest thing in the 1940's!
"Passover Seder was typically at Buba's house. Uncle Sam, being the
oldest man in the family, led the Seder and he sat in the chair with all
the pillows. Buba made her own gefilte fish, wrapping the balls with
skin of the fish (I cried, "Eww, what's that icky black stuff?"). At
Purim she made the most delicious Humantoshen I've ever had (honey & nut
filling, shiny doughy crust). I wish I had asked her for her recipe, tho
she probably didn't have one. She most likely just added ingredients
ëtill it looked right.
"I also remember in the 1940's and perhaps into the 1950's Buba
would come to our house in East Los Angeles, using public
transportation. Her visits were always anticipated with much
excitement. I also remember one incident, sometime in the 1950's, when I
was helping Uncle Jay clean Buba's house for her (she was out). We
dusted, vacuumed, waxed and polished. I commented that Buba would sure
be surprised and happy when she saw what a good job we did. Uncle Jay
warned me that she may not notice, because her eyesight was not so good
anymore. That made me very sad.

"In addition to those specific recollections, I'll always remember
Buba as the sweetest, kindest, most gentle woman I have ever met. She
was one in a million!"

May she rest in Peace.--Barry Stone

She lived a full life, meriting to see several great-grand children.
She died in 1964, and is interred in the Beth Israel cemetery in Los
Angeles.