GEDALIA (JOE) BERENHAUT

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GEDALIA (JOE) BERENHAUT It is with deep sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of Gedalia (Joe) Berenhaut at 4:42 a.m. on May 2, 2011 at the age of 89. Gedalia was the beloved husband of Mashka, with whom he shared 65 years. He passed away with his three children, Anne, Sam and Barbara, by his side. Gedalia was a holocaust survivor, fleeing the Nazis from his home in Poland through Ukraine and Russia. He spent the balance of the war imprisoned in a labour camp in Siberia. He and his family survived on their wits and resourcefulness, finding their way to Uzbekistan after the war ended. Along the way he met Mashka, who he set about providing for until the day he died. Gedalia and Mashka started a family in extraordinary circumstances, and when they finally sailed on the T.S.S. Columbia from Italy to Canada in 1950, infant Barbara had joined older siblings Anne and Sam. Gedalia and Mashka followed his parents and siblings to the north end of Winnipeg, where they finally found a place to build a life after years of running, escaping and re-settling. Gedalia set the family roots for good in 1961, moving to McAdam Avenue and opening McPhillips Salvage with his brother Moishe, who predeceased Gedalia by a mere few weeks. For the next 50 years, Gedalia's life revolved around his family, the business and the most well-maintained cars in Winnipeg. After 45 years of providing for family, the business was sold in 2006. He left behind his loving wife Mashka, his three children, his nine grandchildren (Aviva, Efrem, Erin, Stuart, Jonathan, Jeffrey, Colin, Ari and Sarah) and four great-grandchildren (Marlowe, Annika, Jordan and Taylor). Despite overcoming hardships that would have defeated weaker men, Gedalia was gentle and loving, willing to do anything for his family. He was wise and religious - for him honesty and reliability were the greatest of virtues. Rabbi Yohanan said Blessed is he who was reared in Torah and who laboured in Torah, who pleased his Creator, who lived with a good name and who departed the world with a good name. Gedalia was truly a blessed man, and we, his descendants, aspire to live in his image. In lieu of flowers, a tree may be planted in Israel through the Jewish National Fund of Winnipeg in his memory by phoning 947-0207 in Winnipeg or by visiting JNF.ca.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 07, 2011