What a great show in the middle of the 20th century!
Not only did Gertrude Berg star, but she also wrote the material for the show. She was a wonderful actress and her sudden passing, just before Rosh Hashanah, in 1966, was a terrible shock to all.
The show depicted a typical Jewish family living in the Bronx in the 1950s.
Molly may have been harried but she was always on the ball. "Yoo hoo, Mrs. Bloom," was my favorite as the 2 women stuck their heads out to converse. The door bell of that apartment never stopped ringing. People came in and out and would sit down to dinner as if it were nothing to invite themselves in.
Gertrude Berg (Molly) had a kind Jewish heart and that was usually reflected by the rest of the cast.
Her husband, Jake, worked in the garment industry in Manhattan. When he would come home, in a bad mood, watch out. Remember, "Jake, your liver is on the table?"
The show was up-to-date. As many Jewish families moved from the Bronx in the middle and late 1950s, the Goldbergs moved as well to Forest Hills in Queens.
The show was nostalgic and was a testimony to Jewish people of that era. Too bad we can't sit down with some chicken soup, gefilte fish et al and watch some reruns.
