Cynthia Bernstein (1922 - 2014)

Cynthia Bernstein is the wife of Cyril Bernard Helfet, my 1st cousin 2x removed. Helfet family HERE

Parents: Solomon Bernstein (1889 - 1969) and Annie Louisa Israel (1891 - 1977)

Cynthia's parents Solomon and Annie Bernstein

Born: 22 March 1922 in Cape Town, South Africa

Hebrew Name: Sheina bat Shlomo

Siblings:

• Sydney Meyer Bernstein (1917 - 1997) married Sybil Sonenscher
• Beatrice Rosaline Bernstein (1917 - 2001) married Aaron Shwer (1911 - 1984) on 19 May 1938
• Arthur Bernstein (1919 - 1993) married Helen Kershaw Smith (1927 - 2004) on 30 October 1957

Sydney and Beatrice were twins

Married: Cyril Helfet on 25 October 1943 in Cape Town, South Africa. Cyril was age 35 and Cynthia age 21

Marriage certificate for Cyril and Cynthia. They were married in the Great Synagogue, Cape Town on 25 October 1943. Cynthia's occupation was listed as a clerk and Cyril as a motor dealer, but presently a soldier

Cyril and Cynthia on their wedding day. She wore a borrowed dress as there was a limited amount of fabric available during the war

This account is an extract from a biography by Cynthia's great-granddaughter Stella Basserabie. The full biography is available HERE

Meeting Nana (Cynthia)

Once Cyril returned to North Africa from Palestine, he did not return the battlefield. He stayed in Cairo and was in charge of the tank training school, which was the "first purely S.A. (South African) one in the Middle East."

For quite a while Cyril was uncertain of his future movements and of his future status in the military. Due to a change of programme, he suspected that he would be given "Union Leave in the very near future," and that he "may even be in C.T. (Cape Town) for Herzl's wedding." As he hoped, Cyril's request for leave was granted and he was able to attend his brother's wedding in Cape Town.

Little did Cyril know that at this wedding he would be meeting his future wife....

Cyril's brother, Herzl, was getting married to a women named Celia Pollen. Cyril was Herzl's best man and Celia's maid of honour was her first cousin, Cynthia Bernstein. 21 year old Cynthia and 35 year old Cyril met and got along extremely well at the wedding. Just three short weeks after the wedding, Cynthia and Cyril got engaged and three weeks later on the 25th of October 1943, they got married!

The reason for their rushed engagement was due to the fact that Cyril was concerned about being made a Major in the military and being sent back to battle. Since the South African military did not send married men to active combat, getting married meant that he would not have to return to front lines or North Africa.

Children

Their first child was born in 1945 when Cyril was 36 and Cynthia 22. Their second and last child was born in 1947 when Cyril was 38 and Cynthia 24 

• Barbara Gene Helfet 1945 -
• Leon S Helfet  1947 -

Cyril and Cynthia

Cyril with his siblings and their spouses in Cape Town on 23 January 1960. Back row: Cyril Helfet, Edna Helfet (Nee Landsman), Arnold Helfet, Theo Helfet, Celia Helfet (Nee Polen), Arthur Helfet

Front row Girlie Meyers (Nee Helfet), Cynthia Helfet (Nee Bernstein), Nathalie Helfet (Nee Freedman) 

Cynthia Bernstein

Death

10 September 2014 at age 92 in Sydney, Australia. She was buried on 12 September 2014 in Macquarie Park Cemetery, Sydney, Australia plot no F/21/53

Letters

A letter from Cynthia to my mom dated 11 July 1955

A letter from Cynthia to my mom dated 3 August 1956

Telegrams

A telegram from Cyril and Cynthia dated 10 April 1956 on the occasion of my parent's wedding

A telegram from Cyril and Cynthia dated 18 December 1963 on the death of my grandfather Leon Hodes

Residences

In 1955 the family were living at 72 Molteno Road, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, South Africa

In 1978 the family were living at 7 Cutter Cl, Marina Da Gama, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa