Bernice Barres
Bernice Barres (b. 1927) grew up during the Great Depression in a large family that moved frequently throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. After graduating from Atlantic City High School in 1945, she met and later married Samuel Barres, a World War II veteran who lost both legs in combat in Europe. Together they settled in Newton, Massachusetts, where they raised three children and became active members of Temple Reyim. Although she received little formal Jewish education as a child, Barres developed a lifelong commitment to Jewish learning, observance, and community service. She taught herself to read Hebrew, became active in synagogue life, and maintained strong ties to Israel, where her son later settled and became an Orthodox rabbi. At age fifty, Barres embarked on a second career in nursing, earning a degree from Boston University School of Nursing and working at Beth Israel Hospital and the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aging. Throughout her life, she combined caregiving, volunteer service, artistic pursuits, and community engagement, remaining active in organizations including Hadassah, local libraries, and senior services.
In this interview, Bernice Barres discusses her childhood in a large family during the Great Depression, including frequent moves, economic hardship, and being raised primarily by a family caretaker rather than her mother. She reflects on family relationships, her early experiences with Judaism, participation in B'nai B'rith Girls, and the formative influence of a postwar Brandeis Camp Institute program. A significant portion of the interview focuses on her courtship and marriage to Samuel Barres, a World War II veteran who lost both legs in combat in Europe. Barres recounts their meeting at a United Service Organization (USO) center in Atlantic City, her family's opposition to the relationship, their marriage in 1946, and the challenges and rewards of building a life together while navigating disability, health concerns, and family tensions. Barres also discusses raising three children in Newton, Massachusetts; developing a deeper commitment to Jewish observance and synagogue life at Temple Reyim; maintaining kosher practices; and her family's connections to Israel. She describes her son's decision to settle in Israel and become an Orthodox rabbi, as well as her own visits to the country. The interview documents Barres's decision to pursue higher education and a nursing career at age fifty, her studies at Boston University School of Nursing, and her professional experiences at Beth Israel Hospital and the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aging. Additional topics include volunteer service, community involvement, art, aging, technological change, World War II, the establishment of the State of Israel, family caregiving, and reflections on social and cultural changes throughout the twentieth century.
The views expressed in these interviews are solely those of the speakers and do not reflect the positions of JWA or its affiliates.
