LORAINE LERNER
My Stories:
soon to come
I was born in Rochester, New York in 1915. I was the youngest in a family of eight children. We were brought up in an intellectual atmosphere. My father was a scholar and wrote poetry on his desk, sometimes business letters, which were found in or on his desk, after he died. My father and mother started the Jewish Home in Rochester and built a Hebrew school for Jewish children who could not afford this education on their own. My father taught Hebrew himself.
Then, since I wanted to run out and play he hired the principal of the Hebrew school to come to our house and teach me privately. I was busy growing up with in addition to school; taking private piano lessons, dancing classes, and elocution lessons from a private teacher who came to our house to teach me.
I am glad now that they had me take elocution, which taught me how to speak distinctly and clearly. I studied piano at the Eastman school of Music there in addition to school. Later I received a piano scholarship at Vassar College for four years and a New York State scholarship towards my four years at Vassar as well as a Vassar scholarship in addition to the State College. I had a very good time, at Vassar and enjoyed it.
I became a music critic for the national magazine, The Musical Courier. I reviewed concerts in Rochester, New York city, and in Europe. I also received my Master's degree from Columbia University in social work. I received the first National Mental Heath Grant in the U.S., a great honor. I practiced social work relief in adoptions and various kinds of social work. I also traveled in Europe four times, having a very good time. I had a wonderful social life in Rochester and New York City and California.
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