June Solomons
June Solomons
As part of Jtrails outreach programme a number of Jewish residents of Brighton and Hove were interviewed and June Solomons recalls her memories of life in Brighton and membership of Holland Road Synagogue (Interview 16th July 2009)
June was born in Brighton, when her parents came on holiday to their holiday home in Saltdean. She and her two sisters, were brought up in London but visited Brighton regularly where she rode on the downs.
She met her husband at the Ocean Hotel, Saltdean, which later became Butlins, and they came to live in Brighton 62 years ago, with their young daughter Sandra. Sandra married Brian Josyfon in Brighton, but lives in London.
Her earliest memories of Brighton, once they had come to live here are that it was quiet, clean - she liked the seafront. They were not members of Holland Road Synagogue, but she attended regularly and just as regularly, was asked to move out of someone's seat, so they eventually became members, and she got her own seat. She was on the Ladies Guild of the shul.
She feels that the city has changed - that people are not as friendly as they used to be.
She and her husband now live in the Hyman Fine House [the Jewish retirement and nursing home].
June was able to identify people in a photograph that we think shows the opening of Holland Road Synagogue. The man behind the mayor is her father Sidney Freedman, on his left was his brother-in-law Alfred Nigel, who married Sidney's sister Jules Freedman, who is seated on the left of the Mayor. The two men on the right in the back row are her father's two brothers - far right is Reginald and next to him is Archibald. The older lady seated on the Mayor's left is their mother Mrs Freedman.
The Freedman family had a number of factories in London and opened one in Brighton making suits and coats - it was in Portslade - she can't give more details but thinks it was just called Freedmans.
