Manuel Goldberg

Manuel was born in Paris, France on March 17, 1940. It was the war years. Manuel’s father was murdered in Auschwitz by the Nazis. A dear sister-in-law of Manuel’s mother Madeline told her that she must take her 11 year old son and 1 ½ year old twin boys and leave Paris immediately to avoid being rounded up by the Nazis. Her sister-in-law gave her the name of a family in Normandy who would give them shelter. Two weeks later the Nazis entered their Paris apartment to capture them in what became known as Le Rafle, the Round Up. But they had already fled to Normandy. They survived by passing as Christians because local people thought their name was Colbert, the name of a highly respected Minister in the French government. Life was hard in a farmhouse with a dirt floor, the bombs dropping nearby, and their mother working in the farm fields in order to feed them. Because Manuel was a Holocaust survivor he was video interviewed by a professor who wrote about Manuel’s experiences during the Holocaust. He was also interviewed by a local Sarasota TV station about his Holocaust experiences.

After World War II ended, Manuel, his mother, and brothers returned to Paris where the brothers entered school. If they did well, their mother would treat them by allowing them to buy a book from the booksellers on the Left Bank in Paris. All his life, Manuel loved to read.

In 1948, Manuel, his mother, and brothers immigrated to New York where his grandparents and aunts and uncle lived. They lived with the New York family who did not speak French. They spoke Yiddish which was one of the languages spoken by Manuel’s mother. So Manuel learned Yiddish to speak with the family at home and English in school.

Manuel excelled in school and passed the test to be admitted to the High School of Music and Art in New York City where he studied cello. After high school, he received his Bachelor’s degree from City College in New York and then earned a Master’s Degree from New York University. He also completed all the courses for his PhD in Psychology but had to stop because he got cancer and underwent a radical course of treatment that had not been tried before. Thanks to the efforts of a brilliant surgeon and many neurotoxic medications, Manuel survived.

Manuel was a practicing psychologist for years before he decided that the late nights and weekend hours of private practice did not allow him to see his wife Helen and his son Gabriel as much as he wanted. So he became a clinical psychologist and worked in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.

After his wife Helen died and his house was ravaged by hurricane flooding in 2000, he moved to his house in Wellfleet on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He loved the Cape and became active in the community. He joined the Mustard Seed Group which fed people in need. He also became known as “the Bread Man” because he took orders for his bread from people in the community.

Eventually, Manuel met Rachel Rivlin and they were partners for almost 18 years, first living in Newton, Massachusetts and then moving to Sarasota, Florida where they lived for 15 years. He continued to bake bread which was a joy for him.

Manuel founded the French Conversation Group and also the Spanish Conversation group, both at the Gulf Gate Library, and led the French Conversation Group at the Venice Library for a few years. When the French Group held their 3 fetes each year, members of the group would always say “you are going to bring your bread and pate, aren’t you!” They became his signature. During his final months, many members of those groups wrote him notes and letters telling him what an impact he had made in their lives and how he had fostered camaraderie within the groups. One gentleman even brought him bagels and cream cheese at the rehab center a couple of times a week, another man sent French books, and one woman sent him wonderfully rich Sables cookies.

Manuel was active in the Sarasota community. For 10 years Manuel and Rachel were volunteer ushers at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. As subscribers to the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, and Sarasota Opera, they continued to enjoy music, theater, and the arts. There was always music playing in the house. With Rachel, Manuel was also Co-leader of the Sarasota, FL Branch of the Charcot Marie Tooth Association and was a great supporter of the CMTA.

Even though he was retired from the practice of psychology, Manuel always made time to listen to friends and neighbors and counsel them. When some of them had a difficult time, he was able to use his training as a certified clinical hypnotist by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to alleviate their fears or destructive behaviors.

Manuel died on June 4, 2020. He will be remembered as a very intelligent, kind, and caring man. Manuel is survived by his partner Rachel Rivlin, his son Gabriel, his granddaughter Sadie, his twin brother Michel, Michel’s children Claude and Yves and grandchildren, and Manuel’s nieces Dominique Raucher and Nicole Raucher Barre and his nephew Gregory Raucher and their children.

For those who would like to make a donation in Manuel’s memory, donations can be made to the Charcot Marie Tooth Association, P.O. Box 105, Glenolden. PA 19036 or cmtausa.org