Shulamit Rabinowitz, later known as Shirley Novick, was born in a small village in Poland, a country ravaged by the chaos of World War I. As the tumultuous years unfolded, she was forced to flee her homeland, embarking on a perilous journey to the United States via Canada, a route that would become a familiar path for countless refugees seeking refuge from the Nazi occupation. Tragically, her parents would not survive the brutal onslaught of the war, leaving Shirley to navigate the treacherous landscape of displacement and loss.
Undeterred, Shirley Novick would go on to spend 47 years working tirelessly in New York City's garment district, a bastion of industry and commerce. During this time, she would become an ardent labor activist, dedicating herself to the pursuit of workers' rights and social justice. Her unwavering commitment to these causes would ultimately lead her to participate in the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, a pivotal moment in the struggle for civil rights.
In her personal life, Shirley Novick was married to Pesakh "Paul" Novick, the esteemed editor of the Yiddish Daily, Morgen Freiheit, for an impressive 29 years until his passing in 1989. Despite the many challenges she faced, Shirley Novick's indomitable spirit and resilience would continue to inspire those around her, a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.
