Page 19 - My Memoirs - Max Kurz

We were married on the 16th April 1960 at the Maroubra Synagogue by Rabbi Grozinger, I had never seen a bride or attended a wedding and Renee was very beautiful in her wedding gown. The occasion was attended by a lot of people not necessarily associated or known to us or Renee’s family, but as a result of family influence, namely my Aunty Anne who seemed to delight in organising functions for other people at their expense. It was a memorable occasion nonetheless, very heady, unbeknown to us, we were pawns in the big picture being manipulated and influenced to do and be what was expected, it was very much part of the era we lived in.
We spent whatever money we had between us (courtesy of wedding gifts) on a wonderful honeymoon on Lord Howe Island off the east coast of NSW. For me it was the first real holiday that I had ever had. On returning to Sydney we moved into our new premises which was a flat that we rented in Kidman Street, Coogee. It was a block of 4 flats with an adjoining building also comprising of 4 flats where Renee’s parents lived. It was a great location, near to the beach and shops. We paid seven pounds per week, and literally lived from week to week to pay our rent.
As we settled into our new beginnings, I was again faced with the dilemma of finding a job and what it was that I could or would like to do. Any career prospects or income came to an end working for my in-laws. I soon learnt that my father-in- law was an idealist who had difficulty coming to terms with the fact that his business was failing. My mother-in-law was far more pragmatic and knew the writing was on the wall. I found myself at a very young and inexperienced age trying to convince my father-in-law about the realities of his business. Instinctively I could see and understand what was eventuating and had been over a long period of time. This left me in a financial position where I had to earn money by
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