Fifty Mayoff friends and family convened for a mini-reunion and to celebrate our international family holiday, Mayoff Day. Held at the Bifteck restaurant in Montreal on May 28th, it was a night to remember.
Mayoff Day cookies
The evening started off with a “COD” cocktail party in the comfortable ante-room next to the banquet dining hall. Mayoffs, Mayoff descendants, and friends of Mayoffs enjoyed hugging, talking, perusing photo albums, posing for photos and corralling youngsters. In anticipation of this special event, Sue and Art Mayoff baked 150 official Mayoff Day cookies, which by the end of the evening had disappeared leaving only a tray of crumbs. Some people were even heard excusing themselves from conversation so they could grasp a few more chocolate peanut butter chip cookies before they were all gone.
Sol and Essie Mayoff with Vivien Gold partially blocked.
Vivien Gold, Sue Mayoff, Richard Bleich and Alice Gerstman
Susan Mayoff Vamos, Vivien Gold, Essie and Doris Mayoff
Sue and Sarah Mayoff
Moe, Sue and Sarah Mayoff
Richard Mayoff
Brahm Wiseman, Doris Mayoff and Moe Mayoff
Howard, Richard Belich, Alice Gerstman, Rhona, Richard and Elana Pervin, Jonathon Mayoff, Joann and Nancy Mayoff.
Sol and Essie Mayoff, Vivien Gold, Peter and Susan Vamos
Ernest and Merka Weiss, Shirley, Judy and Rocky Rapoport.
Viv and Felicia Heller, Sarah and Moe Mayoff, Leon Carson, Billie Carson Solomon, Dorice Carson.
Marla Mayoff, Jojo Vamos, Mattie Mayoff, Debbie Mayoff, Jason Mayoff, Amanda Mayoff, Sebastian Pelltier, Patrick Pelltier, Melissa Mayoff Pelltier holding Tyler Mayoff.
Hy Bezonsky, Doris Mayoff, Doreen and Neil Kipnis
As the meal wound down, Art Mayoff took the podium and unveiled a few surprises. . . The first was the debut of the Summer edition of the Family Descendant. Copies were handed to all attending and some extras to take home. Everyone was encouraged to visit the newsletter page on Mayoff.com to view and download a color version of the newsletter (a printed color sample was passed around for all to appreciate what they are missing).
Souvenir embossed ballpoint pens were awaiting everyone at their tables.
In a tradition of the 1950’s, originated by Hymie Mayoff, all the youngsters were asked to line up in front of the podium so they could receive a monetary reward – this time a brand new, uncirculated “gold” US one dollar coin.
The eldest and the youngest attending – Sol Mayoff and Tyler MayoffSol was also asked to be the one to participate in the calendar ceremony – taking May off the calendar. Art and Sol Mayoff
Ariel Wiseman
Sue and Art Mayoff
Ariel, Brahm and Samena Wiseman
Ernest Weiss and Howard lead the singing of the Mayoff Day song to the tune of “That’s Amore”
Sarah and Moe Mayoff singing “That’s a’Mayoff.”
Jason and Amanda Mayoff
Cookie and Philip Goldsmith and sons Joshua and Matthew
Doreen and Neil Kipnis
Hy Bezonsky and Doris Mayoff
Judy and Rocky Rapoport
Susan Mayoff Vamos and Tyler Mayoff
Tyler Mayoff and Ashley Mayoff
Ashley Mayoff
Ashley Mayoff with parents Richard and Bettina
Ashley and Bettina Mayoff
Matthew Mayoff and Ariel Wiseman
Doris Mayoff looks at some photo albums from the 1995 Montreal reunion
As the evening drew to a close, everyone gathered for a group photo. Parting comments included “Let’s do it again next year.”
(photo by Richaard Mayoff) Sitting or on the floor, left to right Matthew Goldsmith on the lap of mom Cookie Rapoport (Sch). Behind Cookie is husband, Philip Goldsmith and sitting on the floor looking right is son Joshua Goldsmith. To Philip’s right is Doris Mayoff (Abr). In front of Doris is Samena Wiseman holding son Ariel. On Doris’ right is Billie Carson Solomon. Next to Billie is Sarah Mayoff (Ush/Sch). In front of Sarah is Marla Mayoff (Sam) holding infant son Tyler. In front of Marla is Bettina Mayoff (Abr) holding daughter Ashley. To the right of Marla is Melissa Mayoff Pelltier (Sam) holding son Sebastian. Behind Melissa are Susan Mayoff Vamos (Sam) and husband Peter. In front of Peter is Debbie Mayoff (Sam) and son Matthew. In front of Matthew are Patrick Pelltier, husband of Melissa and behind Patrick is Jordanna Vamos (Sam) daughter of Susan and Peter. To the right of Debbie is Richard Mayoff (Abr) Bettina’s husband. Standing: Leon Carson, Hy Bezonsky, Ernest Weiss and wife Merka Rapoport Weiss (Sch), Moe Mayoff Sarah’s husband (Ush/Sch). In front of Moe is Dorice Carson. To the right of Moe is his brother Sol. Next to Sol is Howard (Nancy’s Mayoff’s friend.) In front of Howard is Vivien Gold (Bun). To the right of Howard is Nancy Mayoff, dau of Sarah and Moe (Ush/Sch). In front of Nancy is her son Jonathon. Behind him is Jason Mayoff (Sam). Next to Jason is Joanne Mayoff Ondrick, dau of Sarah and Moe. In front of Joann are Doreen and Neil Kipnis (Abr). Behind them is Brahm Wiseman, son of Doris Mayoff (Abr). Continuing, Rocky and Judy Rapoport (Sch), Sue Mayoff (Sam), Elana Pervin, dau of Richard standing next to her. In front of Richard Pervin is Richard Bleich. Next to him is friend Alice Gerstman (Ush). In front of Alice is Essie Mayoff, wife of Sol. To the right of Alice is friend Felicia Heller. Next to Felicia is Art Mayoff (Sam). Next is Shirley Rapoport (Sch) and Felicia’s husband Viv.
Art and Sue Mayoff spent additional time visiting relatives. Seven pictures from those visits are below.
Abe Morantz (Ush/Sch) and Sue Mayoff at Snowdon Deli
Left to right: Felicia and Viv Heller, Art and Sue Mayoff, Richard Bleich, Alice Gerstman, Jen Heller and Susan Mayoff Vamos. (The Hellers are very close friends of the Gerstmans and the Usher branch.)
Alice Gerstman, Jennifer Heller and Susan Mayoff Vamos
Alice Gerstman and Jennifer Heller
Peter Vamos, Felicia and Viv Heller
Dinner at Moe and Sarah Mayoff’s home. Left to Right, James and Joanne Ondrick, Peter Vamos, Moe and Sarah Mayoff, Nancy Mayoff, Susan Mayoff Vamos and Susan Mayoff
Sol Mayoff relaxing after a dinner at son Doug and Cynthia’s home.
