Margarete Efrem was born in Bernstadt on December 17, 1892 as the daughter of Moritz and Klara Efrem. She grew up in the small Silesian village in which her parents ran a public bar. 

In 1914, she married Ludwig Ehrlich who took on his father’s fashion shop in Ludwigstrasse after World War I together with his brother Franz. Margarete (Grete) also worked in the shop. In 1915, their first daughter Suse/ Schoschanna was born, the sons Felix/ Phil and Hans Josef/ Joske followed in 1919 and 1921. The fashion shop of ‘Modehaus Ehrlich’ was economically very successful, and the family was highly respected in the town. Therefore, the Ehrlich Family experienced a carefree time in the 1920s.

After the seizure of power of the Nazis, the economic situation deteriorated and in 1938, the Kissingen authorities forced Ludwig Ehrlich to hand over his business to Martin Rottmann, the owner of a similar, but smaller shop. “He was no Nazi but took over the shop with all of its inventory and my parents were paid a ridiculous sum for this “sale” that they divided into the six families of the siblings”. (Joske Ereli, p. 64)

Grete and her husband owe it to their grandson Menachem that they left Bad Kissingen just in time: In November 1938, their daughter Suse and her husband Asahel went to Toulouse with their boy Menachem to get a training in agriculture. “In the family the story is running how Menachem saved his grandparents. In November 1938, my parents decided to go to Toulouse to visit their first grandchild Menachem, who had been born in 1937. It was a convenient opportunity for them as the journey to Palestine was too far. They set out to France in the night from November 9 to 10, 1938 – “Kristallnacht” (Pogrom Night). If the story my mother told me is true, then that was the first time for my father to prove his sense: When they were about to change trains in the station of Cologne, there was an announcement: “Herr Ehrlich – to the phone!” In those days, SS tailed Jews, especially members of the upper class, to keep them and their possessions in Germany. My father didn’t comply, didn’t go to the phone but continued their journey as planned. I don’t remember if the call came from out caretaker Hofmann or our cook at home. In any case, the message had been: Don’t return, the SS is looking for you, they have turned the house and the shop upside down … My parents didn’t return to Germany and thus the grandson saved his grandparents” (Joske Ereli, p. 66f.)

Some weeks later, in February 1939, Ludwig and Grete continued their journey to England where they were generously supported by Uncle Ludi like many other members of the family (Uncle Ludi was Felix Ehrlich’s brother who had acquired a big fortune as the proprietor of a mine in South Africa and had moved to England at the turn of the century.)

After the war, in 1946, both of them emigrated to their children in Givat Brenner/ Palestine. Ludwig Ehrlich, then already suffering from a heart disease died in 1948, his wife died several years later in 1952. (J. Ereli, p. 97f)

(Most of the information has been found in the autobiography of Ludwig Ehrlich’s son Joske Ereli.)