Golden Couple: Jack and Ruth Hirsch

Jack and Ruth Hirsch, residents of Pacific Palisades for 55 years, celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary on June 24.
It all began for Jack and Ruth in Montreal, Canada in 1941, when they first met at a reunion party for people who had all attended the same vacation resort in the Laurentian Mountains the prior summer.
During the festivities, Jack happened to be holding a glass of punch when he asked Ruth to dance. Almost immediately after they began dancing, he accidentally spilled some of the punch on her lovely new dress. To this day, he claims it was because he had become distracted while looking into Ruth’s beautiful blue eyes.
Several days later, Jack called Ruth to apologize, asking if he could take her dress to the cleaners. Ruth insisted that it wasn’t necessary, since she had already taken care of the matter, but Jack countered with an invitation for a date. Ten months later, in June 1942, they were married and have been inseparable ever since.
In 1948, a close friend of theirs, Murray Kay, informed Jack and Ruth that he was leaving Montreal to move permanently to Los Angeles, in sunny Southern California. It seemed a world away to them, but a warmer world, so they asked Murray to please let them know how he liked it, and to tell them what the conditions were like in terms of housing and employment.
Eventually, after hearing from their friend how relaxed the Los Angeles lifestyle seemed, and how great the climate was, Jack and Ruth made the decision to move to L.A. They took the long train ride with their two-year-old son, Lorne, and settled into a one-bedroom apartment near MacArthur Park, close to Jack’s new place of employment in downtown L.A.
After Jack worked for several companies, he and Ruth purchased their first home in Westwood. Soon after, in 1950, their second son, Richard, was born.
That year, Jack and Ruth decided to take an ambitious chance and start their own business. Both of them happened to be artistic—each enjoyed painting and sculpting—and were inspired to start a manufacturing and distribution company called Jaru Art Products, which began wholesaling a unique line of decorative accessories and giftware with a distinctive California look. Jack and Ruth both designed a myriad of products that were crafted exclusively for them by a select group of artists whose talents they greatly admired. In no time, and much to their surprise and satisfaction, a growing catalogue of their items was being sold to department stores, interior designers and exclusive furniture stores.
Very quickly, buyers from all over the United States and Canada realized the ‘California look’ was a winner. As a result, the business continued to grow. And a good indication of the Hirsch’s place in the era is the fact that original items from the Jaru Art Products catalogue can often be found selling on eBay and also gracing walls, tables and bookshelves in period films and television shows such as the hugely popular “Mad Men.”
While still living in Montreal, Ruth had taken up oil painting in her spare time. This included a portrait of the famous cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, which ended up beautifully framed and hanging in their second home—in Brentwood, on Saltair Avenue. Soon after moving in, they discovered that their neighbor, by coincidence, was none other than Piatigorsky himself!  Occasionally Jack and Ruth could enjoy listening to weekend “concerts” from over the backyard fence, played by Piatigorsky and world-famous violinist Jascha Heifetz.
Then one day they found a note in their mailbox from Mr. Piatigorsky, inquiring if they were interested in selling their home, which he wanted to buy for one of his daughters. As it happened, Jack and Ruth had begun looking for a larger home. So they replied with a note to Piatigorsky that they were indeed interested, and invited him to view the house, leaving him a note with their phone number. The very next time they arrived home from work, the phone rang and it was Piatigorsky. He explained that while they were at work, he had viewed the home by walking through an unlocked back door. He had also seen the painting of himself, which was one of the reasons why he was so interested.
Long story short: Jack and Ruth quoted Piatigorsky a price for the house, which he immediately accepted. And it was because of that transaction that they were able to purchase their home on upper Amalfi Drive, where they moved in 1958 and have lived ever since. Unfortunately, a few years after the move, the Amalfi home was burglarized and the painting was taken.
After 20 years of working tirelessly, sometimes seven days a week, Jack and Ruth decided to retire from the giftware business. During their successful run with Jaru they had developed a portfolio of real estate investments, which they continued to manage. Their investments soon became even more successful than Jaru Art Products and frankly, according to Ruth, produced considerably less stress.
On their “retirement,” the Hirschs faced some pleasant choices in terms of how to spend their time. Jack, as a first tenor with a love of music from an early age, participated in many choir groups. He also sang in the University Synagogue choir during High Holidays and with the Santa Monica Emeritus College choral group.
Ruth remained active in managing their real estate investments while devoting herself to philanthropic organizations such as the American Youth Symphony, The Wellness Community, B’nai B’rith and the ADL. The couple also traveled extensively.
As the years flew by, Jack and Ruth also enjoyed their sons’ success in their own businesses—Hirsch Business Interiors and Advanced Electronics Group—and then seeing Lorne develop a unique, antique-related company called Angling Artifacts and Richard blossom as a full-time playwright.
These days, the couple are kept busy by their ever-expanding family, which includes Lorne’s wife Yuriko; Richard’s wife Susan; and grandchildren Holly Hirsch, Hillarie Brigode (husband Taylor), Tyler Hirsch (Katya) and Carly Kimmel (Jonathan). They now have five great-grandchildren: Madison and Reilly Hirsch, Wesley (the Baby Bachelor on the “Jimmy Kimmel Show”) and Beatrix Kimmel and Arthur Brigode, age one.
As they have since they arrived in this most beautiful part of Los Angeles County in 1958, Jack (now 98) and Ruth (91) continue to enjoy their life in the Palisades, and hope to celebrate even more anniversaries.