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Family Business

The Friedmans, owners of Crescent Jewelers, the oldest shop in Westwood, do business with

'a smile and a thank you'

By Marjon Ghasemi

Daily Bruin Contributor

After nearly 50 years of marriage, Lenny Friedman has never forgotten to give his wife, Sunny, flowers for any special occasion. But some might consider it cheating, considering Lenny gives Sunny a rose on every day of their marriage.

Next month marks Lenny and Sunny Friedman's 50th wedding anniversary. But this year their store, Crescent Jewelers, turns 50 also.

Since the Friedmans came to the village in 1946, many merchants have come and gone, but after 50 years, Crescent Jewelers is now Westwood's oldest merchant. The Friedmans are not merely a Westwood institution; several members of the family have belonged to the UCLA community over the years.

Lenny and Sunny Friedman's eldest daughter, Linda, and her husband Jeff Abell both graduated from UCLA in 1969. They recalled a UCLA far different from today's campus.

"The biggest change (at UCLA) is what it costs to go to school," Jeff Abell said. "We were on the semester system back then, and I think it was under $100 a semester."

Linda Abell's memories may make some present Bruins thankful for the University Records System Access (URSA) system.

"I remember we had to run for classes," Linda Abell said. "Before the first day of class there was a running day. We would have to pick out our schedule, look on the maps, go to the actual classrooms and hope that we got in."

The next Friedman to attend UCLA was the family's youngest son, David. Although registration had become computerized by the time he enrolled in 1972, he recalled having to wait in lines.

"When I was there, we'd have to stand in line to see the computer," David Friedman said. "We'd wait in line for literally two or three hours to get to the computer, and some guy would type in our schedule - and of course the computers were down every other day. I'd stand in line for hours and they'd say, 'Sorry, the computers are down.' It was all so exasperating."

David met Gail, the woman who would be his wife, in an accounting discussion section at UCLA.

But the long string of Friedman alumni did not end with David.

Jeff and Linda Abell's daughter, Arianne, graduated cum laude in 1995 and now works in the College of Letters and Sciences Provost Office. Their son, David, is a second-year English student and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

These days, Jeff and Linda Abell and David and Gail Friedman work alongside Lenny and Sunny Friedman at the Crescent Jewelers store.

When the Friedmans moved from Chicago, Ill. to the village, a prosperous future was a dream, but not necessarily a certainty. Money was tight for the family during their early years in Westwood.

Their eldest daughter, Linda Abell, recalled her modest childhood.

"We were so poor that my parents couldn't afford to buy me a new box of crayons," she said.

She attributed the business' growth to her parent's customer service.

"Whenever people would come in for a tiny repair that was no big deal, the client would ask 'How much?' and my dad would respond, 'Just a smile and a thank you.' Meanwhile, they were sitting on orange crates in the living room at home," she recalled. "And we still do things today for a smile and a thank you."

David Friedman echoed his sister's sentiments.

"I would hear people say to my father, 'Lenny, you can't be all things to all people.' and he would respond, 'Why not?"

Although the Friedmans may have lacked a substantial savings account at the time, their home was never dreary because of it, Linda Abell said.

"'My childhood was like a fairy tale," Abell reminisced with a grin. "There was always laughter and singing and genuine happiness. We were really a family. Even though my parents were trying to build up the business, they would always be home in time for dinner and we would all sit down together to eat."

The Friedmans' love for their family members is something that seems to have been passed down through generations, Arianne Abell said.

"(My grandparents) have had a wonderful relationship," she said. "You've never seen two people who have been married so long so much in love. You can see it when they're together, and I have seen that same love in my parents, too."

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

David Friedman (left) speaks as his sister, Linda, and Jeff Abell listen on. All three are UCLA alumni and their parents own Crescent Jewelers in Westwood village.

Devoted couple Lenny and Sunny Friedman are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their jewelry store.

Just married happy couple Lenny and Sunny Friedman 50 years ago.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu