THE TALE OF JACQUES KLUGER aka JACK KLUGER
By Jean Kluger
Jack Kluger (1912-1963)
Born January 23, 1912, in Antwerp, Belgium. Son of Maurice Kluger, a diamond-cutter, born in Cracaw, Poland, and Rosa Kluger- Steger, born in Antwerp.
My mother used to say to my father as he was a hard-working person :
“You should have two lives, One to work, One to enjoy…”
Too bad for him and his family, he only had one!
Roland
A MAJOR PERSONALITY AND A GREAT PROFESSIONAL
Despite a handicap at birth in the form of a slight limp.
Not only did this handicap become a kind of trademark, but Jacques turned it into an asset. It certainly didn’t stop him from enjoying a good game of tennis! He was also an excellent billiard player (member of the Antwerp Vingeroed Team of Champions).
His brother was to follow in his footsteps, later on. Jacques was also a big football fan, supporting the Anderlecht team every Sunday. The memorable match was Anderlecht vs. Beerschot, as the latter was his brother’s club.
During the First World War, the Kluger family emigrated to Holland. Upon their return to Antwerp, Jacques studied at Athenee Royale. He spoke perfect Flemish, French, English, German, and Yiddish (the latter was to serve him well in subsequent business trips to the USA).
He met his future wife, Adela Rozenbaum, at the age of 14 when she came to Antwerp to work as a diamond-cutter. They married in 1935.
Jacques Kluger studied diamond cleaving for one year but was not bitten by “the diamond bug”. His heart was already set on music.