Stories tagged "1938-1939": 48
Stories
A Sense of Community
“Well, my father ended up as a peddler selling ladies dresses. And from that, he made enough money to open a small clothing store in the Black business district in Jacksonville.”
“Yes, we actually became aware and acquainted with some Black…
Girlhood
“She had a younger brother five years younger and his name was Hans. They were going back and forth between Indonesia and the Netherlands, she and her brother, because my grandmother and grandfather felt they needed what they called 'a proper…
Early Life
“If you know a little about Indonesia, actually the Europeans exploited the Indonesians because they had rubber, oil, sugar, and generally they became a colony of some European nation and it was Holland at the time, the Netherlands. And so, the…
Fleeing Nazi Oppression
“My grandfather found a Polish Jew who, for a hefty sum, was helping transport peoples’ home effects; furniture, linens, silverware, whatever, out of the country and he was able to – he told my grandfather to pack up some trunks and be prepared –…
Kristallnacht in Fürth
“My grandparents’ home was not harmed in anyway the way homes and stores were harmed in Nuremburg.“The Nazis came and knocked on the door, told them to get dressed, they were going into the town square. Apparently, my mom was not dressed in anything…
Planning an Escape
“Apparently, my grandmother spoke to my grandfather about it and really wanted to leave and, because he didn’t really believe this was happening in his Germany, he refused to leave. And then as I understand it, they were visiting in the summer of…
Basic Training
“It was the regular twelve weeks infantry training that all military personnel are required to take when they enter the service. It included all types of calisthenics, all kinds of weapons training, all descriptions on all types of guns, and…
Starting Over in Brooklyn
"And they came to America in July of 1939. And my father wanted to go back to Europe to fight the Nazis. He wasn’t a citizen yet, so he had to apply for citizenry, and he got the necessary paperwork done, and he enrolled in the Army. And I have a…
Asylum
"Finally, four countries relented-- that was France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Belgium. Right. And there were 28 people that were allowed to disembark in Havana, because they had the documents. Twenty-two of them were Jewish, but the rest…
The Lights of Miami
"So slowly, but surely, they pulled up their anchor. They were headed for Florida, because they were hoping the United States would be more compassionate. When they got to the coast of Florida, or close to it, they could see the lights of Miami, and…