LEVINE:

— can remember and anything you remember will be good. Okay. Today is June 19 th , 1997 and I'm here with Raye Weinberg in Tenafly, New Jersey, and this is Janet Levine for the National Park Service. Mrs. Weinberg came from Russia when she was 13 years of — of age. And she came in 1923 on the Olympic. Do you remember that, the White Star Line?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Okay, good.

WEINBERG:

[unclear] remember that's the line.

LEVINE:

Right. But do you remember your birth date?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, it's [pause] —

LEVINE:

January? Can you remember that you were born in January?

WEINBERG:

Mmm —

WOMAN:

Do you want me to talk?

LEVINE:

Okay.

WOMAN:

It was the 11 th , January, 1908.

LEVINE:

You were born in 1908, Mrs. Weinberg?

WEINBERG:

Mmm, yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And what was your name when you were born? What was your maiden name? Remember your maiden name? Meltzer [PH]?

WEINBERG:

That's right.

LEVINE:

Meltzer. Remember that?

WEINBERG:

That's right. Yeah.

LEVINE:

Yeah. Now, did you have sisters and brothers? When you —

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

— were in Russia, did you have sisters and brothers who were there too?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Yes?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

And how — how many did you have?

WEINBERG:

I had — [unclear] —

LEVINE:

Let's see. We're going to pause here for a minute. [tape off/on]

WOMAN:

[unclear] your voice. Okay?

LEVINE:

Yeah. Well, tell me what — what you remember about being a little girl in Russia. When you were a little girl, before you were 13 and came to this country, what do you remember about Russia? Remember where you lived?

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Yeah? Can you tell me about that? Where did you live? What was it like? [pause] And your mother — you mentioned your mother. What was your mother's name?

WEINBERG:

Stone.

LEVINE:

Stone?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

That was her maiden name?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

And what kind of a mother was she?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, a good mother.

LEVINE:

A good mother? Why was she such a good mother? What made her a good mother? Do you remember how she was with you, how she treated you?

WEINBERG:

Very good.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And how about your father?

WEINBERG:

He was good too.

LEVINE:

He was good? What did he do for work when he was in Russia? Do you remember what he did? Do you remember what kind of work your father did? [pause] Do you remember your brothers and sisters when you were a little girl?

WEINBERG:

[sentence unclear].

LEVINE:

What?

WEINBERG:

Ah —

LEVINE:

Okay, we're going to pause here. [tape off/on] Okay. We're going to see whatever you can remember. Okay? Now, do you remember leaving Russia?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Okay. What do you remember about that? Do you remember packing up? How did you leave? What did you take to get away from Russia? [pause]

WOMAN:

Mrs. Weinberg?

LEVINE:

[sentence unclear].

WOMAN:

You don't want to talk?

WEINBERG:

I don't remember what to say.

WOMAN:

You don't — you remember you told me your brother — some of her brothers and sisters were here before the rest of them came from Russia. And she said they helped to — for your ticket and everything. Right? Your brother? Remember?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

WOMAN:

The one, you came to stay with him. Remember that?

WEINBERG:

I remember that.

WOMAN:

Yeah. So that's what she wants to know. She wants to know everything. You tell me everything.

LEVINE:

Who was your brother who came here first?

WEINBERG:

I had a brother, Arthur.

LEVINE:

And he came here first?

WEINBERG:

No. He came first.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And then what — how did — how was it that the rest of the family came? [pause] Okay. Mrs. Weinberg, tell us again, when you came to Ellis Island —

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

— and you — and y — and — and they examined you, and then what happened?

WEINBERG:

They examined us and we slept on the — on — on the floor, not on the table.

LEVINE:

Not on the table?

WEINBERG:

And not on the [unclear].

WOMAN:

Not on the bed, you mean?

LEVINE:

You didn't have any beds?

WEINBERG:

No. We didn't have any beds.

LEVINE:

And what happened? Was it your sister's nail that was a problem?

WEINBERG:

My sister had a red nail so they were going to keep us from — [unclear] from the — then they passed us so — and because we said that without my sister we wouldn't stay in [unclear] but they will ship back. So they let us pass.

LEVINE:

And then where did you go?

WEINBERG:

And then my brothers came for us.

LEVINE:

You had two brothers?

WEINBERG:

Four brothers.

LEVINE:

Four brothers, and they were all here?

WEINBERG:

Meltzer.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

They came for us and they got us out and we went to their houses.

LEVINE:

Do you remember where their houses were?

WEINBERG:

And — and then after the brothers —

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

[unclear].

LEVINE:

Where did you go? Where did you go to their houses? Where was that?

WEINBERG:

We went to the houses and we — my sister's house and my brother's house, Meltzer, my brother's name. And he got us out.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Were you happy to see your brothers?

WEINBERG:

Y — yes. I haven't seen them in many years.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

So I was very happy to see my brothers.

LEVINE:

And who was go — what was traveling with you when you came here?

WEINBERG:

Two — two more sisters.

LEVINE:

Two more sisters. And —

WEINBERG:

Yes, three sisters here and the — we — we [unclear] the sisters.

LEVINE:

You — you came, the three sisters.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

And you had four brothers who were here?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, I had four brothers. And I had Meltzer, Sam; Meltzer, Heimie [PH]; Meltzer [unclear]; Meltzer, Benny and another Meltzer.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And did — and you had some sisters who were already here?

WEINBERG:

Yes. We were going — we three sisters —

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

— to America. [sentence unclear]. We — we came and we went to school and we went to — to work.

LEVINE:

Did you go to school?

WEINBERG:

Yes. I learned to — [unclear] Heimie, my brother, was there.

LEVINE:

He went to school too?

WEINBERG:

Yes, I went to school and we went to school, even living already in America.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Well —

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

— t — could you speak any English when you came here?

WEINBERG:

No.

LEVINE:

What was that like when you went to school?

WEINBERG:

I went to school and I was very good in school.

LEVINE:

You learned English fast?

WEINBERG:

What?

LEVINE:

Did you learn English —

WEINBERG:

Yes —

LEVINE:

— fast?

WEINBERG:

I learned English and I — I was doing very good in school. I [unclear] my sister that came with me, she worked by dresses. And I went to school. I — I was very anxious to learn the language.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

So I went to school and I learned language and was talking English.

LEVINE:

Did you know English before your mother and father knew English?

WEINBERG:

No.

LEVINE:

No?

WEINBERG:

No. They never went. They were learning the life of my mother and father. And —

LEVINE:

Well, [clears throat] did your mother and father speak Yiddish?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Is that what they spoke to each other?

WEINBERG:

They — yeah, they're talking to each other in — in Yiddish.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did you know Yiddish too?

WEINBERG:

Yes. I still do. I still remember it.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Do you remember any little songs that you used to sing when you were in Russia?

WEINBERG:

Huh? [sentence unclear].

LEVINE:

Do you remember any little songs from when you were a girl?

WEINBERG:

Hmm — there's some I don't remember.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did any of the teachers help you when you were in school?

WEINBERG:

Yes. [unclear] Europe.

LEVINE:

In Europe, they helped you?

WEINBERG:

[unclear] helped me in school. I was very good in school. I was excellent.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And what did your father do when he came here? What was he able to do for work?

WEINBERG:

He — he didn't come here. Only the three sisters came.

LEVINE:

Oh, and your father wasn't here?

WEINBERG:

No.

LEVINE:

And your mother?

WEINBERG:

They're both [unclear].

LEVINE:

Oh, I see. So you never saw your mother and father again after you came?

WEINBERG:

After I came, I never saw them again.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Well, how come all the children came and the mother and father stayed behind?

WEINBERG:

They had their own home and they stayed home. We went to America when — when we came.

LEVINE:

What did you — why did you want to come to America?

WEINBERG:

We had three sisters and brothers and our mother and father died.

LEVINE:

They died before you came?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Oh, I see. So they came — they died —

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Did they die after your brothers had come to America?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, the brothers came to America many years ago.

LEVINE:

I see. And then your mother and father died.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

So you came with your sisters.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

I see. Uh-huh. And did you — did you know anything about America before you came?

WEINBERG:

No, very little.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

We first were — granite. We used — we passed — we passed back here, that place where you go hiding. We were hiding to pass the — the granite.

LEVINE:

At the border?

WEINBERG:

The border. We passed — we were hiding in our — in our border. And we came to — to Poland and from Poland, we came to America.

LEVINE:

Just — just you and your sisters?

WEINBERG:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

Or was somebody else with you?

WEINBERG:

Just me and my two sisters. So we were all three [unclear].

LEVINE:

You had to — you had to run away. You — it — was it at night?

WEINBERG:

We ran away and we were by the granites.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

And by the border.

LEVINE:

D — you were 13 years old. How old was your oldest sister who came with you?

WEINBERG:

[several words unclear] about 18, 19.

LEVINE:

Eighteen and nineteen?

WEINBERG:

[unclear]. And the older one was — the oldest one was 22.

LEVINE:

Ah. Well, so you must have been frightened.

WEINBERG:

Yes, when we were at the border hiding during the night we were very scared. Yeah.

LEVINE:

Do you remember running over the border? Did you — do you — how did you get over?

WEINBERG:

We went — overnight, we went to Poland from the border.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Did you know anybody in Poland?

WEINBERG:

No, but we had a nice room.

LEVINE:

You had —

WEINBERG:

And my brothers send us money. They send us about $300.

LEVINE:

Huh.

WEINBERG:

They send us letters and we were very happy that we can go to America. From Poland, we went to America.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And they sent us money for —

LEVINE:

The ticket?

WEINBERG:

— tickets.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And our letter and we were very happy that we were able to go to America, because all my brother and my sisters, they're —

LEVINE:

Already in America.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now, what — who were the two sisters that you came with?

WEINBERG:

They — the — one died just now.

LEVINE:

What was her name?

WEINBERG:

Bella Lasserman [PH].

LEVINE:

And what was the other one's name?

WEINBERG:

Sonja. Well, what's her second name?

WOMAN:

Horowitz.

LEVINE:

Sonja Horowitz.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And she's the one that's alive and lives in Florida?

WEINBERG:

Mmm.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And so how long did you have to stay in Poland?

WEINBERG:

We stayed in Poland about — about a year.

LEVINE:

Why so long?

WEINBERG:

Hmm.

LEVINE:

Why did you stay so long?

WEINBERG:

Be — because they — they talked to us about — about — that we were going to America to see my brothers and sisters.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. But where — what did you do for that whole year when you were in Poland?

WEINBERG:

We were — did nothing. We — they send us money.

LEVINE:

Oh, uh-huh. They sent you money and —

WEINBERG:

So we did nothing.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. I see. So were you waiting to get cleared —

WEINBERG:

Cleared.

LEVINE:

— to come to this country?

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. And when you did get on the ship, do you remember the ship?

WEINBERG:

White Star Line.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And what was it like aboard the ship?

WEINBERG:

We have — aboard the ship — to America?

LEVINE:

Yeah.

WEINBERG:

We had tickets, good tickets, and we had food.

LEVINE:

Were you — were you — you were on the Olympic.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

On the Olympic. Do you remember, were you down in the bottom of the ship, like a dormitory? Is that where you slept?

WEINBERG:

Yeah. We — we — we were — we were [unclear]. We were early. We were — the ship was down on the bottom, dining room, and we had food because we paid. My brother sent us money.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Hmm.

WEINBERG:

So we paid. So we got food.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Was it a long trip?

WEINBERG:

It — it — and it was — I was nauseous on the — on the boat.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. And then do you remember when that ship came into the New York harbor?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Did you see the city and the statue?

WEINBERG:

My brothers were waiting for us.

LEVINE:

Oh, uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

I had sisters too.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. So — so when the — the ship came in, you saw your brothers and sisters?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

What was that like, seeing them again?

WEINBERG:

It was like you being [unclear] my brothers and sisters. My sister took us to her house. She's dead now.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

Her —

LEVINE:

And [clears throat] you had to stay at Ellis Island for a while.

WEINBERG:

Yeah, overnight. The — we had on the floor to sleep and we had our pillows we took from Russia.

LEVINE:

Oh.

WEINBERG:

So we brought it to America.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. What else did you bring beside your pillows?

WEINBERG:

Our kettle.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. And — and was the — were the pillows made out of down?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did you bring other bedding too? Did you bring, like, a — a blanket or a — a quilt?

WEINBERG:

I don't remember what else — what else we brought. I don't remember. It's a long time.

LEVINE:

[chuckles] Yes, it is.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

But you remember a lot. You remember a lot of things about it.

WEINBERG:

Yes, I remember. And then we saw my brothers from the boat. We saw them and we were so happy that we got through there, Ellis Island there. My sister's nail, they saw that it's nothing important so they let us go, all three of us. And we didn't want to go along with [unclear]. So we went, three of us and we saw my brothers.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. You must have been — were you afraid that they might send you back?

WEINBERG:

What?

LEVINE:

Were you afraid that they might send you back? That — that the inspector at Ellis Island might send you back because of your sister's nail?

WEINBERG:

Wanted to send us back but we said that we'd go, all three. We wouldn't go one without another. So they looked into it and they saw that it's nothing important. It's just a nail was bad. And is — we came to America; her nails are good.

LEVINE:

[chuckles] Which sister had the nail problem?

WEINBERG:

Sonja.

LEVINE:

Sonja, uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

Horowitz.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. So where did your brothers live? Where did you go when you left Ellis Island?

WEINBERG:

We went to my sister, Rose. What was her second name? I forgot.

LEVINE:

Well, that's okay. We just need her first name. W — where was it? In New York?

WEINBERG:

It was where — in a distance.

LEVINE:

Did you have to take a train?

WEINBERG:

No, we — they took us by car. [END OF TAPE 1, SIDE A] [BEGIN TAPE 1, SIDE B]

LEVINE:

The Bronx? Did you go to the Bronx?

WEINBERG:

The Bronx?

LEVINE:

Yeah.

WEINBERG:

No. My sister, Rose, lived in downtown —

WOMAN:

In Brooklyn?

LEVINE:

Was it Brooklyn? Did she live in Brooklyn, your sister?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, she lived in New York.

LEVINE:

So what was it like when you got to your sister's? What happened when the — when you and your two sisters got to — to Rose's house with your brothers and everyone?

WEINBERG:

We went — Nathan Meltzer, another brother —

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

So I went to him. He didn't have children so he took care of me just like a father.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And Rose — Sonja Horowitz was in Rose's house and the older sister from the three, she lived with Rose's house.

LEVINE:

So your two sisters stayed at Rose's and you went with Nathan?

WEINBERG:

With Nathan. He took care of me like I was his child.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. And did Nathan live in Brooklyn?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And is that where you went to school?

WEINBERG:

I went to school. I was very anxious to learn in English so I went to school and — and I learned good English, very good. And my sister, Bella, the oldest one from [unclear], she [unclear] worked by dresses. She wasn't interested in English, just like I am very interested.

LEVINE:

And did you have a te — any teachers that helped you learn English?

WEINBERG:

I was working hard.

LEVINE:

Did the children — were there other immigrant children in your school?

WEINBERG:

Yes. They — they were — had — they were learning school and like I was learning.

LEVINE:

Oh, uh-huh. Did — did — did the children treat you badly at first? Did they call you a greenhorn and things like that?

WEINBERG:

I was one — one class. I was with the little children.

LEVINE:

Oh, they put you in with the little children. Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

So they were laughing at me, the [unclear]. Oh, then they are young kids so they were laughing at me.

LEVINE:

And how did you feel?

WEINBERG:

I felt bad.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

But I didn't give up.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

I went to school.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And then did — did — was there a time when you started to feel at home in this country?

WEINBERG:

Yeah. I was starting to feel better because I was [pause] —

LEVINE:

Well, once you learned how to speak English, it must have made it a lot easier.

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. So how long did you stay in school then?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, I stayed in school till I knew how to read and write and I was going to night school when I learned how to — how to read and write. I was very anxious to learn.

LEVINE:

Did you become a citizen?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

When was that?

WEINBERG:

When I was — five years, I became a citizen.

LEVINE:

And had your brothers and sisters become citizens too?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Do you remember that day when you became a citizen?

WEINBERG:

I remember.

LEVINE:

Was that a — a big, happy day for you?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. So then when — when did you stop going to school?

WEINBERG:

I was going to school when I became married. I was still going to school.

LEVINE:

Were you just going to night school then?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And I worked as a cashier and I was — had a boyfriend and I — I was going still to school.

LEVINE:

How did you meet your husband?

WEINBERG:

In school.

LEVINE:

In the night school?

WEINBERG:

In the night school when I became a citizen and I was going to night school.

LEVINE:

Well, where was your hus — where did your husband come from? What country?

WEINBERG:

American.

LEVINE:

He was born in America?

WEINBERG:

Who?

LEVINE:

No, your husband.

WEINBERG:

My husband is also Russia.

LEVINE:

He came from Russia too?

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And did you —

WEINBERG:

And we went to night school together and he proposed to me and I became a — a bride.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did you know him in Russia?

WEINBERG:

No, I met him here.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

In the classes.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did you have a big wedding?

WEINBERG:

In my brother, Sam's house.

LEVINE:

In what? Say again?

WEINBERG:

In my brother, Sam's house, I had the wedding.

LEVINE:

Oh, your brother, Sam, gave you the wedding?

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

He had night — night classes. We went.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And what was your husband's name?

WEINBERG:

Julius Weinberg.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Julius?

WEINBERG:

Julius Weinberg.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And what did your husband do then? How — what kind of work did he do?

WEINBERG:

He was a — a printer.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. And — and then after you got married, did you work anymore?

WEINBERG:

Till I became pregnant —

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

— with my daughter.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. What kind of work did you do before you became pregnant?

WEINBERG:

I was — I — addressograph. I did addressograph and —

LEVINE:

Addressograph?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, addressograph. And —

LEVINE:

In an office?

WEINBERG:

In an office.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And my husband was a printer.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And then you had your daughter, right?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

And what — and what's her name?

WEINBERG:

Adeline Greatman [PH].

LEVINE:

And the —

WEINBERG:

And she's still here in America and she loves it.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Did you have other children too?

WEINBERG:

Yes, I had Eleanor and Dorothy but Eleanor died of cancer.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. And then do you have grandchildren?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

And how about great grandchildren? Do you have any of those?

WEINBERG:

Great grandchildren?

LEVINE:

Yeah.

WEINBERG:

I have grandchildren and they have children.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

So I have great grand —

LEVINE:

Yes, uh-huh. What do you feel proud of? What makes you feel proud or satisfied —

WEINBERG:

Hmm.

LEVINE:

— that you've done in your life?

WEINBERG:

That I came to America. So I was proud.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm, uh-hmm. Do you think — do you think that the fact that you came here when you were 13 years old — do you think that made a big difference to you as a person? The kind of person that you were and have been?

WEINBERG:

I think so.

LEVINE:

What ways did it matter, do you think?

WEINBERG:

I was learning English.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm.

WEINBERG:

And I was good in it.

LEVINE:

Is there anything else you can remember about Russia? When you think back about Russia and living there, what are the things that you remember now?

WEINBERG:

I was away from there so long that I can't remember everything.

LEVINE:

You don't have memories of — of Russia?

WEINBERG:

No.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

I wasn't there since I came here.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And how about Poland? Do you remember anything about that year in Poland?

WEINBERG:

No.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. And how about this country when you first came? Do you remember things that were new to you, things that you never saw before that you saw when you came to New York? [pause] You felt happy when you came here, did you?

WEINBERG:

I was very happy.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. What was the best time in your life?

WEINBERG:

That I made the trip.

LEVINE:

Ah, uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

And we were in — we slept overnight in — in there.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm, uh-hmm. Okay. Is there anything else that you want to say before we stop about coming to this country and m — living out your life here and having a husband and children and —

WEINBERG:

I would —

LEVINE:

What — is there anything you want to say about this country?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, I like this country and I like that I became a citizen.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Well, you learned English so you could become a citizen. Right?

WEINBERG:

I learned English.

LEVINE:

Okay. I think we'll close here. I want to thank you, Mrs. Weinberg. That was really nice that you — that you were able to remember things and talk about them.

WEINBERG:

Hmm.

LEVINE:

And you came from Russia when you were 13.

WEINBERG:

Yeah, I was 14 when I get to America.

LEVINE:

You were 14, not 13, huh?

WEINBERG:

Yeah, 14 years.

LEVINE:

Okay.

WEINBERG:

I came to America.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

WEINBERG:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

And let's see. Today, you're 89, right?

WEINBERG:

The 18 th of —

LEVINE:

You're 89 now and you were 14 years old when you got — when you came to this country.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

It's a long time ago, huh?

WEINBERG:

Yes.

LEVINE:

Uh-hmm. Well, thank you so much.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

It was a pleasure talking to you.

WEINBERG:

You're welcome. I forget things. It's so long.

LEVINE:

You remembered a lot.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

It's just important what you remember.

WEINBERG:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

It doesn't matter if you forgot some things.

WEINBERG:

But I — I don't remember everything.

LEVINE:

Well, you remembered a lot and I want to thank you. Okay. Today is June 19 th , 1997 and this is Janet Levine for the National Park Service and I'm signing off. [END OF INTERVIEW]