Schedule of Topics used in interviews with the Manchester Jewish Community
INTERVIEWEE Name Date of birth Place of birth
PARENTS names Birthplaces Memories of homeland – trade, social position, religious position Reasons for migration Reasons for choice of Manchester When migrated Anything brought from homeland.
OCCUPATION of parent, son, daughter How was job obtained How was Work organised i.e. did they work for themselves or for others If they worked for others - what part did they play Who was the employer Hours Close early Friday in the winter Wages/Piece work How paid Unions Strikes Conditions of work Physical size of the place Composition and she of workforce - Jews, non-Jews - men, women. - employer’s relations Who did what Language spoken Relationships between workforce - go out with boy/girl from work Atmosphere at work Slack periods/dead horse Overtime work, legal or illegal Perks
Attitude towards Jewish/non Jewish workers if a non-Jewish/Jewish firm Any diseases associated with the occupation
1 RELIGION 1. Sabbath observance a) Work Friday night or Saturday b) Cook …Sabbath Goy … c) Travel d) Carry e) Synagogue attendance by mother, father, brothers, sisters 2. Dietary laws a) Separate milk and meat b) Eat out c) Kosher meat 3. Festivals - major and minor - Tabernacles 4. Sheital worn by Mother? 5. Father a) beard b) payers c) wears Tzitzis d) davens three times a day 6. Mezuzah on doors 7. Ever ask a Sheila - to whom? Moral Virtues Stressed Moral Vices to Avoid
CHEDER/TALMUD TORAH Which one Which Rebbe Number of Children Payment How often attend How long lessons Form of Tuition Language of Tuition Zionist Slant Room of cheder Discipline – cane Barmitvah cheder What else did Rebbe do
CHILDREN Earliest Memory Stories told as a child Games Jewish games Gamble as children Where played and went Who played with - non Jews language spoken Did girls and boys play together
2 Did girls and boys play the same games member of a gang Relationship with the police - names for police Any Fights Ever insulted /attacked as a Jew Visit other homes, Jewish and non Jewish How were non Jewish homes different What was read Who helped mother at home How family survived and economised Who controlled the household Who decided on meaIs Who disciplined the children who decided on religious observances of the family who decided what happened to children after school
FOOD Regular daily meals Special Sabbath mea1
HEALTH illnesses as Children Doctor who paid Doctor Any Jewish Doctors Adult health Illnesses of other Jews
SCHOOL Which one Teachers - Nicknames - Jewish, non-Jewish How taught Discipline - cane School friends - where from - Did you visit them? Any children who could not understand English? Relations between Jews and non-Jews. Discrimination for or against Jews or non-Jews Playground activities Parent involvement Meals Clothing School Clubs Day trips, Camps Scholarships - How got on at school Enjoy School? Activity at weekends Activity during school holidays.
3 What happened after left school School play any role in finding you a job How did you obtain your job?
HOUSE Type of house Rooms – bathroom, toilet, cellar, attics Furnishings - floor coverings ornaments decorations Cooking arrangements - utensils Crockery, tablecloth. Sleeping arrangements. Garden Yard and contents Steps - stoned Soundness of house- bugs, rodents Outward appearance of house – curtains, flowers Rented or bought landlord Who collected rent maid Lodgers Animals How moved from one house to another
STREET Length Cobbled or paved Number of houses Physical characteristics Neighbours - name occupation children dependent upon charity Shops, street traders Which shops they visited Street characters Street entertainers Which houses they visited in & outside of street What those houses were like who visited parents’ house How family spent evenings
Street communal activities - money clubs - street celebrations - street incidents e. g. deaths, funerals, evictions moonlight flits
4 - street occasions e.g. weddings, hostilities
ADOLESCENCE How spend spare time in street gambling - why? Cinema, theatre, music halls Lewis’s cafes visit town Ice palace Roller skating rink drink boxing booths Clubs - Jewish, non-Jewish Societies, Jewish, non-Jewish Dances, Tea time dances Monkey runs
DANCE Halls Who go with Who dance with? Jew or Gentile Degree sexual freedom Did parents know going out with Gentile? How keep it from them? Courting customs.
How meet wife, How long courted How asked to marry, Parents’ consent Where married Dowry, Where live Did wife continue to work
1st. WORLD WAR Do you remember beginning 1st. World War? Did Did you/father fight in 1st. world war? or were you/father an enemy alien - internment, identity card If fought - what regiment? Where fought? Relationship with Gentile soldiers Remember air raids Any gangs 1st. World War? Any anti German feeling? Any anti-Jewish feeling? Any Jewish gangs? Food shortages - Black market What happened to wife during war. How did 1st. World War affect your outlook and way of life (religious beliefs). Did (all) Jewish boys join the army? If not, what did they do?
5 How did the war affect Jewish businesses? End of 1st. World War. Attitude of family towards family deaths in the War.
ADULT LIFE Clubs - Societies How conducted for what purpose, Where meet, Members How often meet leaders Ritual
POLITICS Who vote for meetings
ZIONISM Meetings, Regular subscriptions members of the Society Blue box- who put it there, how often collected. Follow events in Palestine? Zionist activities in Manchester? Wizo.
OCCUPATION How trade changed over the years. What were you when retired? When retired. Wife work.
COMMUNITY Communal leaders, Did you meet them Any streets poorer than own? Any streets richer than own? Which ones? Difference between Hightown, Redbank and Strangeways. Visit non Jewish districts Disreputable people in the community What did you think of the Reformers? Anti-Semitism - ever experience hostility? 30's - Blackshirt activities? Anti-fascist activities? Where? when? Refugees from Hitler's Germany.
OCCUPATIONS How did you become a ……. How did you learn the skills involved?
PICTURE FAKING Details of operation
6 Methods of approach Where went, town/district/street. How went, Lodgings, food How long away - Sabbath? Organiser/ middle man. Canvassers. Artist/painter Photographer Costs of - enlargement artist moulding mount frame Prices charged, Full or part time How long a picture faker? When finished picture faking?
KLAPPERS When? First item he collected then others Where go Agent or self employed Money made - how much paid for thugs? Carry How picked districts, towns and streets. Patter at door. Reception at door/trouble/anti sem. Disposal of items - where to how much received, keep any Meeting places Clubs Nicknames Words, phrases used. Trouble with police Law on entering houses Hours of work Where ate and stayed How long away Did klappers divide territory between them Good times of year. Differences between WIC/MIC/UIC/areas Attitude towards different areas and people.
MARKET STALL HOLDERS Where went Days - Sabbath? Food licence for stall -where hired stall Union or Association Resistance & competition from stall holders where got goods How made goods marketable Methods of sale How got goods to market How many others were Jewish? Part played by others in the family or others
7 SCOTCH DRAPERS/HAWKERS/PEDLARS/STREET TRADERS How built up connections When went, Where went What sort of house deal with Relationship with clients What sold Weekly payments Non- payment where obtained goods How they paid for goods Where stored goods - base of operations. How carried goods Any assistance Income - profits Was territory divided Hours Language difficulties Anti-semitism
MONEY LENDING Where Licence/law - rates of interest How big - loans % charge per week, per annum. Clients - Jews or non-Jews? Common amounts for loan. Credentials of clients. Bad debts, Hours How many worked with you? How regarded by other Jews? Did you set up on yourown?
Did you do anything else? Did you teach your child the trade? Did you want your child to follow you?
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