How We Made Something Out of Nothing Life Stories and Lessons From Our Generation to Yours By The Family History / Personal Recollection Classes at ONEGeneration Senior Enrichment Center EL CAMINO-RESEDA COMMUNITY ADULT SCHOOL Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives WESTSIDE COMMUNITY ADULT SCHOOL Griffith Park Adult Community Center FRANKLIN-HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY ADULT SCHOOL Jeanette Shelburne, Instructor Los Angeles Unified School District Division of Adult and Career Education Acknowledgments For their immense encouragement and support, many, many thanks to: ♥ Principal Andrea Rodriguez and Assistant Principal Nancy Sferra of El Camino-Reseda Community Adult School ♥ Principal Jim Chacon and Assistant Principals Thomas Hunt and Ray Millette of Westside Community Adult School ♥ Principal Dianne Baird and Assistant Principal, Lynne Madden of Franklin- Hollywood Community Adult School ♥ Director Adaire Klein of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives ♥ Facility Director, Brian Arthur, Director, Larry Lisonbee, and Program Coordinator, Cathy Carpenter of the ONEGeneration Senior Enrichment Center ♥ Facility Director, Monty Sutherlin and Senior Club President, Stephanie Vendig of the Griffith Park Adult Community Center ♥ Arlene Torluemke, Teacher Advisor for the Program for Older Adults of Los Angeles Unified School District. ♥ Judith Russell, a student in one of my classes who has generously volunteered her time to design and update my website, www.jeanetteshelburne.com where students can check class information and, resources for writers. ♥ The many students who typed and copied fellow classmates’ stories onto CDs or e-mailed them to me, in an effort to help those who don’t type or use computers. THANKS! ♥ Dee Thomas for the artwork on the cover. ♥ Adaire and Manny Klein for proofreading the stories! Jeanette Shelburne—2010 ii Introduction How We Made Something Out of Nothing Life Stories and Lessons From Our Generation to Yours If you could join us during our Family History/Personal Recollection class you’d frequently hear enthusiastic comments such as: “Children would really love to hear how you made toys from scraps and had so much fun.” “You showed how you made money during the Depression—this could really give today’s teens some good ideas.” “This story really makes living through World War II come alive—it’s a personal story young people can relate to.” “You really made us feel the horrors of living in a country without freedom—and how much people have sacrificed for it.” “I don’t think many young people realize how far women and minorities have come and just how bad it was.” “We didn’t have modern conveniences, but we made things work anyway.” “There were a lot of hardships and we were very poor, but we had each other and really enjoyed the little things.” And then someone always says, “I wish we could get these stories to young people so they could benefit from them.” And so we’ve collected some of these stories into a format which we hope teachers and students can use to make history come alive through the eyes of people who lived and learned from it. Some of the writers included possible discussion questions as well. You will find many elements to discuss. We also hope these heartfelt, personal stories will also spark interest in further historical research about these times and places. The members of the Family History/Personal Recollections are LAUSD students themselves, actively engaged in ongoing learning through the Division of Adult iii and Career Education’s Programs for Older Adults in order to maintain their active, independent lifestyle and continue contributing to society. In the class, they learn and develop skills in writing clear and dramatic stories, reading stories out loud so that others can understand, listening to each other carefully, and giving constructive feedback. These improvements are also appreciated as important communication skills that enhance their interaction with the larger community. Many students are involved with mentoring, tutoring, grandparenting, caregiving, volunteering for numerous charitable, civic, educational and religious organizations as well as supplementing their income with part time employment. Students are also deeply motivated to record their personal and family history as a precious legacy for present and future generations. They understand that not only will their families benefit by learning their roots, these unique, personalized accounts will become part of the historical record of important events of our world. We plan continued opportunities for intergenerational learning. We are currently partnering with the ONEGeneration Senior Enrichment Center, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives, and the Griffith Park Adult Community Center to set up visits with local schools to read and discuss our stories with younger students. Our partnership with the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives has also given us the opportunity to meet with middle school students to support them in their preparations for the annual History Day Contest (sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation). A number of our students also participated in the READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY, by reading to elementary school students. We hope to create online version for wider distribution of these stories. These intergenerational learning opportunities are invaluable to all of us! We hope you enjoy and learn from the richness of our life experiences and that these stories encourage you to write your own life stories and family history. Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved by the individual authors Material may be reproduced for educational purposes. iv ONEGeneration Senior Enrichment Center—Tuesday Class EL CAMINO-RESEDA CAS ONEGeneration Senior Enrichment Center—Thursday Class EL CAMINO-RESEDA CAS Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives WESTSIDE CAS Griffith Park Adult Community Center FRANKLIN-HOLLYWOOD CAS v Contents Acknowledgments ii Introduction iii Contents vi How We Lived In the 1930s, During the Great Depression 15 Many writers were children during this time and in their stories, they remember creating toys and games from every day objects and the environment, finding original ways to make a little money, and coming together as a family to get through hard times. At the end of this section, two writers describe in loving detail, the everyday life in their little towns in Poland which were later utterly destroyed by the Nazis. Jackie Branch Children of a Different Time—Hollywood 16 Barbara S. Brown Grandpa Henry—Arkansas 18 Anne Schubert When I Get my Balance—Los Angeles 21 Harris Farber How to Play Deadbox, a Street Game—Philadelphia 23 Barbara Davis An Eight-Year-Old Entrepreneur—New York 25 Phyllis Gray Winter—Ohio 27 Joseph Grodsky We Become Entrepreneurs—Chicago 29 Leaving Home—Chicago 32 Joe Grodsky, Laborer—Washington, D.C. 34 vi Contents Rabun Harper Visit to the Foundry—Columbus, Georgia 40 Beatrice Gold Friday Chicken Soup—New York 45 The Flower Lady—New York 46 I Will Help You—New York 46 Nona Negri Our Country School—Minnesota 49 Hilda Weiner Lerner SOO –New York 52 Remembering my Bathroom—New York 53 Wincelberg, Anita More than “Something from Nothing”—New York 55 Betty Whitman Bross Decisions and Change During the Depression—Kansas 58 Lenora Holt The Circus Comes to Town—New Jersey 60 Chickens—New Jersey 61 Marisa Holt A Clean Cut Dress and a Bow in my Hair, Stories from my Bubbie 62 Karl Littner Daily Life in Oswiecim—Poland 65 My Grandparent’s House 66 Grandfather Akiba, the Expert Broken Bone Fixer 70 Harry Langsam Preparations for the Passover Holiday in my Shtetl—Poland 71 Laundry Day in the Olden Days 76 vii Contents How We Survived World War II 79 Writers who were American children describe their anxiety and the way their lives changed in support of the war effort. Another writes of his grueling experiences as fighter pilot in the South Pacific. Those living in Europe experienced the full horrors of war and unspeakable Nazi cruelty. Jackie Branch Changes: 1941—1945, Hollywood, California 80 Darlene House December 7, 1941—Not an Ordinary Sunday—San Fernando Valley 82 Janice Morrow Losing my Japanese Friends During World War II—Los Angeles 84 Patricia McNeely On the Road Again—Texas 86 Don Berkus Moritai—South Pacific 89 Angela Fontanili Beautiful Sweet Persimmons—Tuscany, Italy 92 A July to Remember—Tuscany, Italy 92 Karl Littner Liquidation of the Ghetto of Sosnowiec Srodula Poland, 1943 94 Eva Perlman A Jewish Family Hiding in Nazi Occupied France 98 Harry Langsam Farewell to my Beloved Shtetl and Escape to the Soviet Union 110 The Exodus from the “Soviet Paradise” 115 viii Contents How We Lived During the Late 1940s and Early 1950s 120 In a more peaceful time, writers describe loving relationships with family and neighbors, games of imagination and school challenges. Sybil Buff The Wonders of Grandmother’s House—North Carolina 121 Reiko Sonday Grandmother’s Bathub—Northern California 125 Grandmother’s Hoosier—Northern California 126 Nihon Gakko (Japanese School)—Los Angeles 127 Jeanette Shelburne Grandma Frieda’s Temple—Los Angeles 129 Katherine Little Memories of my Grandfather and his Home –Ireland 131 Norma Jean Ponce The Flower Man—Los Angeles 137 Simple Pleasures—Los Angeles 138 Mother Cabrini’s Convent —Los Angeles 139 Patricia McNeely The Sewing Machine—Texas 141 Diane Piester Reading, Writing and Imagination—San Fernando Valley 143 Thalia Faye Making Something out of Nothing as a Child--Israel 145 Ann M. Caplan Win, Lose or Draw—Boston 147 Jeffrey Sobel A Little Goes a Long Way—Los Angeles 149 ix Contents How We Overcame Prejudice and Oppression in America 155 Stories express the pain of experiencing racism as children, and also the hope that was encouraged by inspiring role models. Some writers describe fighting back and overcoming injustice as they became older.