TRANSCRIPT

Interview with S. Wertman by R. Ormerod Feb. 23, 2004

I finished school at four and then I walked out the back door of this school, crossed through this beautiful wooded area, where flowers and trees were growing and there was a lovely path over the rocks. There was nothing built there. And I crossed through crossed the street and went to the synagogue - from four 'til five. And then from there I came home.

I remember when I was still little - I must have come home from Jewish school. And there was a circus on the Central School grounds. And as I went through Central School grounds and crossed diagonally from my home, 37 Duncan. I crossed through the circus and as it got dark, the lights of the circus came on and I wandered around and wandered around and looked and looked and looked. And when I got home, I finally came out of my ?I was in sort of a trance, I think.

When I came out of it and came home, my parents were furious. They were so frightened that I ?something had happened to me. And I remember my father - I hid under the bed I was afraid he was going to strap me. My sister was on top of the bed and Mother was in there and my father said, "[you know] I'm going to have to give you a strap." and he pulled this belt from his pants and I said, "Ohhh, you are going to lose your pants."

And they all started to laugh, and of course I did not get strapped.