TRANSCRIPT

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

S. Wertman: There is one member of the family who was not brought over, who was left there, who had children and they were getting married and they were. . . That was before the war. You know? before Hitler began taking over.

It is very sad. I remember I was only, God?I do not know if I was a teenager. I was quite young. But I had that letter and I have my father's file. And I gave that letter to my sister and she had it translated.

And this, these begged . . . on my mother's side of the family, begged my father to send money to bring her over. He could not do it.

R. Ormerod: Yea.

S. Wertman: I . . . you know - terrible. They did not survive. We knew all about what was going on there. When the war started and my mother died in 1939. That was the year the war started. Right?

We know what was happening to the Jews, in Europe. It is not as if we did not know. And as you say, you feel you are in a safe haven here. I did not feel anti-Semitism when I was young, at all.

R. Ormerod: Ok.

S. Wertman: And I was not really aware of it much. We are all aware of the fact that the Jews were being . . . killed.

R. Ormerod: Yes

S. Wertman: Hitler . . .well Don's brother joined service, Don joined the service, Eddie joined, David was over in Europe. So, everybody did their thing.