Kaethe Solomon and Harold Solomon
Recorded
January 7, 2020
39:36 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
atl004231
Description
Harold Solomon (61) talks with his mother Kaethe Solomon (85) about their family's history in Germany, and immigrating to the United States.Subject Log / Time Code
Kaethe Solomon (85) says her first memory of meeting her future husband was of him telling her she had lipstick on her teeth. She says her own parents, on the other hand, had an arranged marriage in Germany.
Kaethe remembers immigrating to the United States from Germany in March of 1938. She says her father let multiple visas lapse before agreeing to leave the country with his family. Kaethe says her father carried a Torah with him onto the boat and into Manhattan, New York.
Kaethe talks about attending PS-46 in the Bronx. She says her apartment building was part of the Grand Concourse and that it was very comfortable living.
Kaethe talks about moving to Cleveland, Ohio after getting married. She remembers being pregnant and working on her Master's degree at the same time.
Kaethe remembers working as a waitress in the hotel her parents owned. She says it was called the Golden Castle.
Kaethe remembers her father's reaction to Kristallnacht. She says he vowed to build a synagogue and remembers neighbors gathering in their home to help him figure it out. She says they were able to start by renting an empty room at a candy store.
Kaethe remembers going to Hebrew School at the Jacob H. Schiff Center in the Bronx. She says this is also where she learned to play ping pong.
Kaethe talks about various jobs her parents had when they first arrived in New York. She says they also attended night school to learn English, much like other immigrants at the time.
Kaethe remembers her paternal grandmother becoming a United States citizen. She says her grandmother came over on the boat with them in 1938, and that she was in her 70s when she became naturalized.
Participants
- Kaethe Solomon
- Harold Solomon