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Frances Raphael: I thrive on being [Mrs. Morton Weissman: Good.] able to
do these things.
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Weissman: Your name is? Raphael: Frances Raphael.
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Weissman: And your-- Raphael: May I ask you a question before you start?
Who were-- you're with The University of Pittsburgh.
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Weissman: Oral History Department.
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Raphael: Is this a-- [audio cuts] my heart and soul is with my-- Weissman:
People. Raphael: People and humanity. Weissman: Good. Raphael: It's
humanity.
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Weissman: Your age?
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Raphael: I'm past 70.
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Weissman: Where were you born Frances?
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Raphael: Lynn, Massachusetts.
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Weissman: And what was your mother's maiden name?
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Raphael: My mother's maiden name was Maizlech. M A I Z L E C H.
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Weissman: It was always Maizlech. Raphael: Yes. Yes.
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Weissman: And Raphael, did-- Raphael: Raphael is my father's name. David
Rayfield.
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Weissman: And was that ever changed from anything? When they--
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Raphael: When they came to--
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Weissman: Yeah. Where did they come from?
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Raphael: They came from Russia.
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Weissman: Do you know anything further?
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Raphael: Uh, my mother-- my father was supposed to serve the Russian army.
Weissman: Yes. Raphael: And actually, I have a big family that three
children lived to manhood and they didn't want to serve for Neganif [??].
You know who Fo Neganif [??] was? Weissman: The czar. Raphael: The czar,
yes. So. Uh. My father's family was 15 children, but only three lived to
manhood. They never had any records. They used to come to my, my father's
home and told us the story. And that's how our home life was, that we were
so wrapped up and interested in those things. Today, children are not
interested in it.
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Weissman: But he came to this country. Raphael: So they--
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Raphael: Um. I could write a book.
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Weissman: You can talk a book. Raphael: So-- Weissman: To avoid? Raphael:
they would--
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Raphael: Come to the house to ask for the other children who are already
dead. Weissman: All right, but let's. Raphael: that's how they're poor
tactics were. Weissman: All right.
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Weissman: But his name was Raphael when he came to this country.
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Raphael: No, it was shortened.
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Weissman: Do you remember what the old name was?
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Raphael: I'd have to look it up for you. So anyhow, there-- my mother was
left an orphan. Her father died at 26. So all six children were scattered
with uncles and aunts. Weissman: In Russia. Raphael: In Russia. And she
went to live at an aunt's place who had an estate right near the post where
my father was going to serve. So they talked about it between the two
families. They knew the families there, not because they're my people. High
class. I know a nice girl, and if he marries her a few dollars that he has,
I'll get him across the border and get him out of Serbia. They were married
at 2:00 in the morning. He had $300. He gave it to an agent, an agent to
get him out of Russia. Got him to Germany. On to England. And in England.
At that time, he was supposed to put him on a boat to go to America. But
this agent was-- you know what I mean? As long as he got his money, he
didn't care how or what was going on.
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Weissman: That would be what-- how many years ago? In the year-- 18 what
could it have been?
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Raphael: That was at the turn of the century. I would say. In 1899 or
1900. Weissman: And he came--
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Weissman: Did he get here immediately after? Raphael: No. Weissman: They
went to England.
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Raphael: They got to England. And England had a ruling that anybody sets
foot in London, England has to stay three months. If they can't make a
living, then they can go on. So. They stayed three months and then they
picked themselves up on this boat but they were supposed to go and they
came. But on the boat they were put on a cattle boat and both of them had
their feet frozen stiff. They just laid, just like cattle, no beds and no
feelings. And they-- not a question of starving to death. They almost froze
to death. They froze. Their legs were frozen. They couldn't stand. So the
boat went by way of Canada. The doctor who came to the boat in Canada
looked at these two youngsters laying. My mother was 16. My father wasn't
even 18. He says to him. Cut off your feet. Send you back to Russia. These
two kids can't even talk a word. So they headed them on into Boston. They
came to Boston. They wouldn't let them off there either. But somehow or
other, I don't know exactly how there was somebody got word of my father
and mother coming in and he went to meet them.
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Raphael: So the doctor or whoever was the the man from not Ellis Island,
but whoever it was, customs, you know what I mean? Said, uh, how can we let
these two people off? They're going to be a debt. They were going to be on
the shoulders of the United States of the government. He says, They're my
cousins. He says, how come-- your cousins? He says, well, you see, they're
two kids. They didn't even know me. So this man out of the goodness talked
up and got him. They were hospitalized. When they got out of the hospital.
Uh, in the meantime, my mother became pregnant. They got over definitely, I
guess, a one room. This man evidently gave my father a little sustenance so
he could go to work. My father worked for 50 cents from six in the morning
till 12 at night shoveling snow on the Boston railroad tracks so my mother
could have a piece of chicken and soup for her and the newborn baby.
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Weissman: And this was in Boston. Raphael: This was in Boston.
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Raphael: So. So you see why I feel that I can't thank God enough for what
I have and try to do for humanity.
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Weissman: We'll be going back to more questions about your parents, but
first, I'll ask some other questions. Do you speak any other language but
English? Uh.
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Raphael: Yiddish very well. Jewish very well. I know how to say my prayers
in Hebrew, but to converse, I would say no. A couple of years back I
learned a few words in Hebrew, but really I didn't. I didn't dedicate
myself to learning. Much to my sorrow, really. You know what I mean?
Because it's nice. It's nice to know.
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Weissman: What was your occupation before you retired?
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Raphael: Uh, merchandising. Office work.
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Weissman: Uh, and your religion? Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed.
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Raphael: I was brought up conservative. See? But I belong to Temple
Emanuel, not because I wanted to become reformed, but years back, we had
nothing here in Mount Lebanon. And when they came up with an idea and I
see, I have, my sister had the two children and that meant eventually he'd
have, the oldest one would have to go to a Hebrew school. So she did take
him to Bethel. So it meant she took him on the Jitney, the shuttle bus from
our house up to Washington Road, where the Dennis Theater is there. She
took the 38 streetcar, which went as far as McFarland Road. Then you had to
take a Dormont streetcar down to Bethel when it was the old Bethel, and it
was a problem. She wouldn't leave a kid eight years old all by himself or
nine years old by whatever it was. It was meant three crossings, danger
involved. So when we got word from neighbors in the area-- Jewish people,
that they're thinking of gathering some people together to form a reformed
congregation. We were one of 12 that went to the meeting. My brother will
show-- did you know my brother, Dr. Sam Raphael?
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Weissman: No, I think I met Ralph.
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Raphael: Well, Ralph is the one that's been at home. He was two. So that
meant two Raphael families out of 12 that sponsored and were going to back
it. And thank God we've progressed. And from then on, let's face it,
children, at least they get some kind of education out of it. It's good to
know that you can keep your ties together as, as Jews. I go on trips. I
don't hide my identity. I went to Africa. I was 2.5 hours from Cairo. I
didn't go to Egypt. I felt I didn't belong there.
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Weissman: We have a question about politics. Do you know who you or your
family voted for when Eugene Debs was running for president in 1921?
Raphael: No. Weissman: No. Raphael: That I don't. Weissman: Would you say
your family was Republican or Democratic?
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Raphael: Um, I as of the last few years, I could say maybe one member in
the family is Republican and I'm a Democrat.
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Weissman: But what about your parents?
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Raphael: I don't remember-- Weissman: Whether they [Raphael: I don't
remember.]ever voted or any--
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Raphael: See, my father was long gone already. 37. 37 years.
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Weissman: Well, this goes back to your childhood.
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Raphael: My mother, I'm sure was gone 26 years.
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Weissman: When you were a teenager and all that. Do you know what
organization was very important? When you-- in for the greatest number of
years. What organization for Jewish people is the most important in your
life.
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Raphael: To me right now? I'll speak of right now. Weissman: Yeah.
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Weissman: And has been for a great number of years.
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Raphael: I belong-- I'm a life member of Pioneer Women. I'm a life member
of the Jewish Help for the Aged. I'm a member of North, a United Jewish
Federation. I'm active in Eastern Star. Uh JMF. That's trees and the blue
boxes.
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Weissman: Yes, that's Hadassah.
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Raphael: And-- no. Hadassah has the same, uh, hand in it. Like pioneer
women. We each try to solicit, and anybody wants to contribute for trees or
blue boxes or. Now Hadassah gives their money to the hospital only. Pioneer
Women has over 1000 installations in Israel, which we help to take care of
Jewish, non-Jewish, arab, children as well. The mothers go at 7:30 in the
morning. They have to go to work. They bring their children to these
nursery homes. Pioneer women takes care of them, gives them their
breakfast, gives them a nap, sees that they get a nap. Plays with them.
They have play areas. They get their lunch. They get their afternoon nap.
They get a little snack in the afternoon. When I was in Israel. It wasn't
on a pioneer trip this third time. The first two times I went, which was
sponsored by Pioneer Women, I got to see some of the instant, you know,
just a couple at this time. I went on my own. So I came in contact with
different places that I hadn't seen, see. And just when I came. This isn't
a nice thing to say. I came just in time. They had just got up from their
nap and they put them on the toilet seats to have their little nature's
call. And then at the same time they have a tea kettle going. Tea those
kids drink like we drink water and cookies. They give them before the
mother comes to take them home.
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Weissman: I have a question. This pioneer school, now does the state of
Israel.
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Raphael: No. This-- Israel [Weissman: Has nothing to do with any of these]
does not.
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Raphael: No pioneer women.
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Weissman: But which organization is the strongest with you, of all The
organizations. Raphael: Pioneer women. Weissman: Pioneer women. And you've
been active in that? Raphael: Yes. Yes. Weissman: Many, many years.
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Raphael: Well, 16 years. Eastern Star, I've been a member now 12 years and
I'm very active in it. Of course, this last year I haven't been active in
it. I go to meetings, I participate in fundraising, whatever I can. Give a
helping hand. But a couple years, I don't know if you're familiar with
Eastern Star. I was on the floor as so-called officer, you know what I
mean? Uh.
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Weissman: We'll be talking about that later. Uh, now, your family history.
You said Russia for your parents. Any idea what, uh, region or what the--
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Raphael: My father came from Odessa. Weissman: Odessa.
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Weissman: And your mother, too?
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Raphael: Uh.
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Weissman: Because they. You had said they met there.
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Raphael: Well, when my mother had to go live at an aunt's place.
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Weissman: Oh, I see.
Raphael: See, because her father died at 26, there were six children, and
my grandmother was left with-- very wealthy, but her husband was in
partners with a cousin. There was no papers to show proof, so he wiped her
out of everything that when she walked out of her house, she was not
allowed to take even her silver or her linen.
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Weissman: Oh. In what area did they live in? Your mother? Raphael: Well.
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Raphael: I don't know. I'll tell you something. After this happened, um.
During the-- before the war. Uh, this aunt had financial reverses. When my
mother went to get married, she didn't even buy her a dress. This wealthy
aunt and had tutors in for all the other children and governesses and wet
nurses all along that my mother was used to it, but she didn't even give my
mother a new dress. My father came to America with two and a half dollars.
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Weissman: And they came through Boston. Raphael: Through Boston, that's
right. Weissman: And when they came--
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Raphael: They lived in Boston a couple of years. And my father worked very
hard.
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Weissman: I'm going to ask about that. And they planned to stay in this
country.
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Raphael: Oh, yeah, sure.
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Weissman: Now, uh, your father's occupation. You said he was doing snow
shoveling.
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Raphael: That was one day.
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Weissman: Oh.
Raphael: For one day he did it.
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Weissman: Then what happened?
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Raphael: Then he got a job. Uh, he, uh. He worked for a company that sold
flour. People by the name of Silbert.
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Weissman: And is this still in Boston?
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Raphael: It's still in Boston. Yes.
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Weissman: And he sold flour for them.
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Raphael: Well, see, um. I take it back. When they, uh, after they got
landed in Boston, they went to live in Lynn because I was born in Lynn. My
oldest brother was born in Lynn. See, But they only lived there a short
time. My father got a job in Boston and we lived in Boston a couple of
years.
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Weissman: And he was in the flour business.
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Raphael: He was, he worked on. He, he delivered.
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Weissman: Delivered.
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Raphael: Not a truck, horse and wagon.
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Weissman: And after, how long did he-- Raphael: After slavery work.
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Raphael: Slavery work.
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Weissman: Uh, how long did he do that?
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Raphael: I would say. Either five years, something like that, or six
years.
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Weissman: And then the next job?
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Raphael: Then my mother was shown, had a brother who also was from the old
country, but he came to America and his wife had cousins in McKeesport. So
they got to know a little bit about Pittsburgh and they got word through a
relation of theirs that there was a couple that had a place of business on
Carson Street. And the woman died from childbirth. She delivered the child.
She was told to stay off her feet. She acquired milk legs. Have you ever
heard that story? And she didn't, she started walking around and walked
around and it turned like to water and went to her heart. I don't know just
exactly how that works. And she died shortly after the baby was born. So my
uncle heard of this place and he took it to heart naturally. Who doesn't
take it to heart that, he didn't want to stay in the business there? So my
uncle heard of a place of business for sale. Weissman: In Pittsburgh.
Rapahel: In Pittsburgh. So he wrote to my mother and he said. David [speaks
Yiddish].
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Weissman: David has worked hard enough. Raphael: That's right. Weissman:
Let him come here-- Raphael: To Pittsburgh and go in business for himself.
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Raphael: Right. Uh huh. In the meantime, as hard as my father worked.
They've saved a few dollars.
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Weissman: Do you know when they moved to Pittsburgh? How, how old were
you? Or roughly, they got to this country at the turn of the century. Could
still be--
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Raphael: I think we came to Pittsburgh in 1911.
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Weissman: All right and where did you move to when you came to
Pittsburgh?
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Raphael: Right with the store. There was, uh, a shanty in the back made
out of cardboards. Weissman: And where was this? Raphael: And upstairs-- On
Carson Street.
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Weissman: On Carson Street. Raphael: South Side.
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Raphael: And upstairs with a couple of rooms for bedrooms. But I'm telling
you, it was a shanty. Because when my sister took sick and the doctor saw
the-- what the room was. You know what we did? I remember it better than
what I ate yesterday. We took these old flannel Indian blankets, and we
covered up the walls. So she could, because she was-- Weissman: Be warmer.
Raphael: She could be warmer.
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Weissman: And how long did you live there?
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Raphael: We lived there for 11 years. Of course, in the meantime--
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Weissman: Oh, and what business did your father go into?
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Raphael: That was a men's furnishing store. And they sold a little bit of,
uh, dry goods. You know what I mean? So, and, and, uh, uh, and I, I as I
say, I'd like honestly, I'd like to write a book.
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Weissman: Sometime in your free time. You can do it.
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Raphael: This man, God rest his soul if he's still living. And my uncle
was [??]. Should have looked in a little bit better. They didn't look to
see what they were selling, my father [??]. My father wrote back to my
mother and said what it looked like and it would be easier living, you know
what I mean? So he gave a deposit and my mother-- and stayed there to see
how it works. He never was a salesman. My mother was shown with four little
steps. She had to sell her belongings and whatever she thought she wanted
to use, crate it and pack it and bring us to Pittsburgh on a train which
took 18 hours to come at that time. And what a train ride it was.
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Weissman: They ranged in age from?
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Raphael: Well my brother and Ralph and [??] and I. The four of us.
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Weissman: How old was the youngest, for instance?
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Raphael: [??] must have been about a year and a half old.
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Weissman: Is she the youngest? Raphael: She's the youngest. Weissman: And
how old is the oldest?
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Raphael: Sam must have been about seven years old.
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Weissman: Four children and one and a half to seven. So she came here with
the children-- Raphael: to the store.
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Raphael: And after my father took it over, they were kind enough to
suggest that they had a salesman that used to help them out on Saturday. He
would, was willing to work and show my father how to do things, so on.
Well, when they came to straighten out the stock. There was two left shoes
in one box. There was only one shoe in a box. There was only one right shoe
in another box. You know what my father had to do? He took lock, stock and
barrel, called up the Salvation Army and had to give it all away.
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Weissman: Well, this. You said it was a men's store. Raphael: A man's--
Weissman: He gave all the shoes away. Raphael: All the shoes. But--
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Raphael: Mismatched. Singles. You wouldn't believe it.
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Weissman: Any idea how much he invested in this business? How much he paid
for it? Although in those days--
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Raphael: I know I'd have to really rack my brain.
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Weissman: Yeah. All right. So, but he had some clothing to sell.
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Raphael: Well, he had shoes and shirts and ties and a little bit of yard
goods and cuffs and tie clips. They used to wear them. Um, just
haberdashery, underwear.
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Weissman: So, he was in business.
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Raphael: He was in business.
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Weissman: And he did well over the years. The business.
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Raphael: Uh, gloves. Because the men worked in the mill. They used to stop
6:00 in the morning. My father also got up 6:00 in the morning because Joe
Blow would be going to work. Maybe he'd buy a pair of gloves for $0.15.
Canvas gloves, if they had a little bit of leather padding on them in the
front, it was a quarter. A shirt was $0.50. A pair of these denims that you
pay now, $19.50 or $15.00 was 50 cents. Weissman: Let's forget about that.
Yeah. Yeah.
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Weissman: All right. Raphael: I helped--
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Raphael: My father in the store. Weissman: Sure you did. Raphael: I was
seven years old, and I went to school, and my mother had made me a little
dress. She bought a piece of-- it was a blue, like, Turkish town material.
Plain blue. And she sewed up seams, made me a dress, and I went to school
in that. And when I came home from school at 3:00 or 3:30-- 3:30 because
public school was over at 3:30. I went in the kitchen, I took off the
little dress and I put on another dress. I went in the kitchen. I'd wash
dishes or clean up or go upstairs, make the beds. My mother was in the
store with my father. And then. I would go in the store too and help. And
when the store closed, my mother would show me and I used to wash clothes
at night.
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Weissman: No washing machines either. Raphael: And no washing machines.
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Raphael: Oh, when we got a little bit better off. They bought one of these
machines, like they pounded a big, round wooden tub. Weissman: All right.
Raphael: I used to stand in line with one of those real heavy things that
you put on the stove.
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Weissman: I remember my grand--
00:26:49.000 --> 00:27:02.000
Raphael: I'm not ashamed to admit it because I feel that I-- everything
that we have, we got respectively, worked for [Weissman: At the age of
seven.] honestly. See?
00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:06.000
Weissman: How long was he in the men's clothing business?
00:27:06.000 --> 00:29:40.000
Raphael: My father was in that store till 1911. In the meantime, there was
the owner of the building. It was an old, old building. I don't know if
you've been, how long you've been. Weissman: 16 years. Raphael: Oh, then
you wouldn't know. Years ago, there was a bright [??] that was in the
lumber business, and it dated back to four generations back. They had money
tied up in lumber and, and in real estate, you know. So it was an old
house. They saw the man was in business there already a couple of years. So
they started and there was an estate. I think the tail end, I think there
was just 1 or 2 of the family living and they just wanted to get rid of
things. So they started pressuring my father, buy the place or you'll have
to get out, because we want to sell. Well, it wasn't anything to talk
about, but my father was making a living. He had paid off what he owed the
man. He had gotten rid of a dead stock. He had to buy a new stock, so. And
his credit was good. Not because of my father. He had a rating that-- I can
show you a letter that was sent to my father. Of his honesty. They shipped
him a shipment of merchandise that he had ordered when we were already in
the other store. We went up further up Carson Street, and he ordered one
pant suit. Remember years ago they used to be two pant suits? And the
shipper made a mistake and sent them two pant suits and billed my father
for one pants and my father turned around and returned it. And I still have
that letter. It's crumbling. But this manufacturer said, such honest people
you don't find. And when my father died, there was checks in the book.
Checkbook written up for merchandise he hadn't received yet. He was going
to pay. My father died very suddenly. Within 15 minutes. 55 years old.
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.000
Weissman: So he was in the, uh.
00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.000
Raphael: So he stayed in that place 11 years.
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:53.000
Weissman: And then-- Raphael: in the meantime. Weissman: they wanted a--
they wanted to buy-- him buy it or get out. So what did he do?
00:29:53.000 --> 00:30:53.000
Raphael: So he bought it. He bought it. It wasn't anything to brag about,
but as I say, he was making a living. We made some improvements. We put it
on a kitchen with a little bit of an empty room there in the back, and to
make it a little bit livable. You know what I mean? You can't go upstairs
and be in your bedroom all day long. So my father was there until 1922. In
1922, there was a I don't know, you wouldn't have known. If you're only in
Pittsburgh 16 years, you wouldn't know there was a [??] that had a jewelry
store on Carson Street, and he had three sons and his son--
