WEBVTT 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Harry Rapoport: And you're going to sit along side of me, or else. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Hatti Rapoport: I won't run away. Don't worry, dear. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:01:07.000 Elaine Weissman: Your name? Rapoport: Harry. Oh, Harry Rapoport. What was that? Weissman: And your age? Rapoport: 78. Weissman: Where were you born? Rapoport: Russia. Weissman: What town or-- Rapoport:K-K- a suburb of Kiev. Weissman: Uh, what was the maiden name of your mother? [unintelligible third voice in background] Marion. Weissman: And her--the name of her parents? Rapoport: Benger, B-e-n-g-e-r. Weissman: Uh, huh. And what language do you speak? Rapoport: Beg your pardon? Weissman: What language do you speak and understand? Rapoport: I understand Jewish, English, and part Spanish. Weissman: Your occupation before you retired? Rapoport: Uh, I'm semi-retired. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:14.000 Rapoport: And my occupation is manager of tire division at McCain Oldsmobile Company. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:35.000 Weissman: And your religion? Is it Orthodox? Conservative-- Rapoport: Conservative. Weissman: Politics. Do you remember who your family voted for in 1921 when Eugene V. Debs was running-- Rapoport: Democrat. Weissman: Democrat. And you're a Democrat? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: How long have you lived in the Pittsburgh area? 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:38.000 Rapoport: 62 years. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:44.000 Weissman: Have you ever been a member of any Landsmanschaft organization? 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:49.000 Rapoport: You'd have to repeat that, please. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:56.000 Weissman: Uh, have you been a member in any organization for Jewish people? 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:04.000 Rapoport: B'nai Brith, YM&WHA, and Beth El Synagogue. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:13.000 Weissman: Which is the most important to you? Rapoport: YM&WHA. Weissman: And, now the birthplace of your parents? 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:18.000 Rapoport: Kigegevierni [?] near Kyiv in Russia? 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.000 Weissman: Do you remember what port of entry you came into when you came to the United States? 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.000 Rapoport: Baltimore. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:32.000 Weissman: Now, what was the first neighborhood you moved to when you came to Pittsburgh? 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:35.000 Rapoport: The Hill District. The Hill District. 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.000 Weissman: You remember the streets or anything? 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.000 Rapoport: Vine Street. V-i-n-e. Vine. Yeah. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:48.000 Weissman: And your father's occupation? Rapoport: Mattress maker. Weissman: In this country? 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.000 Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:55.000 Weissman: Anything else about his work? 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:59.000 Rapoport: So. Okay. Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible] Rapoport: Star Bedding company which is a mattress manufacturing. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:17.000 Weissman: He owned that, he owned the Star Bedding. Did your mother ever work outside of the home? Rapoport: No. Weissman: How many brothers and sisters did you have? 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:20.000 Rapoport: [laughter] Six brothers and two and two girls. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:34.000 Weissman: Anything you can tell me about them? Are they all--were they all in this country? Well, did you all come to this country? 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:39.000 Rapoport: No. There's only three of us came to this country. The rest was born here. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.000 Weissman: I see. Their occupations? 00:03:42.000 --> 00:04:05.000 Rapoport: Well, one of them is a constable. Weissman: Where? Rapoport: He works for Allegheny county--county. He lives in Squirrel Hill. Weissman: And the other? Rapoport: Irving is a druggist. Norton is a manager, Jay Williams Company. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:08.000 Weissman: Jay Williams And-- 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.000 Rapoport: Oscar is part time work. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.000 Weissman: Jay Williams Company. Where is that? 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.000 Rapoport: Jay Williams Company is a big outfit. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:20.000 Weissman: I'm only a resident. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:28.000 Rapoport: Part of that is a wholesale hardware and household appliances. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:46.000 Weissman: And they're no longer in business. How many children do you have? Rapoport: Two. Weissman: About how old are they now? 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:49.000 Rapoport: Well, 52, one. One is 48. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:50.000 Weissman: Does Joe live in Pittsburgh? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.000 Rapoport: Seattle, Washington. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:53.000 Weissman: And your daughter? 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:56.000 Rapoport: Daughter lives in Mt. Lebanon 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.000 Weissman: What kind of education did you have? 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:07.000 Rapoport: Me? Never graduated. Well, in night school, yes, I did. Uh, Fifth Avenue, High and night school. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.000 Weissman: Mhm. Did you graduate? 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:10.000 Rapoport: Yeah. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:20.000 Weissman: And, uh, your work history? Your work history? I mean, did you work, uh, right after you got out of high school? 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:36.000 Rapoport: I worked while I was in high school. Weissman: Doing what? Rapoport: Delivering newspapers when I was a youngster. And then I worked after. Worked and went to night school. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.000 Weissman: How old were you when you were delivering papers? 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Rapoport: 12 years old. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Weissman: And what was your first job in this country? 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.000 Rapoport: A delivery boy for Frank and Cedar's--delivery. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:58.000 Weissman: And after that? 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.000 Rapoport: Oh, yeah. When I was a taxi cab driver. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:03.000 Weissman: Uh huh. Tell me, any other jobs you held? 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:17.000 Rapoport: Taxi cab driver. A doorman for the Fort Pitt Hotel. A doorman. Weissman: Mhm. Rapoport: And a sub policeman sub. Those days there were subs substitute. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:22.000 Weissman: Subsitute. Yeah. Any other job? 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:34.000 Rapoport: A, uh, a tire recapping business and a tire salesman. Tire manager. Semi-retired. That's it. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:44.000 Weissman: When did your income first start to support other people than you? Did you contribute to the family? 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.000 Rapoport: From 12 years of age. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:50.000 Weissman: 12 years of age. I mean, if you earn $2. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.000 Rapoport: A quarter at first. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:00.000 Weissman: They get it all? Rapoport: They get it all. Weissman: Uh, which was, uh, the best job you ever had. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.000 Rapoport: Tire manager. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:23.000 Weissman: Was that the highest paying job? Rapoport: Yes. Weissman: Which was the worst job you have held? Didn't like that but you did because you needed the money. You can't remember? 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:27.000 Rapoport: Well, that was a tire--tire business. I went broke. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:41.000 Weissman: Well, [laughs] that's probably the worst one. Rapoport: Tire business. And I went broke. Weissman: And, uh. Uh, when did you work for Franklin and Cedar? Any idea how many years, how old you were? 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:45.000 Rapoport: Well, I was about between 13 and 15 years of age. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:50.000 Weissman: Now, why did your parents come to the Pittsburgh area? 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:55.000 Rapoport: They were very much depressed and much-- 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:02.000 Weissman: And when they came, did they plan to stay in Pittsburgh? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: What brought them to Pittsburgh? 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.000 Rapoport: My grandpap. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.000 Weissman: He was already here? 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.000 Rapoport: Yeah. Oh, yes. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:25.000 Weissman: And what do you remember about the first neighborhood that you lived in where the other--were other people from, uh, Russia? Were there, uh, Irish, Italians-- Rapoport: all kinds of religions. Weissman: A mixed-- 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:30.000 Rapoport: A mixed neighborhood. Yeah. Very poor too. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:40.000 Weissman: Very poor. Did you face any problems moving into the Pittsburgh area? Rapoport: None. Weissman: Your grandparents had a place for your parents? 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:44.000 Rapoport: Yeah, we slept on the floor of course. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:51.000 Weissman: How were you treated as a Jewish person while growing up in Pittsburgh? 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:53.000 Rapoport: Normal. 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:57.000 Weissman: Uh, did you, uh, run into any prejudice? 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:00.000 Rapoport: Well, only when I sold newspapers. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.000 Weissman: Tell us something, if you can remember. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.000 Rapoport: I was sort of, uh, trying to sell at the corner and they chased me away. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:14.000 Weissman: Were "they" newspaper sellers, too? Rapoport: Yeah. Weissman: Were any bad feelings shown in school? Or? 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:26.000 Rapoport: In school? No, because 90% of the people I went to school with were Jewish. And mostly immigrants, too. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:43.000 Weissman: Did you face any problems because of being Jewish in finding housing or work? When you look for a place to live or look for a job? Because you were Jewish. Were you ever refused? 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:47.000 Rapoport: I had no problems. Weissman: No problems there finding work. 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:57.000 Weissman: What's the first organization of Jewish people you remember being organized or existing when you were growing up? 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:01.000 Rapoport: Irene Kaufmann Settlement. 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:08.000 Weissman: Uh, do you remember, uh, anything else? Any other, uh. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:33.000 Rapoport: There was a Jewish neighborhood and Jewish shows. Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible] Rapoport: Oh, I was a... Weissman: Tell it. [sound of tape pausing] Rapoport: --about six. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.000 Weissman: Were you a middleweight or welterweight? 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.000 Rapoport: I started as a lightweight. 33. Weissman: Lightweight. Uh huh. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.000 Weissman: And never left Pittsburgh, though? 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:54.000 Rapoport: Oh, yes. I was in New York--I was, various. Harry Greb was a middleweight champion and I was in his quarters. I was a prizefighter, he was a main fighter. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:58.000 Weissman: Uh huh. About how much money did they pay you for a fight in those days? 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:00.000 Rapoport: From 15 to $50. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:04.000 Weissman: Did you get the whole 15? Rapoport: No. Weissman: How much did you get? 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:11.000 Rapoport: They took half about, uh, between 25 and 35%. The managers. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:16.000 Weissman: And the highest amount of money you ever got? 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:24.000 Rapoport: Well, I did get $100 at one time. Yeah, in 22. And they took, uh, $30 off. Gave me 70. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.000 Weissman: What made you give it up? 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:36.000 Rapoport: My wife. Weissman: Oh-- Mrs. Rapport: [unintelligible] 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:43.000 Rapoport: That--that is when I was going to school and all that, uh, that was in between. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:51.000 Weissman: Mhm. And the most important, uh, organization for Jewish people when growing up. What about the temple? 00:11:51.000 --> 00:12:07.000 Rapoport: Well, you know, I belong to a Russian Shule synagogue, and--well my father did incidentally, and YMWHA but I trained there. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:15.000 Weissman: Did any of these organizations ever make help available when needed? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: How did they help? 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:46.000 Rapoport: Make arrangements for me as a fighter. I trained at the Pittsburgh Lyceum, which was a 100% Catholic institution. But they treated the Jewish prizefighters very, very well. In fact, 50% of the prizefighters trainees were Jewish, 50%. And we were treated very, very well. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:50.000 Weissman: And did any of them go on to become well known? 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:53.000 Rapoport: Very, very, very well. 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.000 Weissman: But for instance, what names? 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:10.000 Rapoport: Chappie Goldstein. Benny Leonard. Well, Harry Greb wasn't Jewish. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.000 Weissman: Did many of you-- 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:21.000 Rapoport: Oh, wait a minute--uh, Perlman! But he didn't go by the by the name of Perlman. He went by a Jack some--some name that I forgot now. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:27.000 Weissman: Oh, and I forgot to ask you. Your name is always been Rapoport? Rapoport: Oh, yes. Weissman: Okay. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:31.000 Rapoport: Wait a minute. Yes, that's right. Even when--during our fighters time. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:40.000 Weissman: And when your parents came to this country, it was Rapoport. Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: And I think I asked your mother's maiden name. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:14:02.000 Rapoport: Miriam. Weissman: Was that ever changed from anything? Rapoport: No. Weissman: Do many of your friends, uh, belong to the Irene Kaufmann Center-- Rapoport: Quite a few. Weissman: --in those days? Were you ever a local lodge or national officer? 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:07.000 Rapoport: The [unintelligible third voice in background] president of the Toastmasters Club. 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.000 Weissman: Tell me something about the Toastmasters club. 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:30.000 Rapoport: Well, I trained there. It's a non-profit organization to be able to speak in front of groups and audiences. And I became president of that local district. The Toastmasters Club. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:32.000 Weissman: Is it still in existence? 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:33.000 Rapoport: Oh, yeah. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Weissman: Is that its full name? 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:42.000 Rapoport: She'll show you a query here. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:15:28.000 Weissman: Oh, a plaque. To Harry Rapoport, charter member from South Hills, Toastmaster's Club Number 847 May 1st, 1969. Very nice. Thank you. Uh, is that the only organization you've been a, uh, officer of? Rapoport: Yes. Weissman: Or were you ever employed by a fraternal organization? Rapoport: No, ma'am. Weissman: Were you ever a member of a labor union? Rapoport: No ma'am. Weissman: The Great Depression of the 30s had an effect on everyone. How did it affect your life, your friends, your family? 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:31.000 Rapoport: We lost a home in Squirrel Hill. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:34.000 Weissman: Now you couldn't meet the payments. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.000 Rapoport: That's right. So we came back here. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.000 Weissman: And your money was invested in? 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.000 Hatti Rapoport: Called the keystone [unintelligible]. 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:53.000 Weissman: Keystone Bank. Talk up when you speak. So maybe we can get it on the tape. You lost your money in the bank. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:58.000 Rapoport: Conner O. Trust company, too. Had some money there and they went broke. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:10.000 Weissman: You weren't in the stock market? Rapoport: No. Weissman: All right. So if you lost your money and you moved back to Mount Lebanon--uh, Dormont, uh, how did you manage then? 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:15.000 Rapoport: We owned this before we bought the one in Squirrel Hill. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.000 Hatti Rapoport: We had mortgage. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:23.000 Rapoport: Mortgage here. Then we lost the Squirrel Hill, then we came back here. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:28.000 Weissman: And what kind of work did you do then? 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.000 Rapoport: Tires. Tire salesman. Weissman: You were selling tires. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:37.000 Weissman: Uh, what about the family? Your brothers, were they affected? 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:44.000 Rapoport: They were all-- Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible] lost that money came back here. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:49.000 Rapoport: I was in the tire business and went broke in Wheeling, West Virginia. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:55.000 Weissman: Any other things that, you know, that happened to other people or. 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.000 Rapoport: Same--same situation. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:08.000 Weissman: Um, have you or your family kept any contact with the old country? 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:10.000 Rapoport: My [??]--well my father and mother, yes. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:26.000 Weissman: They wrote and sent money? Rapoport: Yeah. Weissman: Did they ever go back to visit? Rapoport: No. Weissman: Did were they, um--now, do you keep any contact? No more. May I ask why? 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.000 Rapoport: We lost track of all our relatives. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:35.000 Weissman: That's usually the reason. What synagogue do you belong to now? 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.000 Rapoport: Beth El. We are members. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:41.000 Weissman: How often do you attend? Um. 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:42.000 Hatti Rapoport: We should have been here today. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:50.000 Rapoport: Yeah. Usually go Saturdays, Saturdays. Saturdays and all holidays. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:58.000 Weissman: Most of the people in this group. Do any of them belong to the Toastmasters Club? 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:03.000 Rapoport: Yes. I mean, yeah, sure. 2 or 3 of them are members. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.000 Weissman: For instance, their names. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:24.000 Rapoport: Name is Charlie Charles. Hatti Rapoport: Ross [unintelligible] Ross. Rapoport: My memory is failing me. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:43.000 Weissman: Not really. Do you remember the role of the rabbi in the World Wars? Did they encourage Americanization? Meaning into the mainstream of America? Rapoport: During World War Two? Weissman: One and Two. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:46.000 Rapoport: There's quite a few, but I don't remember all their names. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:19:03.000 Weissman: Uh, did they feel the Jewish people should become more Americanized? Rapoport: Yes. Weissman: Uh, how do you feel about the differences between Rabbi Zivitz and Rabbi Ashinsky. 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:06.000 Hatti Rapoport: Ashinsky married us. Rapoport: Ashinsky married us. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:11.000 Weissman: Ashinsky--Rabbi [speaking simultaneously] Rapoport: Ashinsky married us. Weissman: Is that so? In what year? 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:14.000 Hatti Rapoport: 1921-- Rapoport: 1921. June 19th, 1921. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:26.000 Weissman: And did you know him? Rapoport: Very well. Weissman: Can you tell us? Well, do you know of the differences between him and Zivitz? 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:39.000 Rapoport: No. I knew Zivitz very well, too. Weissman: Yes. Rapoport: In fact, I still have--their grandchildren, they were in a tire business and I know--even today we do business together. 00:19:39.000 --> 00:20:09.000 Weissman: Mhm. But you're not aware of any differences between the two? Rapoport: Oh, no. Oh, no. Weissman: Well, one supposedly was more traditional and Ashinsky was more modern. That's the-- Rapoport: Not sure. Weissman: How did the World wars affect you as a Jewish person? Did you have to serve? Well, World War One, you were married. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:15.000 Rapoport: We I we. Were. We were. We were. We were married in World War One? 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:20.000 Weissman: No, that was 1917. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.000 Hatti Rapoport: You had to serve in the [unintelligible]-- Christmas song. Remember when-- 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.000 Rapoport: Well, I was a policeman then. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:33.000 Weissman: But did it affect you in any other way? Rapoport: No, not-- Weissman: Any prejudice shown to Jews that you remembered? 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.000 Rapoport: No, not me personally, no. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:37.000 Weissman: And what about World War Two? 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:55.000 Rapoport: World War Two. My brothers were in World War Two. There were two of them. Oscar and Dave. Hatti Rapoport: No, Irving was [unintelligible]. Rapoport: Oh, no. Oh, pardon me. Three of them. I'm sorry. Three of them, yeah. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:21:09.000 Weissman: Uh, have you ever saved any money with an insurance, uh, or with a fraternal organization? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: Uh, what fraternal organization? 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:14.000 Rapoport: Insurance. Prudential. Prudential. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:27.000 Weissman: Well, I'm referring to fraternal and-- Rapoport: No, no. Weissman: Now we're going to talk about your wife. Hatti Rapoport: Oh. Weissman: Where do you come from? Or are-- 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:31.000 Hatti Rapoport: My parents were married in Pittsburgh. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.000 Weissman: If you come closer. 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:37.000 Hatti Rapoport: My parents were married in Pittsburgh by Rabbi Zivitz. 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:41.000 Weissman: And you were born in Pittsburgh? 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:42.000 Hatti Rapoport: Yes. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:50.000 Weissman: And where did your parents come from? 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.000 Hatti Rapoport: Lithuania. Rapoport: Lithuanian. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:22:11.000 Weissman: Lithuanian. Did you ever belong to any fraternal organization? Hatti Rapoport: No. Weissman: Do you have brothers and sisters?Hatti Rapoport: Three sisters. Weissman: And you have children? 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.000 Hatti Rapoport: Two children. 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:26.000 Weissman: You have a son and a daughter. Now back to you. What were the most crucial aspects of being Jewish when you were growing up? 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:38.000 Weissman: The fact that the boys didn't let you sell papers. Did you have any other conflicts, any other difficulties because you were being Jewish? 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:47.000 Rapoport: I was very fortunate not to have any any problems. In that respect. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Weissman: What aspects of American culture come into conflict with your upbringing? Now, if you're Orthodox, you're to observe the Sabbath. And in America, people work and go out on the Sabbath. Hatti Rapoport: You worked. [speaking simultaneously] Weissman: Would you say you work? 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.000 Rapoport: Oh, I worked. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:17.000 Weissman: It didn't affect you? Rapoport: It didn't affect me. Weissman: And about the kosher and non-kosher foods. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:25.000 Rapoport: In fact, we kept kosher as long as our parents were living. But after that-- 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:51.000 Weissman: It changed. Rapoport: Changed. Weissman: When you were growing up, what group of people did you feel closest to your own? Rapoport: Jewish people. Weissman: And what group did you feel most distant to? Rapoport: Christian. Weissman: May I ask why? 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:59.000 Rapoport: No particular reason. [unintelligble speaking between Harry Rapoport and Hatti Rapoport] 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:11.000 Weissman: Has membership in Beth El affected your position in the Jewish community? Rapoport: No. Weissman: Has member in the Toastmasters Club effec-- Rapoport: No. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:23.000 Rapoport: Wait a minute, pardon me. I was promoted to manager when I became a able to speak Toastmaster. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:27.000 Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible] was one of the Jewish ones. Rapoport: That's right. 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:48.000 Weissman: Has membership in Beth El or the Toastmasters helped your family as far as education or marriage goes? Now, this does apply to fraternal organizations. Has it helped you in your business? 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:50.000 Hatti Rapoport: Yes. Rapoport: Yes. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:52.000 Weissman: In what way? For instance. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:25:03.000 Rapoport: When I was able to be manager of a tire division by belonging to those organizations, Beth El and the Toastmasters Club. 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000 Weissman: You got to know people. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.000 Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligble] Rapoport: Oh, my [whistles]. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.000 Weissman: Tell us everything. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:40.000 Rapoport: During depression. I had to get other work besides what I was doing, and I started work. Hatti Rapoport: Longview. Rapoport: Longview Country Club had a special police officer and doorman. Then Fox Chapel golf, which I still do now and then whenever they have parties. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.000 Weissman: Uh, what class do you identify with? 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:48.000 Rapoport: Middle class. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:26:09.000 Weissman: Has membership in Beth El Synagogue affected your position in the Jewish community? Rapoport: No. Weissman: Are members of Beth El upper class? 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:12.000 Hatti Rapoport: Mixed. Rapoport: Middle class. Hatti Rapoport: Mixed. Rapoport: Mixed. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:21.000 Weissman: We'll say mixed. Do you know how they made it? How they got to be where they are? Any interesting [speaking simultaneously] stories? 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:33.000 Rapoport: By more Jewish families moving out to South Hills. They've--they've increased their membership. 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:38.000 Weissman: Tell me something about the Irene Kaufmann settlement. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:56.000 Rapoport: They were very beneficial to our whole family. We had no baths in our home, and we used to go there once a week for taking our baths. The gymnasium physical structure was very good. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:59.000 Weissman: Did the whole family go? Mother, father and the children? 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:04.000 Rapoport: Just my father and the children. Not mother. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:22.000 Weissman: And, uh, did they do anything else for the family? Did you ever-- Rapoport: Social life, yes. Weissman: You went there socially. And can you remember anything else, for instance, about the baths? What did they charge? 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.000 Rapoport: Didn't charge anything. Hatti Rapoport: It was free. Rapoport: All we'd do was pay for the towel. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:27.000 Weissman: All right. How much did you pay for the towel? 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:28.000 Rapoport: $0.05. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:31.000 Weissman: What about the soap? 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:34.000 Rapoport: Soap was free. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:39.000 Weissman: And were they were they just open one day for that? Or you could go anytime. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:49.000 Rapoport: They, when Friday afternoon--they closed Friday and Saturday they closed for the, uh, what would you call--Sabbath. They were closed. 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:52.000 Weissman: Now, did they have bathtubs or showers? 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:54.000 Rapoport: Uh, bath tubs and showers. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:55.000 Weissman: About how many? Any idea? 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:57.000 Hatti Rapoport: 50. 50. 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:15.000 Weissman: Well, about how many bath tubs did they have? I'm trying to think how large it was. Rapoport: Oh it was quite large. Large building. Weissman: A dozen? Rapoport: About that. Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible]. Weissman: A dozen combined or? 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:17.000 Rapoport: Combined. Yeah. Oh, yeah. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:20.000 Weissman: And did you ever hear of an Anna B. Heldman? 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:22.000 Rapoport: Very well. I used to know her. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.000 Weissman: Tell me about her. Everything you can-- 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:32.000 Hatti Rapoport: She was a very lovely woman and very helpful to the Jewish community. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:34.000 Weissman: Yes. What did she do? 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:44.000 Rapoport: Well, wanted to know how we were getting along and if there was some questions that we didn't--couldn't understand, she helped us. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.000 Weissman: I was told she was a nurse and went to homes and did nursing. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:50.000 Rapoport: That is correct. 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:53.000 Weissman: And someone else said she wasn't Jewish. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:55.000 Rapoport: That I don't know. I thought she was Jewish. 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:08.000 Weissman: I'm just curious because someone mentioned that. Rapoport: It's possible. Weissman: Did she--is she would advise the family if they had problems? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: And things like that. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:30.000 Rapoport: You know, she's the one that gave the children, including me, a vacation in a farm for ten days. And she was the instigator of getting the poor people things that they couldn't afford. And we were one of them. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:44.000 Weissman: How many of you went to Emma Farm? 10? 20? Rapoport: Dave-- Weissman: No. I mean, were there big groups? Rapoport: Oh my. Oh. Weissman: How many how many children were handled at this farm? 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:48.000 Rapoport: At least--of course, the boys were different and girls were different. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:49.000 Hatti Rapoport: Different days. Different days. 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.000 Rapoport: Different days. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000 Weissman: Oh, you didn't go there to sleep or anything? 00:29:52.000 --> 00:30:52.000 Rapoport: Oh, yeah, we were at camp. Weissman: Oh, yeah. Rapoport: Up in Harmarville. Weissman: Yeah. Rapoport: Yeah. And our group, uh, I would say--