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Elaine Weissman: --that went to camp. Harry Rapoport: Well that was only
one group. I bet they had a couple of hundred. Weissman: And how long were
you at the camp? Rapoport: Ten days. Weissman: Ten days. Rapoport: Ten
days. Weissman: And they did this during the summer? Rapoport: During the
summer only. Weissman: Anything else about--did it cost anything at all to
go? Rapoport: It cost very little. And I don't know what my parents paid.
But it was very minimal. Weissman: Do you remember anything about Anna B.
Heldman in her activities to clean up prostitution and gambling in
Pittsburgh? Did you ever hear that? Rapoport: No, ma'am. Weissman: Uh, you
never heard--have you heard about the red light district-- Rapoport: Yes
ma'am. Oh yes. Weissman: --in the Hill in the 1920s? Rapoport: That was an
open book. Weissman: Oh, tell me. Everybody's so afraid to talk about it.
Rapoport: Well, when I was a newspaper boy, Second Avenue, which is Allied
Boulevard now, downtown was always from Grant Street to Liberty Avenue.
Prostitution homes. I sold a lot of newspapers there, too.
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Rapoport: At the end of the Liberty Avenue, there was a freight house and
saloons and prostitution. Weissman: Did you say freight house? A freight
house? You said-- Rapoport: There was a freight station! Weissman: A
freight station? Rapoport: A freight station there. Weissman: Uh huh.
Rapoport: At the corner of Liberty and Water Street and which is Duquesne
Boulevard now. That's where the--all the Point is right now was the freight
house. Weissman: Did you know of any of the people that ran these? Do you
know any of the-- Rapoport: No. Weissman: Were there any political leaders
in Pittsburgh that might have been responsible or-- Rapoport: Magee. Sure.
Mayor Magee. Weissman: Would you would you say-- Rapoport: Yeah, Mayor--
Weissman: --that he was getting money from this or-- Rapoport: I can't
prove it. Weissman: No, no. Rapoport: It was an open book, but I can't
prove it. Weissman: And you don't remember when they tried to clean it up?
To get rid of it? Was there a campaign on? Rapoport: [??] there was, I
don't remember it. Weissman: You weren't a witness to any of the raids?
Someone else told me they, uh.
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Weissman: Uh, do you remember anything about the founding of Montefiore
Hospital? Rapoport: On Centre Avenue. Centre and Herron Avenue are up on
the Hill there where the University of Pittsburgh is now. All I knew about
a lot of people donated to carry on the Montefiore Hospital. One of them
was Ire--it was Kaufmann's. Kaufmann's department store. Weissman: They
made a big donation? Rapoport: Oh, terrific. Weissman: Any other firms or
people that-- Rapoport: I can't remember. But they did in a small way.
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Rapoport: But Kaufmann is the biggest contributor. Oh, my, the Kaufmann
family. Weissman: Well, for instance, Irene Kaufmann, is she part of this?
Rapoport: She part of it, too. And they still have a Kaufmann night in the
YMWHA. The the the, um, they have the concerts--the auditorium! Kaufmann's
auditorium right now. And they made a statue of all the Kaufmanns. They
were terrific contributors to Jewish organizations.
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Weissman: When you were growing up, what type of jobs did most of the Jews
have that you knew? [coughing] Rapoport: Various clerks. Errand boys.
Worked in mills, too. Weissman: Worked in the steel mills? Rapoport: Steel
mills. Yeah. In fact, I was one of them too, for a while. Weissman: Oh, you
didn't mention that. Rapoport: Well I forgot. 78 years old. Weissman: All
right. You don't look it! You don't sound it! [laughing] So tell me about
your work in the steel mills. Rapoport: I was a carrier of steel to the--to
the hot furnace. Weissman: About how old were you then? Rapoport: About 16.
Hatti Rapoport: [unintelligible] Weissman: Or, wait, you were about 16. How
long did you work in the steel mill? Rapoport: About two years. Weissman:
Two years? Rapoport: 18. Weissman: What was the pay in those days? Was it
good pay for the steel mill?No? This goes back a long time. Uh, did any of
your brothers work in the steel mill? Rapoport: No. Weissman: Uh, did you
run into any bias in the steel mill because you were Jewish. Rapoport: Yes.
Weissman: [unintelligible] --made life easier for you or more difficult?
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Rapoport: Didn't make it easier. No. Then I worked--I worked in a bottle
factory in the South Side after the steel mill for about a year. Cooking in
hot--when they made the bottle, put them in the oven to cure them. Was that
work--did it pay more than-- Rapoport: It paid more than the steel mill.
Weissman: And did you leave the steel mill and already have that job?
Rapoport: Yes. Before I-- Weissman: Quit, you had another job. I mean,
that's the way it was done. Rapoport: I had 2 or 3 jobs at one time.
Weissman: And you're still working at 78, that's very good. Um, were any of
the Jews, um, in the grocery business or hucksters? Rapoport: Quite a few,
yes, ma'am. Weissman: Now, you talked about boys around your age. What
about their families? Their fathers? Rapoport: Same position as we were in.
Weissman: And what do you think of intermarriage? Rapoport: No good.
Weissman: Why? Rapoport: Because difficulties in raising the family. Hatti
Rapoport: Some people [unintelligible]. Rapoport: Some people have sure,
too, yeah. Weissman: Or would you approve of intermarriage if the non-Jew
converted to Judaism? Rapoport: Oh, yes. Yes, ma'am. Weissman: Have your
views on Zionism changed? Rapoport: Better than ever. Weissman: They're
stronger than ever? Rapoport: Stronger than ever. I am a member of
Zionists. Weissman: Uh, of what organization? Rapoport: ZOA. Weissman:
Zionist Organization of America. Rapoport: North America, yeah. Weissman:
And how long have you been a member? Rapoport: About 15 years. Or more.
Weissman: Are you active? Rapoport: No, ma'am. Weissman: You pay your dues?
Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: Do you go to meetings? Rapoport: Very
seldom. Weissman: Well, my next question. Did you ever belong to an
organization specifically for Jews? That could be the ZOA. Did you--since
you were born here, right. Rapoport: I wasn't born here. I was born in
Russia. Weissman: In Russia. Did you ever belong to any organization
specifically for Russian Jews, or did your father belong to-- Rapoport: My
father did. Weissman: Oh? Do you remember anything about it? Rapoport: Very
congenial. They built a Russian synagogue on Miller Street. Russian Jews.
Weissman: And what was the name of the synagouge?
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Rapoport: Uh, Russian... Weissman: Synagogue. Did they help other Russian
Jews coming into this country? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. Weissman: They
sponsored them and they got-- Rapoport: They helped them to get started.
Weissman: In the 1910s, the Jewish philanthropies became a federation. Do
you know of any changes that occurred in this organization?
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Rapoport: No, ma'am. Weissman: Had no effect on you? Rapoport: No.
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Weissman: Now, the neighborhoods you lived in, in Pittsburgh, for
instance, you started off as a child on the Hill. And did you move from
there as you grew older? Hatti Rapoport: Webster Avenue. Then to Oakland.
Rapoport: Yeah, from Webster Avenue to Oakland. Weissman: Oh. Whereabouts
in Oakland? Rapoport: Welsford Street. Weissman: Wells Fourth? Rapoport:
W-e-l-s-f-o-r-d. Welsford. It's a short street between Allies Boulevard and
McKee Place. Weissman: And after that place. Where did you move? Rapoport:
I got married from there.
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Weissman: Have you ever joined any other groups for Jewish people that you
can think of? Rapoport: No, I belong to Zionist, YMWHA, and at one time,
B'nai B'rith and-- Weissman: Beth El Synagogue. Rapoport: The Beth El
Synagogue. Weissman: Any Masons or Knights of Masons? Rapoport: No, no.
Hatti Rapoport: Elks. Elks. Rapoport: [unintelligible] when I was a child
there. Hatti Rapoport: Elks. Rapoport: Oh, Elks. Oh we belonged to the Elks
for a while. Weissman: And tell me something about it. Rapoport: It was
very during the prohibition time, we went there for movies and social
events and trips. What do they call them, those trips? Weissman: Charter
trips? Rapoport: Charter trips. Weissman: Have you dropped out of some of
these groups? Rapoport: Yes, ma'am. The Elks, we dropped out.
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Weissman: And why? Rapoport: No reason.
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Weissman: Uh, where are your parents buried? Rapoport: Where are my
parents, what? Weissman: Buried. Rapoport: Buried in Russia Synagogue.
Russian cemetery. And where is that located? Hatti Rapoport: Around 51.
Rapoport: Carrick. Weissman: Carrick. Do you own a cemetery plot for
yourself? Rapoport: My family--wait a minute. My family. We are a family
club. [clears throat] We have a family club. And they paid for eight--eight
graves. Weissman: Plots, yeah. And which cemetery is that? Rapoport: Russia
Cemetery. Weissman: The same one. Now I have a question. Is there such a
thing as a family club? Tell me something about-- Rapoport: Rapoport Family
Club. Weissman: Uh huh. Rapoport: We meet once a month in each other's
home. How many members? Hatti Rapoport: Seven. Rapoport: Seven. That's
right, seven. Weissman: And other than buying the cemetery plot, for
instance, if one member should lose his money, could you people help him
out? Rapoport: We did. Weissman: You've done that. Anything else about it?
How long has it been in existence? Rapoport: 22 years. Weissman: 22 years.
Now, you say there are seven families or seven people? Hatti Rapoport:
Seven families. Rapoport: Seven families. Weissman: Seven families. Now,
does this include nieces and nephews? Hatti Rapoport: No. Rapoport: Nope.
Brothers and sisters. Weissman: You've held it to that. And how long ago
did you organize it?
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Rapoport: 22 years. Weissman: 22 years.
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Weissman: Is there anything else you can remember about Pittsburgh when
you were growing up there that you? Any changes you've seen taken place?
That-- Rapoport: Quite a few. I worked as a newsboy when they cut down
Fifth Avenue downtown where the Frick Building was, where the basement was
at one time. It's now the first floor, the Hotel Henry. At that time, were
the-- Hatti Rapoport: Don't they call it the hump? Rapoport: The hump. They
cut the hump down. It was a hill there on Fifth Avenue. Then the
neighborhood changed quite a bit. Particularly down to the Point where it
was nothing but a freight house and prostitution and saloons is now a
beautiful part of the city. Hatti Rapoport: On the lower part of Market
Street-- Rapoport: Oh my. Hatti Rapoport: --there was a roller skating
place that [??] to those places. Rapoport: Oh my. Oh my. Oh, yeah.
Weissman: Do you want to repeat that? I don't know whether we picked it up.
Uh, the lower part of Market Street was a roller skating... Hatti Rapoport:
Building. Weissman: City. They called it the city hall. Weissman: City hall
for roller skating. Rapoport: Roller skating. And then they held price
hikes there, too. Weissman: Oh. Hatti Rapoport: McCann's was there.
Mccann's. Weissman: McCann's? I'm not a native. No. Rapoport: Oh. Oh. Hatti
Rapoport: Mccann's was down there. Rapoport: Right. There was quite a few,
uh, uh, businesses in the market square, were they? And surrounding the
city hall was a market--marketplace, particularly on on vegetables and uh--
Weissman: Grown? Rapoport: Grown and yeah. Weissman: Oh, the farmers
brought farmers brought produce there. Rapoport: Yeah. Weissman: And how
many days a week did they? Were they there every day? Rapoport: Six days.
Weissman: Is that so? Rapoport: Yeah. Weissman: Nobody told me about that.
Rapoport: [unintelligible speaking] I fought there at the city hall. [??]
the youngsters. Weissman: Any other changes? Rapoport: More beautiful than
ever. Weissman: I know there was a streetcar about 35, 40 years ago from
Mt. Lebanon, downtown. Rapoport: There was a streetcar when we bought this
home. We had to go through West End to come here or through the incline.
Hatti Rapoport: How about the big flood? Rapoport: Oh, my. In 1936, flood
was terrible. Weissman: Yeah. Where were you living then?
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Rapoport: We lived right here. 1936. Hatti Rapoport: Went through Horne's
store on a skiff. Rapoport: And I worked as a policeman at that time, too.
Weissman: Where? Down-- Rapoport: Downtown. Hatti Rapoport: Special
policeman. Rapoport: Special policeman. Weissman: And you went through
Horne's? Hatti Rapoport: On a skiff. Didn't you go through Hornes? Your
[??] [???] on a skiff. Rapoport: Yeah, on a skiff. Yeah. We went--
Weissman: On little boats? Rapoport: --down Liberty Avenue with, uh, four
feet of water. Weissman: And you experienced that? Rapoport: Even Frank
O'Cedars was flooded down to the basement. Kaufmann's was just wet, but
they didn't hurt that-- the flood 1936 come up as far as Smithfield Street,
that's it. The streetcar is half full of water down Liberty Avenue.
Weissman: In fact, nobody could get into town, really. Rapoport: So we went
in. They walked through the--they walked through down here through the the
tunnel, just about built at that time. But there was no bridge. There was
no Liberty Bridge. And-- Weissman: How long did it take--well not during
the flood--but years ago, from Mount Lebanon, from or from Dormont to get
into downtown Pittsburgh, like where the Jenkins Arcade is? Rapoport: Well,
really, by streetcar, you only take--from Dormont--Mount Lebanon will take
about half hour. From Dormont will only take about 20 minutes. Went
straight through that tunnel--see the tunnel? The streetcar tunnel was
built first before the Liberty Tunnel and they went through there.
Weissman: Well, which tunnel was the streetcar tunnel? What's Fort Pitt,
now? Rapoport: Only buses going through that now, but then it was nothing
but streetcar line. The tunnel only--streetcar was only allowed in
[telephone rings] that tunnel. Weissman: Uh huh. Um. Is there anyone else
you think I could interview? That's been a resident of Pittsburgh for a
long time. Rapoport: There used to be 4 or 5 Jewish families right on that
street. Weissman: Yeah. Rapoport: But two of them passed away.
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Rapoport: Maybe she can tell you better than I can. Weissman: We'll ask
her when she comes back.
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Rapoport: She's trying to find some pictures of-- Weissman: What was your
wife's first name again? Rapoport: Hatti. H-a-t-t-i.
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Weissman: Hatti? Hatti Rapoport: Yes.
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Weissman: Do you know of anyone else I could interview whose 65 or more?
Hatti Rapoport: Honey, I'm 76. Weissman: Well, do you think if I could
interview you and tell you--gosh. Hatti Rapoport: [???] shows Harry.
Weissman: Do you know this newspaper may be valuable? It's a collector's
item. A 19--a 1936 if. Hatti Rapoport: I don't know if I have-- [sound of
tape pausing]. Weissman: We looked at some pictures in the Pittsburgh,
Sun-telegraph and the Press about the floods. And Mr. Rapoport was telling
me some rather interesting things. Now, will you repeat it? Now, you were
in these skiffs that went through the stores because of the water and and
where did you sleep? Rapoport: We slept at Duquesne University with our
clothes on. Weissman: How long did that go on? Rapoport: Well, I only slept
three nights up there, but there was policeman who slept up there for 2--2
weeks. Weissman: And you said some of them got sick? Rapoport: Very sick.
Some of them passed away, too. Weissman: And, uh. Well, what were you doing
as a policeman when everything was flooded? Rapoport: Watching so they
don't steal no merchandise. We caught quite a few of them. Weissman: They
were coming in their own boats and-- Rapoport: Stealing merchandise.
Weissman: Uh huh. And you were employed by, uh-- Rapoport: Uh, the, uh,
City Police department. Weissman: City of Pittsburgh. Rapoport: City of
Pittsburgh. Weissman: And you were there three nights. You don't know how
many weeks it took before all this was? Rapoport: I lost track of them. A
lot of them passed away.
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Weissman: You think from contaminated water? Rapoport: Water, food. They
had terrible food. Weissman: Could be that some of the population also died
as a result of that. Rapoport: That is correct.
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Weissman: The Rapoports live in a duplex in Dormont. They have the upper
level. They are very security conscious because there have been many
robberies and vandalism in the neighborhood. Mr. Rapoport is still working
as a security guard. I was asked for identification and gave them my
driver's license, which was copied. And my phone number was added.
