Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Peri Berki - December 9, 1983

And would you feel more comfortable if you were living in Israel in an all Jewish place?

You know, I, I visited Israel in '82 after, two days after the war broke out, and they had a group. And I, don't like to talk about it, I was very disappointed. Maybe my previous life entered into it that I was disappointed because all of my friends, they are, Jewish in New York and they are very ??? somebody how do you know that, so I don't know how we got to know them, but I loved them and still love her. And she told me, Peri you must go to Israel. You go there and you get off the plane and you ??? and the ???. Everybody is Jewish. You don't see anti-Semitism there. You feel at home. You must go. And we went, you know. And then what I heard during these two weeks almost all the time, don't see the Arabs, don't drive and don't drive there. And on Saturday they said, no, no traffic on the street. Sure there were Arab drivers and we got into a cab and my sister she like to ask questions, she asked question and one of who lived in Israel said, don't ask him, he's an Arab, I didn't like that. That's why my disappointment. I didn't see... First of all we lived in a hotel, that there were Indians and Arabs and Chinese and Muslim and everything, and nuns and priests. So, an international hotel. So I didn't feel like I'm at home. I'm sorry. I would like to go again to, realizing that this is how life is. And, and also, they always build a lot which is beautiful, but for me it reminded of the wartime. They had a house in ??? there in the corner ???. I'm, I'm very glad I went, but I would like to go again. I wasn't prepared for it, what I did find. I was, was told another picture.

Well um, okay, I think we can always add things later. But it was, you know, very interesting. I think this has been a very good interview and thank you for, for taking your time. And then of course you'll submit the, the book that you've written.

Yeah, I won't mind it, yeah.