Regina Cohen - April 18, 1982
Going to Canada
So what eventually happened? You came to Canada....
I came to Canada, to Montreal, to a family uh, uh, Weinar, who had two little boys. It was really just to be uh, almost like babysitting. And mother's helper is what they call it, a mother's helper. Until the lady decided one Sunday that I should clean all the silver that has been standing for years.
Mm.
And I rebelled so badly because she didn't treat me with kindness. I was looked upon as a, um, a lesser person because of where I come from, I guess. And of course my brother had lived in Detroit already. And he was, he had come to visit me once. And he call...telephoned me. And one—and he arranged with some people in Windsor, which was just across from Detroit, that they would allow me to stay out the balance of the year. I had to do one year for the government of Canada for—because they paid my fare.
Mm-hm.
And I just left that family in Montreal. Took my—whatever I had, got a train, got on it, came to Windsor. And I went to the employment agency and I explained that I wasn't going to stay—of course, I didn't say I was not treated—or something like that. I just said—I had, I had really—the truth was I had nobody there, just some acquaintances I made, you know, in the camp as you...
Mm-hm.
...meet uh, and on the ship. But I says, I have one brother living in Detroit and he would be able to cross over to come and visit me and I'm—I want to stay here. And the employment agency, they just said "Okay." I stayed with another nice Jewish family, Kaplans—really nice—'til the government said I was—I had paid them back. Then I worked in Windsor anywhere uh, mostly a—just a clerk...
Mm-hm.
...in uh, grocery stores—wherever uh, antique shop, a clerk—until I got married, then I became a momma.
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