Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Luba Elbaum - January 20, 1982

Did you encounter any problems there?

Hm?

Did you have any problems here?

One problem what I had--not a problem with work--with nothing. They give us like I mean, how long we were--my husband was not working. They give us seventeen dollars a week. We tooked--we, we have enough this time. And they help us pay for our rent. The rent was this time cheap like thirty-nine dollars, I think. Was cheap. We were very happy. We bought food, took the bus, we went right away to the--it was summertime. I think ??? was there, I think. We took the bus, we went in downtown. Later when I start to pregnant when I gonna have another child, my husband was still not working and I went to the doctor. When I went to the Doctor Feld, I went to the Doctor Feld and I was pregnant and I was probably already bleeding. And the first day that my husband was the work--the first day that I took him to work, I mean, as painter--right away he want to be a painter. Because his brother's a painter. So he want to be right away a painter. So I took the bus, because we were living on Dexter, and I went to the office and he looked at me. You know, I went already before to him. And I know I am in cramps and I'm not very--not a very healthy woman inside because I have problems before--miscarriages. So he saw I'm going to have a miscarriage because I was bleeding already. So he asked me if I had fifty dollars. And this time if I would know before maybe I would borrow someplace. I said, "No." So he give me a shot, and tell the nurse to, to say the bus driver where to let me out. When I came upstairs--when I came home--I was living upstairs--the bakery was down, I was living upstairs. And I start bleeding and my husband came home and the door was closed. He pushed the door open up and came in and I was in temperature. He called the doctor, he never answered. The wife said he's not home. So that's the--but this time they took me in the receiving hospital. They took my away. My husband have to call the receiving--they took me away. And the only way I survived because in the receiving hospital thinked I am Polish--I'm a Polka. This time ???. I came to my husband I said, "Polish." If he's not going to take me away from this hospital, I'm going to die. So my husband call up the Jewish Center, this was nice--the social service. And they call right away in, in ??? Hospital, because this time was not the Jewish hospital, it was ??? Hospital. And they sent out an ambulance. They took me out from here to ??? Hospital. And right away when I came in they give me blood. Were standing two Jewish doctors--was waiting for me. And, you know--and they helped me out right away, they give my blood and I was about ten days in the hospital and this time I survive. This was the only question what I have. Later my husband start to work. We save up some money. And this time you have to give like, I mean uh, to have a nice apartment you have to give some money, like I mean pocket money. So this, you know, and this was, I mean uh, and this was on your own--that's what--we were on our own.