Anna Greenberger - August 24, 1982
Moving to Paraguay
What year was this?
In '52, '53. I think in '53. We arrived to Paraguay and a lady in Argentina--in Buenos Aires--we got a address in Italy from her sister that she should help us in Argentina. So she brought for my mother kosher food because she didn't eat not kosher food. And she gave us a name in Paraguay that we should look for this and this man--he helps Jews who come there--and we should go to a Hotel ???. ??? there's Jews. We spoke Italian but not Spanish. We arrived before Rosh Hashanah at night. We come to a hotel. The taxi took us there. We had hundred dollars. My sister send us hundred dollars in case we need for something. And definitely I should buy a sewing machine in Italy and I should take with me, because I do have to sew. So we come to the hotel and my mother was so religious, she didn't even go without the--this. She had always cut her hair. So you can imagine how religious she was. And uh, a lady comes down--Russian Jews. They're the worse Jewish people in Argen...in Paraguay. The worst. Very bad. They wouldn't help. So she came down and she said, "Who will pay for the hotel, the JOINT or you? Because if the JOINT you don't have room here." And Alex says, "I have money, don't worry. Just give us a room." So we went upstairs--??? was their name. We went there and if I didn't--now the doctor thinks I'm crazy--if I didn't got crazy there, I will be never crazy. I was crying day and night. We couldn't get a job. Alex couldn't get a job for five dollars a week. Nothing. The third day that Mrs. ???, they saw that we are not black marketers or anything--not that I am bragging--we wanted to work.
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