Bernard Hirsch - June 29, 1982
Moving to United States
You lived over in Czechoslovakia until when?
'Til '49.
And then you came to United States?
Yeah, my aunt uh, Cohen--see, my aunt was named Cohen. She sent me--she didn't send me uh, through her--she made--were not she I probably would be wind up in Israel. Whereas she want that I should come here because she didn't have no children and she wanted children. So she--her family made this everything. If not she, I would have--she does not live anymore--for not she, I would probably never in the United States. She found me. She sent letters to the co...to the like to Lansing, you know.
To the capital.
To the capital, that somebody exists from this family.
And they found you?
And they found me. In case somebody exists from this family, I should write a letter. So she brought me. She didn't want I should get married there, she wanted I should get married here. I said, "I'm already--I don't want to live alone, so." So we came here about uh, the same time. The 25th of October '49.
And you lived in New York?
We lived in New York 'til '53 uh, yeah, '5...'53--March '53. And we moved here 'cause uh, she had here sisters. The sisters left. They live in California.
What made you decide to come to the United States?
Who didn't want to come to, to come to United States? Who didn't want to come to United State in case he has a chance to come?
I thought you had said that you would have gone to Israel.
When you didn't have no choice.
Oh.
The first choice was mine to come here.
Oh.
And I had the opportunity, and they're a lot of, they were waiting for the opportunity to come here. Where they--some they didn't have. I had.
And you came.
I came. I had uh, 2913 code number.
Two thousand nine hundred and thirteen.
Thirteen.
Oh that was the number that you were on the waiting list?
On the waiting list. Otherwise I would be here there were before.
This was after you found your aunt?
She, yeah...
She put you on...
'Til the papers everything I start to work with the papers. I didn't believe that is going to, to happen, or, it happened.
And you got married uh, you got married and you told me when but what city did you get...
In Koŝice I got married.
It was July what?
July the 29.
19...
Nineteen forty-seven.
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