Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Abraham Holcman - September 14, 1983

Okay. Did you experience any anti-Semitism in the United States, when you came here?

No. I would say no. I don't know, I was, I was uh, always working at the Jewish, Jewish uh, owners, Jewish factories. The one uh, before this one was Mr. Richville known here, great guy. And the one uh, I work now with is uh, Mr. Wolf. All Jewish, nice fellows.

What, what kind of work do you do now?

Now uh, I'm a superintendent at a, in a factory of wiping cloth.

Of clothing or cloth?

No, cloths, wiping cloths. It's a, a rag factory

Okay.

Smatas, if you want to say it in Yiddish.

I know smata.

And, and everything uh, like napkins and toilet paper and uh, plates and dishes and stuff, plastic.

And have you talked about your experiences during the war in the camps with neighbors, friends, family?

My neigh... my uh, neighbors no, but my friends uh, most of them have a story similar to mine. So, no matter uh, how much enjoyment we have at a party, the others come up with uh, some little stories about during the war.

What about your family?

I guess my family is tired to hear this. Uh, you have example right here now. Uh, my wife is in the house uh, she didn't, she didn't care to hear me talk to this.

We've been asked, just so you know, in doing the interviews not to have family present because they're afraid the family might interrupt them.

Oh.

So, it varies but...

It varies uh, but uh, I had to say that.

Yeah, okay. Did you experience any physical illness as a result of your experiences? Do you today?

Yeah, I think so. With uh, nerves, nerves.

Do you have nightmares or problems sleeping?

Yeah. Yeah, a bit uh, just thinking about this one I had a bad dream the other day.

What kind of bad dreams do you have?

Usually I don't watch uh, The Bunker, I saw yesterday, usually I don't watch that kind of films at all. But uh, you know, the Holocaust and whatever they show, I never watch that stuff. Uh, but uh, because I knew you're coming today, I was watching The Bunker, make me feel a little better.