Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Paul Molnar - July 24, 2002

America

It's, it's called Rhode School, which was a private school. It doesn't exist anymore. Which was the only school accept me because I didn't-I couldn't go to public school, I spoke no English. And it costs $500 a year, which was a lot of money in 1947. But my uncle paid it for me.

Where did you live in New York?

I lived at Third Avenue and Seventy-ninth Street, which today is the fancy area, but in those days, there nothing but antique stores and saloons. I think my uncle was poor, I lived in a walk up on the third floor. And the school I went to, Rhodes school was behind the Museum of Modern Arts on Fifty-fourth Street right off Fifth avenue. Most of the kids were delivered by limos. They lived on Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue. I was there a year. I never made a good friend 'cause I work-I was, I was in a different world than they were. And the prom was at the Waldorf-Astoria well, naturally. I wasn't about to go to a prom. I was making more than ten dollars a week, I, the prom was like twenty-five dollars a person. Long time ago. But anyhow, I did get accepted to Wayne University so I moved to Detroit and I graduated Wayne and met my wife there. And I lived here ever since. And in spite of what happened to me, I really had a very good life. I mean, it was a terrible period but I don't live it. I, I didn't lived it. I speak about it because it's a duty. I speak to schoolchildren both here and in Sarasota. But I don't live it. I had a very good life. I got three kids and their spouses and I got six grandchildren and I got a great granddaughter who is three years old. And that's it, I. Very happy life. I mean, it's terrible what happened, but.

Did you ever have any nightmares?

No. I said I'm very, very fortunate.

Did you?

No.

Never.

Well, you know what? Once in my ??? tell me that years ago she remembers that I would speak in Hungarian and I'm all upset. But it was a long time ago. I'm very, very fortunate. I do not have anything like that.


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