Nathan Nothman - November 30, 1982
Moving to Detroit
What made you decide to come here?
Well, I would like to go to Israel. But with my sister's--my wife's sister and my brother-in-law went to United States. I didn't want to separate. I didn't have nobody. So we promised, we said we will stick together. I was ready to go back Israel because this is only hope where the Jews can survive. Their only hope because nobody liked us, nobody like us. So we came to the United States.
Did you come to Detroit?
No, we went to New York. We were in New York for six, seven months. And then my sister-in-law--my wife's sister--she was in Detroit because she got aunts here. And she begged us, "Please not by myself. Please let's come together--let's be together." So my wife with my daughter--that time she was maybe about six, seven, eight months. And then I came in and my brother-in-law came in and everybody came in, you know. But uh, and...
What were your initial impressions of this country?
Freedom. Express yourself what you want. Not be feared--not to be afraid. Work, raise my ch...family, be good, help each other, help somebody. Not to be afraid.
Did you encounter any anti-Semitism here in this country?
Ah, it's very hard to say so. To me, oh, very--I mean, very small, small percentage, very small percentage. I, I come to lot of people, you know, discussion and uh, I work with a lot of people and uh, maybe they--to me it's very small percentage. Not even, you know, it's not even worth discussing. Very, very small, very small percentage--very small fraction.
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