Alice Lang Rosen - August 5, 1991
Sharing Story
Had you, had you kept in touch with the two families in France? Did they know when you...
No.
...were getting married? The Gordons and the...
No, no, no, they never did, no. I got--I was not in touch with anyone in, in France and that's why I wanted their names to be on that, on that flag, you know, and give them credit for saving me. And they, they gave me trouble because they said I was too young and to ask--well see, my father died, um, in fact I was pregnant with our second daughter and he died of a heart attack. He literally dropped dead at his desk while he was working.
Husband: What does that have to do with anything?
Huh?
Husband: What does that have to do with what you're talking about?
No, I'm just, you know...
So, he, he--you had never communicated with them and...
No, with nothing.
Did he know the names of the--he knew your story.
My father knew, yes, yes.
You had told him what happened to you.
Yes.
And he didn't try to pursue that either.
No, no, no...nothing was pursued. They only thing they ever pursued uh, was they took lawyers because of the restitution claims, you know, and they got some money and I got some money, you know, not much of uh, to speak of or anything. And uh, nothing uh, nothing ever--and I never really, you know, my, my children know my story and uh, but it was never really discussed or talked about. Never talked about much at all until I read that article in the Jewish News about, um...
The ???
...Washington, yes. And that's when I wrote her a letter and when I read the article that you had--were interviewed in when I called you and I thought well, maybe it's time to speak up--say something.
When, when uh, when you discussed the things that happened to you in the war with your father, um, later, after--even after you were living here, did you ever raise the question to him about what happened to your mother and to your, your grandmother?
No, no.
And he never volunteered anything.
No, he never volunteered anything, no.
He didn't tell you what happened to him either?
No. In fact, he was much too busy trying to make sure that I loved my mother now and that I should get along with her and not fight with her and keep peace and, you know. He was much more interested in the now then in, in what was. Now maybe, if you analyze it, maybe he felt guilty that he's--was alive and they weren't. That could very well be, very possible.
Husband: ???
Well, I only remember one time when he wanted to tell his story to his brother in New York. I was there, I remember and my aunt and they all said, "Don't tell us what happened. We don't want to know. You in America now, forget what happened. You start all over. We don't want to know what happened over there. Don't talk about it." And that was about the only time I remember him wanting to talk. And uh, he always invited his brother and wife to come here to see where he lives because they did very well for themselves after he went into his own business, you know. See, they came to America in '49 without money. They, they left everything behind and they said that they came--that one of the main reasons was for us children. They didn't want us to grow up there, get married there.
Husband: But there they had cooks, chauffeurs...
Yeah.
Husband: ...the whole thing
Yeah, they were very wealthy there after the war. The Americans helped them to really get on their feet and have everything. And they literally left all that behind and maybe there was a little, you know, maybe they had to work very hard here, because of us, you know, and I was the youngest. I took, took the brunt of it, you know. If they were angry it was left out on me, if they were frustrated, I was, you know...
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