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Leo Liffman - May 15, 1985

Did you correspond with your parents when you got to the United States?

Yes I did. For about...till the war started. And then nothing anymore. And I sent some letters through the Red Cross and they were returned. They were very laconically marked `deceased'. That's uh...I think everybody..[sighs]..has a little bit of a story to tell about that and uh, anybody's fate is a little bit different. One can only say that uh, anti-Semitism and Hitlerism, it did not start in 1933. It started long before that. And there's a real cruel joke even historically. You know, 1923 Hitler started to get legal. If you turned the numbers around it will be 1932, nine years later only, he made it. Twenty three, thirty two. It's a real cruel joke, I must say. And uh...you know, maybe I'm permitted to tell you something. Not directly related to it. To give you an idea of the attitude of the German people in general and of the American people following all that. One can judge people almost by the jokes they tell. Those stories were going on in Germany in 1925. Two guys meet on the street in Berlin. One said to the other, "Hey" he said, "you know, we got an idea what we can do with the Jews." He said, "Oh yeah, what is it?" He said, "We put them all on the high buildings in the town." And he said, "What good does that do?" "Oh, don't you know, they's the best lightning rods." [Pause] Then, 1965, I was working for a big corporation. I'm not going to go into details on that one. One evening there were some cocktails. And one...everybody told some stories, told me a story. And on that table I was sitting, the one vice-president said, "Leo, we got a good story for you." Good story, I'll listen to a good stories. Yeah, he said, "You know in Auschwitz?" Well, yes. "Eichmann all the Jews together and told them." I said, " yes? " "He told them, well, I got some good news for you and I got some bad news for you. First, I tell you the good news. All of you will go to the United States." "What's the bad news?" "That you will be going as soap." You know, I looked at the guy. I think I left sitting, left sitting there didn't say a word for about five minutes and I walked out of the place. It was maybe nine thirty, ten o'clock at night, you know. Twelve o'clock in my hotel room, it was at a meeting out of town, my telephone rings. "Uh Leo?" Yes. "This is Bob." Yes. "Leo, I want to apologize. I think what I told you was very untimely and ill chosen." I said "fine, forget it." But you know it...what is funny, they think that was very funny. Telling me that possibly the implication that I wash my face with my father and my mother, you know. Feelings, and I mean, it's the uh...starting the attitudes. I read the paper and they still have the Passion Plays going on and, and uh...Oberammergau in Bavaria. Where the Jews perpetrator of all the evil in the world. As long as that's going on we're starting another Holocaust. Then our friend Reagan tells us that uh...all this forget and forgive. Now who is he to tell me to...my dead people forgive. The dead can't forgive.

Do you have a family here now?

Oh yeah. Uh....

Do you have hopes for the future for them?

Yes. I think it's up to them. They have a chance. Yes. I have one son who is uh.. University of Chicago. He can make of himself what he wants. As matters stand right now, yes. Who knows what can happen in ten, fifteen years.

Do you have anything you want to add to this before we finish?

Yeah. [Sighs] I come to one conclusion actually. You know, the word they're always talking about. I lived in Germany and heard it all over the world. They're talking about the `Jewish Problem'. Yes, I think there is no `Jewish Problem', there's a Gentile problem, if you will.

Okay, we'll end at that. Thank you Leo.

Uh em.....you're welcome.