Sol Kaplan
Sol Kaplan was born in Dallas in 1919, part of a deeply religious Orthodox Jewish family. The Jewish community of that era lived in North Dallas in an area near Caroline Street, later known as Little Mexico, where his family first lived. His maternal grandfather, Rabbi Bernstein, came to Dallas around 1906 to serve Tiferet Israel, having been sent for by a community that could afford a ticket for their rebbe but not much else. He served as rabbi, shochet, cantor, and caretaker all at once. Sol's mother, the youngest of about eight children, immigrated as a young girl and later became a skilled seamstress who made wedding gowns. His father came to America around 1910 through the Jacob ship movement, having served in the Russian army, and served stateside at Camp Bowie during World War I.
When Sol was very young, the family moved to South Dallas, eventually settling on Sanger Avenue near Parnell, where they ran a typical mom-and-pop grocery store with living quarters behind it. His mother ran the business with great ingenuity, inventing her own trading stamps and hanging goods for easy purchase, while his father was known for his devotion to the synagogue. Sol grew up working in the store alongside his brother David and sister Sylvia, with a younger brother, Norman, born about ten years later. The family kept a horse named Hattie for deliveries and closed the store on the Sabbath. His mother was among the last two Shomer Shabbos women in Dallas, and Passover preparations were an elaborate ordeal, including obtaining kosher milk from a neighbor who kept cows.
Sol attended Colonial and area schools and studied at SMU, and he was deeply involved in Jewish youth work, becoming a leader and state president of Young Judea in Texas around 1939. He recalled hearing of Pearl Harbor while leading a Young Judea meeting. He was active at the Guru Satham congregation, later serving as president after the war, and taught Sunday school. During World War II he served as a captain in an artillery service battery and married Hannah Sobel before going overseas; his daughter was born while he was stationed in Maryland. After the war, Sol joined his brother David in the pharmacy business. He had a large family, and his memories preserve a warm and detailed record of early Jewish community life in Dallas.
Full Transcript
This is Monday, November the 16th, 1992. Anytime. This is Rose Biederman, and today is Monday, November the 16th, and I'm interviewing Saul Kaplan in his home, 7016 Yamini, Dallas, Texas. this interview is part of the NCJW Dallas Jewish Historical Society Oral History Project and so let's just start with the beginning that's always a good place to start and I'm going to ask you where were you born? I was born in Dallas I'm a native in I'm sorry where were we well you were born in Dallas do you remember where your family lived when you were born yeah The Jews in Dallas from that time lived in North Elves, what is now, since they're called Little Mexico, it's the area right north of the freeway where the art complex is.
And I remember we lived on Caroline Street, and the lake, the Lake Street car was through there. and Hermans had a bakery on the corner, and we lived west of there. The Jewish community, that little area there was almost entirely Jewish. Do you know about how many families or how many Jewish people? Quite a few. See, we moved from there and started going to South Dallas when I was quite young. In fact, when we lived there, I was born, and two years later we had already moved to Pocahontas and Paulhattan with dead ends up here by Sears and Orlok's plant. We had a grocery store and living quarters behind it that were rented from the old Sankey Kauffman And that was where David was born It was only two years ago So we had moved when I was just a couple years old.
Did your family have a grocery store on Caroline? No, not on Caroline. Evidently, I don't know what my daddy did. Probably not much of that. my mother when she came was the last of the children of her family and she was about 12 years old he came in 1906 the rabbi now what was his name? Gugget Lake, David Lewis Bernstein do you know when he came to Dallas? 1906 he came to the Parathletal in 1906. Was he sent for? He was sent for. They sent him a ticket and he came. And then he, one by one, he sent for his children. White first and different.
All the children in time. My mom was the youngest, so for about a year or so, she lived with relatives. Went off and left her one by one, the kids came to America. the story was they paid $30 a month which is a lot of money in those days but he was the rabbi the shaken the Khazan the ball Korea to the alt-feelah the porter the shabbat the collector the cleaner the janitor and everything for the third but now let me ask you when he came did they have their own house or building for they have been ahead they have been they did I remember we were growing up they had the house of worship in that neighborhood this day there for a while even till it when they moved south Dallas right during the course of the time he stayed there till 1919 I think he passed away They have still been sure but I know he got away in 1919.
I was born here passed away They say that it actually a few months before I was born They had some property because all of them to depression years they move from North Dallas After World War I to Grand Avenue You mean the rabbi The synagogue. Oh, well they didn't move until 1935. 1935, that's where I mixed up all the time. 1935, before the war, I remember. And he passed away in 1919. And I think he was still working there at the time. at the time they had some property that he was instrumental in buying what you know much about the old days didn't take much that McKinney and one of those streets in which a service station throughout the service station stay for years and years all the depression the income from that piece property helped keep the show all those years yes that's very interesting that piece of property was a guy they finally sold it off that they shipped on that ship on very bad old piece of property right there today hello I don't know how long the service they should stayed there but they finally sold it
I think they'll finance the move yourself down for a while after that yeah but I remember I'm always developing the fact they don't have a piece of property well now you're you say your grandfather in some way was involved in having that you were getting that property with well he was rap after short so you're saying that the the show itself or members of the show bought the property yeah it's very happy to have it because the show will never let it go depression but they had yeah and you had mentioned earlier and I want to have it on tape that Rabbi Bernstein was you
believe from Suwanti and you believe that many of the members were from that area because the way I gather he was there the rabbi I understand over there. They came first and then they sent for their Rebbe. In other words, he had already been a rabbi. So it was like this in those days when you got 10 men, got a million, you couldn't afford a ticket. She sent for your Rebbe. That's very interesting. Yeah. That's what I understand he came. And when Mama was there. So your mother was the youngest. How many children in the family? About eight She was about eight So she lived on Caroline yeah and how did she meet your father the story is she was already living here with family my daddy came on the Jacob ship movement yeah I was from Texas okay my daddy the way he tells the story he has uniform over in the Russian army he says is the day the Kazakhs used to come in and take people to villages he stayed in he thinks for four or five years and then he got out and came to America later that made it already made in a young man the Russians normally didn't live a
police for they took kids so I did they don't stay there they have to go right it's turning loose I got I don't know yeah we had some pictures in his army picture commercial came to America probably 1910 or so because Jacob shit movement was about a common gallowson used to meet him at the that's the docks minute what's that women in my side step up for on a straw on the floor and their can of sardines and then it's good possibly got jobs but then he's got a job on a railroad game and that's no job for a Jewish boy so he left and
came to Dallas did he have relatives here no oh you know why is the brothers and sisters in left in Russia why did he come to Dallas do you the boss of well I get the Jacob ship who moved on I used to the Jacob ship and I think you standardized your trip so that transportation was available landed galson came here and he got a he got board room across the alley from where the rabbi and three daughters and it tells the story that he looked out about one day and she was, my mama was sitting on the back porch with, I guess, that screen
portrait, who knows the most But unfortunately, he was smitten with love. And my mama says, you know, you can check it there. You don't get checked it. Yes. I told you she couldn't get rid of it. And at this time, he went to Chicago, or she went to Chicago, to see a brother, A, one of the youngest brothers, who was living in Chicago, the rest of them all over New York. She came to Dallas with the ready. A lot of her sisters stayed in New York. One sister went to Paris. And, uh, the youngest brother was in Chicago. For all the reasons, I don't know, but that's where it ends up.
My mom and I, evidently, went to visit. And we got those picture postcards. They used to be like Valentine. Valentine's what they were corresponding anyway mama was very very good as a young girl she used to see pictures later years then there was a the heroin is people that wait she was salt saved about the patch I made her mama's wedding yeah so I made her a mama's wedding I don't know, I'll be your mom for just a minute. So your mother... She sold, you know, professionally. She got so good at it, she got a Mexican girl to help her. So she set up a business.
She made wedding gowns, and I heard the story. Three dollars. The lady said she had pictures of it. Did you put it back on? I put it in the form. And you know, I don't know what $3 is like today, but you can imagine. And she's the author of her life. She was an expert. She's been an expert all the time. But she had been at times. You know a lot of the business women went through that negotiation was so important just incidentally And she actually has a girl built up her business That wonderful Imagine $3 for a wedding. What year did your parents get married, I didn't ask?
They got married, they have a picture of my daddy in uniform and her and her wedding. Every day I got married, it was like I did a few years before. I don't need to say that he didn't go overseas he was he went to that buoy was at Fort Worth you mean he was in the army here in the first world war world war one in the army here yes I think 14 or 1990 about that came around and evidently he was single for a while because like I say that picture that went pictures of farming in the farm so yeah we didn't go overseas but he went to camp Bowie in Old War yeah he's rather his tents out there on doing that's where it got the name yeah yeah because he gave the captain a fifth of whiskey he knew the tricks it was an engineer an engineer I remember that world war one is trench warfare.
An engineer got ditches. So they got his experience training ditching. But he never went overseas. He never went overseas for some reason. Got out of going. I guess the war ended up staying in long enough. Perhaps. That's how he stayed out. You were capital of the whiskey. So, and you were born in 1919. nineteen nineteen also when I was born the soldier boy coming back that's it on the streets that's his freshness I guess that literally that's on the streets I remember worldwide too some density yeah anyway let's see David was born two days after that two years after I was and by then we had moved from Paul Hatton's to Sanger Avenue and so was born two years later but by then we'd already lived in Sanger Avenue and did you have a your family had a grocery on Sanger Sanger and Parnell now Sanger and Parnell was awful Wall Street awful off of Lamar where the cotton compress was
And I very distinctly remember oh I tell you a little story I was a spoiled brat of course I love a little boy they tell the story I have I have a scar to prove it they tell the story and I was spoiled right in the grocery store there and it was raining one day I made them go outside hold an umbrella over the hearts and hearts and I fell in the showcase and I still got a star on my right leg where I took out a big look the what do you call it Chip out about late but it was showcased yeah I remember
when we were on San Rambo of course we have a very famous picture of David and I and Sylvia must have been about eight six and four years old since he was part of his coming into play coming in from play in the dirt streets and standing in the grocery store in our coveralls I guess mom made the clothes probably covered the store itself typical mom-and-pop grocery store and that you got to see it to believe it really a picture of tell me about it my papa was a business woman she ran the story she ran the story what did your father do well he
went along with her my papa was the kind that would go to shore all the time he just drinking one little drink in it probably made it drunk died but he used to throw the glass and show it all the time you take us to children for kiddish all the time song shooters but regular other was deeply religious coming and she was where we got it from she was one of the sister and my mother following along you heard the old story was actually being candy He was in the Hebrew school. And I remember my daddy, he knew his dad had penny candy. He used to have penny candy to the Hebrew school sometimes He was awesome And I remember just real real vaguely because I was only a couple of years old probably in pictures of my grandmother She lived a couple, two, three years after her husband passed away.
I remember being on the same earth and sitting on a box with the thing, you remember, the negotiation store. We lived right behind the corner of the kitchen on the side of the bedroom. I remember working on a grocery store. We were raised working on the little kids, old enough to do anything that all used to work. We played in the dirt streets. Was the neighborhood Jewish? The Jewish neighborhood was mixed. Now we had lots of Jewish people. In our block of Fennigberg, we had another family, I think their name, I'm saying Wall, I think it was Wall. And in the next block from us, I already started Smith, Leon Smith, Sidney Smith and their family, and next door to them, the Moses ones, I mean obviously, the YQB Stella, Pauline, and Marvin, were in the produce business and Smith was a tailor.
Across the street from them, Caddy Corner lived already Mary Banks who was a shackman. And the same size of the people who were married lived in that same block of shackman themselves. But Bertie Shackman and her husband Maurice, the next door lived in Freedman's. She was a Freedman. And all the Freedman's and their Ida Ray and the Moise and all of them, the whole family and all. And they had a big two-story house. And I brought food from them on St. Suggs to the Dodonski families, Irvin and all the Dodonskis and all the girls, Lottie and all the girls and all. Their daddy was in the gray woods and the big green break of all the horses.
Oh, really? Gray woods. very distinctly remember him and that big team of horses. Where did he keep the horses? They kept them in the back, they liked the farm. We had a horse in Lactuford. So did you keep it like in your backyard? We kept it in the backyard. You know, a separate gate off the farm and on the side, street down on the side. And we had a big farm where we kept Hattie and he said he was a horsey thing. I don't want to remember Hattie, I don't want to get another one. But I was scared to death of Hattie. Scared to death.
She was big and I was really scared. Everybody was scared. But she kicked in her vid at one time. And hit her. But many used to really deliver them. And we had a wagon. Who would go on the wagon to deliver? My daddy. They'd say, let's get lots of time. We made a trip every week to the market. Okay, I was going to ask where you got your... To the produce market. That's where we picked up produce. and while we're down there there wasn't any more years and chips they even living chips that are hotel grocery so we buy groceries before that we used to buy groceries I'm not sure what no fair grocery place we buy groceries no white swamp around the corner there on Griffin for the ice place was so you still grocery white swan we buy groceries there too And I think we got delivery on the groceries.
I'm not sure if delivery probably came in at least about that time. But my daddy would go to sleep after we bought his groceries. My daddy would go to sleep on the wagon and start bringing us home. But then he was trained. There is where KLIF had their broadcast station. A water fountain around and still there. Yeah. And then he would left the market to come home and first go up that way and go up there there to the water fountain. Then she turned left or go west on Mayan or Elm Street down to Ergie. My papa by then was already asleep. And she would come by and across from the old hotel where on Ergie Street, we changed names a lot of times.
You know the hotel I'm talking about? you know you're better so we'll call oh you're talking about the ambassador that's because she had different things system with the water not also on the west side people will try she could have had more found instead of going back on earth got off my early look at that water comes back there and she was that that's not that long her be go early all the way down early this factor where we live to make a right from home. It was amazing. She would never take the wagon. The best kids run the wagon. Those times. Yeah. She would never take the wagon if there wasn room to pull her in between She had some uncanny ability to just do it And also she knew the lights Red lights there were four or five red lights on her Uh huh.
Cadiz. Uh huh. There were several red lights. And she would be the lights. Isn't that something? By herself, because us kids would just be blind and I would. There it is. She got to her. She got us home. That's wonderful. She was an original glue slipper. She was a pair of cardboard boxing. We had lots of cardboard boxing. I guess she was good. And she would pull apart that licks of glue. She knew even then probably didn't get high. Look, she used to do that. My dad used to put her in the front yard. It mowed the yard. Uh-huh. She used to do that. Yeah, yeah.
But, Betty lived for a long time. I was in the service and they still had her. I was in the service. I think the solar truck. Is that right? Yeah. Isn't that something? Old daddy, the old brown horse. My daddy made a, we used to go to the weather. We were on Forest Avenue one day. You want to hear some childhood things? Yeah. We were on Forest Avenue going west one day. My dad decided the middle of the street is going to make a U-turn. traffic lights all over the city they'll make a new term right there and went out and almost in front of the synagogue he got hit rather not it you'll never guess by the dog golden the butcher golden the butcher is littered some meat or something that he hit us broadside because my name had made an illegal left turn in the middle of the block.
Well, my daddy got knocked off the wagon, ended up with a broken collar brawl and a broken jawbone. That's pretty serious. and I got thrown out and screeched up I remember sticking scraping up the side of my head where I still railroad tracks so street cars remember sliding I don't think they're good about her. They didn't ask. I'll tell you anyway. They used to spend years on whose fault it was Wow Because we used to wear a Saturday night after shopping at the Butcher Show I'll call you a little better. To go to the Butcher. Or From's or Abriards, if you know. So, that's where my daddy made our dentist for that for a long time.
Charles L. Hatcher. He was a dental surgeon who operated on my dad. long friend he did the dentistry for our family for 20 30 40 years I was right in that girl I used to write even then I lose politics I was beginning to used to write the papers he raised Airedale funds it's a big pair of 15 size and he used to see some time he had a I guess it is his office those great beautiful are the other the wiring there Charles L. Hatcher after came back to the service I hope sometimes they bring the still up and he was a carol in the water I'm in the hospital.
So it was a horrible day for the average. But they didn't even care about it. They were very good. They were trying to get married. They wanted to eat you. I literally had an old taste. So the editor complained about something. Job watch. You mentioned Golda the Butcher, which reminded me, you mentioned that your grandfather was a shark. Yeah. Where did they get the meat? Where did he do the... In the early days, they used to search in some of the old Armstrong Packers down on the Morris Street in the early days. In fact, from the history of the bottom, Cachars, we go way back to where they did some sugarcane.
They did the old, and then I think maybe when Ruben came, you know, with his daddy. Yeah. I think they did some sugarcane out of this plant. Okay. I think, I'm not positive. very distinctly remember the promotion all the time in the back of riceburg grocery store there was an alley behind the side remember our iceberg was off forest average right and Selva was one of us kids you know and they used to continually use the back that that little animal factor through there yeah for the through the shaking and chickens and the place was planted with brought from both sides from top to bottom from all the chicken chickens They like that right back in my little alley Back on the side of Rice grocery I don't know who lived in the house right next to the grocery store, but whoever it was, God bless them.
I couldn't even see what the hell I had to do. Because that's where they threw the chicken. You know, the chicken didn't die from that right away. It had throws. You know how the chicken used to flay and throw and blood splutter all the way up. That's where they threw the chicken. Right at the back door. Oh, goodness. I've never heard that story. That's funny. Oh, my. Oh, goodness. that's right that's right for sure was always a little center of Jewish activity original Hebrew free loan that right for fact that's right with hoffenstein and what's his name of me Levin Rubin and originally wrote and Solomon's daddy that's really it first work why was that a meeting place because you had a big room we could gather around the stove and you're out of people's the grocery stores in the front there was a big long store on the front of your room back in the back to sit around okay it's talking shoes okay and what you call it done so I will be dead I
remember the little kid see before the book because I can build it these big wooden two-story building rather than that they converted into the shoe that they used for this your services sure and I remember distinctly Solomon's daddy chasing me up and down but what that wouldn't blow yeah what for up and down that wouldn't fall because I was my state Solomon's a much two people you know no chasin it why was a good a softener story the good a softener started to fill me see that world war one soldier boys went off to war they lived in North Dallas the rich Jews are you
living on early in South Boulevard parkway in that area but the masses Jews after World War II came back to our house in town, this is my house as a personal example. It wasn't because it blocked the bell and it knocked down the city floor. It wasn't even the road room to expand. So, they began to move, they just leaped off the cross town and moved to that neighborhood. It wanted to get started, you know. I don't know which year at Temple moved, which year at the Paragraphia moved, but they also moved there. But it started in that wood building and then... you're saying well the club of course sure this was orthodox at that right and they had the picture was on park and he should run it so you're saying those that move further south needed if they were orthodox they need a plus it is both of them try to walk shows if you know you walk you walk away well but when it was started I don't think people wrote so yeah and I remember that the people will look at the original commercial visual and the bowl was years later that there is a little bit of beer up in the attic to age well in bottles or what in the crops at first okay so hot summertime we had wallpaper around the store it comes start running down the walls remember this starts standing the walls so somebody oh the police please came out you see those touring car those big old few weeks with the top to come down it looked like a comparable we had two couples that was original that was bliss car oh really so please came out the old black car was scared to death come in the store it says you're making beer in here which is illegal of course And of course, the mama denied everything.
And my daddy was high and so. So, I don't know what you're talking about. He goes, look, there's this place. What's that? We'll go back to the wall. The stain's coming out of the wall. He goes oh no that root beer for the kids Root beer for the kids See she went over and got a bottle out of the cooler Oh I heard Icebox It says root there for the kids See She went over and got a bottle out of the cooler Oh uh Out of the icebox It was right there for the kids It was weird Oh, my goodness. My mom used to make dill pickles, too.
Yeah. She'd keep them in the bottom of the icebox. You know, we had a... we sold meat. We'd spread the meat. But so... So how did you keep... well, you had ice to cool them. we had a start out with I remember we had over refrigeration refrigerated the compressor used to be outside behind the store I remember that compressor was on the first one time you know to look at Marvel and a fellow named change C H G Cheney brothers two brothers Dallas with original pioneer refrigeration that this business you do repairs installation all the chin your buildings take care of the refrigerator we've ever had trouble you call shenny well she made these pickles and you know make it do pickles is an art sometimes they're good sometimes they're not so good so usually we're pretty good a lot of not a real good cook she had time she used to what we ate and they grew up I never saw it in my life.
I'm good at the story. Anyway, one time the pickles weren't good because some kind of bacteria got too warm. Something happened. So she had to throw them all away. I said, we're spoiled. Because she threw them all away and she threw them for her hand. She says, that's it. The pickles were all good. She never made any more pickles. Because I passed her. She originated in a grocery store. My mom was pretty innovative in a way. She originated in a couple of things. She was originally an inventor of trading stamps. Trading stamps? yeah she printed up you know she invented the idea so help me I believe she invented I don't know where she got the idea a printer she's a current town to make a little book with the whole stance but it used to buy ten dollars worth of grocers you've got ten dollars worth of stamps but all the domination they were for every nickel or diamond whatever it was and you fill up the book and you've got a little premium in the store and we doing that and she also had another trick She would hang with socks like handkerchiefs and gloves and scarves anything that would hang with socks Those women I think I remember used to thread them.
Don't forget to see these. Used to thread them and hand them by a thread that punches from the ceiling in the store. If you wanted a pair, all you did was pull a pair off of the bread. Let's see. Rather than a roll, it's five o'clock. That's very interesting. I want to ask you, we talked about Passover. What did you do? What did religious people do? It was an ordeal. I remember they started weeks ahead of time. Koshrin and stuff. Don't forget, my mama was a very deeply religious woman. My mother and Mrs. Pringler, the old lady Pringler, were the last two Shomri Shavossim in Dallas that I know of, believe it or not.
My mom passed away at 84, and I think Mrs. Pringler outlived her from the 90s or 100s. They were the last two. She comes to Parathletal and Seth next to each other in Shul. and so help me I love was the show much else up to the last days as long as she could I think very much pretty cool so what happened with that silver was a real experience for one thing I remember very distinctly start the car thing so cooking clean it I remember you know I used to do it from top to bottom facilities were so you know it was just very silver you know you put silver you know how you cotton silver lots of times it's very my daddy had a thing for making harsh reddish and our country very distinctly as kids we used to buy those big old harsh reddish roots to make the harsh reddish and parts it would bury my daddy had a theory that the root would take root and spread if you could get next year's harsh relish from the roots.
Well, he never once found a piece. He used to do it. I had a quarter of the yard around the house where he buried it. Never once found a piece. I don't know what else he's doing. But I do remember very distinctly burying it and looking for it But making it also they used to make it by hand Big old boxed up And you talk about boy when you make the original hard brush by hand on that old scraper thing that is tough We used to cry like we never saw a tear. It was, ooh, everything. Daddy used to pay us a nickel. Daddy was from Russia, my mom and daddy used to drink tea.
boiling boiling water to this day I can't drink hot cup of coffee but I used to see the initial marvel take bubbling water from the stove to look at pieces of sugar and drink that darn tea bubbling there that is give us a nickel to rub his back down his back and he was thinking about the bad when we kids sit in the bad tub and the steam and the hot car and he's a great boy in there the first you get him on the back you know like it more the better what did you do for milk what did people do for a hobble was a great friend of though this is shit the old lady I mean all the boys were there their mom okay and during the early years she had places for Kim she actually for the Jewish people in Dallas she had pets of the cows and she had a baby no goodbye some of those don't get them what did it problem long as she lived and after she retired or something she lived on home street well they're all free she kept a couple of cows in her backyard for Pesa and my mama got milk from her.
One of the few people in Dallas that had really kosher Pesa that kept milk and the old lady ships used to do it for a few of her friends. Is that right? Heidi and Judas, the whole family. She kept cows there. Can you imagine that? I don't know how long this went off. I don't know. I went out. I don't know. I went out. No, that is yes. But boy, I don't know how you know. What a big deal. You know, I couldn't take a piece of emotions. I got two months. She used to eat and I was not a real good cook. She made a couple of them.
One thing, she never learned the knack of making float, what do you call it, the kind of matzo bottle that we're sold. The light. Her hair turns out like golf balls. And us kids used to always have a problem. We never knew for Facebook when we'd want to eat those regular or get lucky sometimes. In her own way, she finally learned how to make it light as a feather. You could have broken glass windows with us. And she also, here's to make lemon meringue pie. Well, she wasn't too good at it. I don't know. She always did work in the store. We were fed by Tilda.
I called her a lady. She raised these kids $3 a week. She got hired. She sold. She cleaned the house. She went to the grocery store. She fed us. She did all the washing. you know where did she live block side but wait that I'm not let's see we live in some of the charges right across the street where did you go to school some went to school originally called it would stop I started my first day I started the old on Erby Street but the old big school was there Gloria was over here. This was the original school up there. The school fortress was going over.
I crossed it into the place. Cedar Law. First day I couldn't take it. I was scared. I came home. and I'll school came home like a kid and the teacher came down there looking for me. My mama had found me. I ran away. She found me and she made me go back to school. And then you went to Colonial? Then to Colonial. I've got a famous picture of someone I've always used to get to Colonial. Colonial. Really? Yeah. Smith's and Shacklin's all I know the pictures. and then in Congo, lunch party. And I come to the junior class before That class I a student with what your name Mondale and Metzger And a year or so, I think it was a time for the boys, but he played football.
He played Eagle. Eagle. And Los, the coach's son, Los, Los. Never been better at the next time. And, you know, and then of course there was another element, all of us, Jewish kids in South Ellison, in those days. And of course there was also Jews in South Newark, Park Road, Dippin, Dippin, South Newark's Jack. We were teenagers going up after Shabbos there. We used to go over Jack Dippin's after Shabbos. and sometimes his mother or grandmother would feed us and then we would play ball in the yard. Growing up in South Dallas, we were in a mixture of dead times. We had several people around us that were, even she had people who I learned memories from.
Right across the street from the catacomb, we killed Scrooge's and her meat. and of course Stern passed away when I was a bitty kid. Joe was real daddy. And roses. He passed away, I don't know about him. He used to referee boxing and wrestling matches. He had his prepared guys. Was he a boxer? I don't think so. He was a short stubby fellow. He said, well, I said he was a boxer and all. He used to referee. okay take us up time I don't know I think it's a one I mean they were born all probably but anyway it is exciting we saw one night you know even in those days what about what a rational for the night because the other one and that still can pop every you know what the ring but then he went I took the wrong street car after the wrestling match he put two swar by those kind of things we took the wrong street car we ended up in Oakland because the law rule we were far right wrong people because caught the last streetcar from Oakland back to downtown Dallas and then had to transfer to Irby Street and then walk from Irby Street down to Sanford Avenue to come home The others could go this way with some purple street car and I made it order to stop running until the end of the night.
So what do I say? My mama started out in the middle of the street hollering that my daddy did in the street car and killed all those kids. and my dad was scared to death in the middle of the night we got lost we used to play stuff in the streets see what name is public park, Moses Park was coming up to one Moses Guild and it was city park city park too but city park was kind of off limits Yeah, when I was growing up, there were hoodlums in there, and that town was kind of taking over the park. I remember it. Oh, really?
We very seldom played in the city park. We played in Columbia. We played them when we were youngsters in the streets. And we were off, we had men, thousands of men were poor too. And a boy crossed the street from us, his name is Swift. and their folks, his grandmother, mother and daddy, used to remake wood barrels, and barrel bins right there, on Grand Avenue in the corner of Barnell. He ended up joining, one of them every time he went to the Navy, just before the war, with one of his kids, and he used to come home and tell us stories about the submarine, all these kids used to gather around him to hear those stories.
This was a man who'd been on the sublimation all over the world. You talk about adventure. Adventure. And then four doors up the street lived a seaman. I think he was a retired hard worker. Anyway, when the warrior started, we thought he was a Nazi spy. Oh, really? Us kids, for the early years, we had a big fence around his property. He lived next door to the Smiths the Boltzmann on the corner then the Smiths and then the Seaman and a couple of Gentiles then Swift and then Locke And I want you to know we thought we heard of radios crackling and we heard Secret Squad all back and forth and all and we said, of course, this German spy.
Seriously. And of course, he kept all for himself. He may have met a German spy. I don't know what this name is. Oh, you don't know. I do know. that he was all hosted I didn't know that there are years of war the other something you're going up I remember 36 36 the Texas and ten years I had a job making pictures you walk down the street oh I got 18 hours a week picture and have your postcards number right yeah buddy in a better place in the house or somewhere that you used to get a picture of that sidewalk picture right I took pictures of all my friends that's me I got a beautiful picture of Hannah first wife walking down the street that's good any Jewish kids I know all night they made
a picture I don't know I got some on the farm and all some interesting things happened one thing happened a woman her boy got killed and she found in his pockets this picture receipt so she wrote us you know give us the stub and all that picture the person couldn't find it she came to town there's a little company town or something she came to town the chest that time looking for sure that one whatever it's just a little bit of a business that wrote a film yeah she found it last only picture that we had a big tennis one time I'm too young to
I went to what was going on. A wife found a picture of her husband in some stretch. Another woman. Another woman. Ooh, found the stuff. You know, it's always all the stuff. He went to Dallas on business or something. Oh, boy, all those kind of things. I remember. I used to take pictures. That cost me to make yellow green on the shirt. That's where I used to take pictures. walking right in front of the old palace. You indicated that your family, your father especially, was active in the Guru Satham. Were there any attempt to, like something like youth groups in the Guru Satham before World War II?
Let me tell you what went on. We had young Judea. There was an old Adasa bug that shared this one. And in fact, you won't believe this, you know, everybody knows where they are when Pearl Harbor took place. I was at the old, as good as I'm a keeper school, what do you call it? Hurtshine. Hurtshine. Standing at the blackboard, and I was leaders chairman for young junior. I had about eight or ten leaders groups around the state and they were in here for a meeting and I was giving it to my leadership that day and somebody came in off the street and came in and broke up that was the end of the leaders came in and said you know what happened that just Bob Pearl Harbor.
No, I was just leaving, of course. But we quit the meeting right then. That's where we're at. Young Judea was started, you remember, in the old days, it was a Zionist group. We still have Young Judea. And ours were started by Daniel Hopkins, who was from Waco, where Young Judea was pretty strong, with the old man, Rabbi Rubin, who was his teacher. And I remember every day, Rabbi Rubin told you, He was a real, what do you call it, whiplash of Williamsburg in Texas. He was a wonderful man. A genuine book called Eddie. Father of God. Father of God. And he started Youngstreet. He was our first leader.
And then I got old enough to be a leader. And I had some duties. I taught a whole lot of these kids who weren't much older than I was. I was just a little bit more mature in certain ways. But I never joined the AZA and AOTA. Most of us joined AOTA in later years. We started out as AZA and graduated from AOTA. But I never did because the first thing I was I was mixed up in the other gym so I followed it I didn have time for anything else And the second thing I never saw a real need for it because it was the social life I got in MGDF See, we had MGDF parties all the time.
We had Nats and conventions. And I got to be an active leader in them. So I was kind of in the broil and we had pictures. And we launched our youth groups and all that. And I went to the National Convention. I became state president of Texas. be Texas over Loma Luz and a reason in 1939 I remember because they paid my way part of it to the National Convincement for Jervis New Jersey I still have the I see the advertising Jewish British all time it's still the Jewish cat had a cab romance with Aunt Kalish from Albany, New York. I must have been about 17 years ago.
I had a camp romance with Aunt. And I went up to Albany to see her on the way back after the convention, because I was going to Chicago to see my cousin and my mother's younger brother's family. And my baby brother, Norm, was speaking at a doctor's convention in New Orleans. 30 or 40 years later, he was sitting on the dais next to the distinguished Dr. Barber, Kaplan, the main speaker, is the lady who introduced her son. He says, the name is Kaplan. If you've got an older brother called Sal Kaplan, Norman says, sure, I suppose. She said, I'll tell you a story you won't believe.
That was her. She married a doctor in Albany. Is that right? there were that convention using honored for something was on the phone I want to get you to mention 39 I stayed with my mama's oldest sister rocks thanks how yodis and she was the oldest she was the little bit of a see this was very very religious she had about eight or ten children someone ended up in Israel one of the judge one of the bookseller couple of days in the yard to go by one of the came on what do you call it collector of the shah for a covenant of Jewish home He a professional He can believe it was one summer And they
had a wedding Her youngest daughter was getting married big sir and was very real real catch this was the very the son of a roshu shiver one of that shiver from Europe so this was a kind of she doc only made in hell this is a real real honor among Jewish people while your daughter or your or your son gets mixed up in royalty women yeah well it's beautiful they are quite a way I've never seen a thing like that my life you know yeah ooh that's about and they were real wealthy people yeah little one of the little corner but a show above above
the store somewhere there's another one every corner now your plus those days and her name was married but unfortunately didn't work it ended up used to be here I heard it from my mother. But that was really a way. And she ended up, they finally got divorced. I think she went to Israel with two of her daughters. I rode the subway. I had a date one night. And I had a white suit coming from the south. I wanted you to know up to this very day. I remember sure. I got on that subway and that white suit was black. when he got off oh goodness we used to play in the streets when i was kids with gentiles we have you know we intermixed but there wasn't any antisemitism or such that i know because we all live together with all the same low-income type people and we also you know the family didn't do anything socially at all because everything was was oriented towards synagogues or social activities and these are all Orthodox Jews in those days around San Rappin because San Rappin because that where most of us lived and of course the area had oh It was just an hour old area along with some 10 families And we play with the Gentile kids We never had a problem I remember we used to They had a sewer line.
That was really a big sewer line. And we used to play down that sewer line. And it's scary when we get back to the left. If I remember correctly, it used to exit Fair Park. No. I remember the river. I remember the river. I remember the river. I remember the river. Well, it's about the sewer system, you know. Extended all, yeah. You could have, I guess so. We used to have a game called Stealing Bricks. We used to take bricks and wrap them in a cigar rubber tent for them. Yeah. We'd play, get a gang, you'd steal the bricks from each other. and my mommy was in town, she was a street kid and she would buy one gift for a thrill sometimes those days would go form grandfrogers and she would come on a photograph for a street gift sure would, we would go form grandfrogers we had one of the first radios when we were going on and I knew it so people used to come in and listen to me for snapping Oh, my dear.
Uh-huh. And a few other things, like that. The old big old speaker set up on top of the cross, like the fixer set up on top of the... Yeah. There you go. I said, we got sick one time, we got the science. I said, I'm 10, I'm 18 years old. And in those days, we got some of the tech, you know, we have a lot of lives now. Of course, you have a problem, but then it's busted. I should say we do. So you know, what you remember? I remember very distinctly going to the show, giving her another name. I kind of saw something like that, with the food and the angel of death.
And singing, and titling and all. And boy, it was touching the door. I remember, you know, us kids were scared to be dead. We thought she was going to die. We thought she was going to die. It was sad. my mom used to make a concoction from onions boiled onions something that did something with the concert the violence worse tasted stuff in the World, and I think we got well just so we wouldn't have to do that. She used to cover us with that cure-all. God, to this day I can do this terrible. It's always so bad. What else was in it, do you know?
Almost so much. I mean, down to the bottom of the bottom of the floor. did people in your neighborhood have telephones yeah we have telephones in the grocery store we didn't have private homes in the house but the phone was in the store wouldn't go in and stuff and all that business and stuff and our number on the phone was one number different than the white theater up there's a corner of forest and so on so in verily those days there's only five numbers I mean it was four or five seven eight two or something There's only five in the policies. What number difference will we have?
They've got same revenue groceries. That's what we have to be phoned. They have to stay their wives to eat. No! And they used to ask. Ah! Ah! This is going to be the only interview you've got from the car and the dog. They said, shut up, Berlin. They used to ask my daddy, what time's the feature store? It wasn't 20. My daddy had a stock answer. Mickey Mouse, 6 o'clock. Every picture show started at 60 o'clock. Mickey Mouse was here and here. There was a white theater. Across the street on Colonial was the bookstore. Fair, Morris Fair. That was the Forest Theater. The Forest? And then across the street was the bookstore.
Right. I said white theater. That was, yeah. Yeah. And I used to, we couldn't afford, I loved reading. And we couldn't afford any, you know. all that was the hero I used to go in there between people's do that's good for school things like that and read the magazines never where'd you go to hit this group and who was your teacher about problems was he the only teacher No, at one time we had Holden and Flots. Oh really? Yeah Now Holden came because I think we talked to a lot of Sheriff Israel And when I was growing up one day I remember holding us kids were awful giggly and we started giggling and giggling and giggling And holding couldn't take it any longer, so we asked, what's going on?
So we said, well, we finally told him, he had on two different colored socks. Us kids wear a stereo with two different colored socks. yeah yeah very dedicated he was a learned man wasn't you what kind of a person was where Bob on the woods probably was better teacher he don't forget came to this country I don't know he became rabbi not long probably I don't know the detail remember my growing up days you know he used to speak in English and Yiddish of course those days most of people could understand the thing with Yiddish but he did temper the language my daddy sat in the front row of the show and the rabbi used to tell the story which is true that if the speech was good my daddy went to sleep in the first minute if the speech was no good it took two but it's ripple from that is all asleep that's what exactly happened but then you remember the river on the roof sit by the wall the rich man over that is just next door to Jack Jack the urban Japanese day was the bank rich man those days that's who first type of top of course I've got a young person.
Oh, dear. Yeah. I think he had a person hypochondrile. So my daddy said to him, and also sat down there, was Ruben and your daddy. And I used to all the time to have to sit in between them. Of course, he's got some of that money to rub off. He had a shootout all picked out for me to marry Walmans who will marry Mr Reuben daughter The Bernese And he was really disappointed with what Bernice and I never did. I remember I think I had to take the Bernese for the attribute. Real young. And I was scared. I don't think I turned up. you say rabbi problem which was a good teacher knows that he just goes to and he had patience he was very fellow get angry we should be confident a real common and often interrupted the middle of class because they can ask my Charlotte as a big questions of course were conscious that rest of a piece of a chicken if I probably go work it go to the door the top of color was in the back ground floor of the old little sun that's too pleasant I want you to know that they pull out a piece of a chicken let's get some time and almost have a fit for the stuff of that chicken or oh that he would give up a judgment on whether it's kosher I remember they used to have times he would be missing class sometimes.
The old kids would talk about, where was it? They were having to get the divorce. Those ladies were very serious things. They were very long drawn out up there. The witnesses, the scribes and all that. They used to have it there in the little shul part of the downstairs. this was a very serious they were calling witnesses transcribing everything right now thank you no give us judgment a very very complicated series of air that's where he's been sometimes I was a good teacher. Did you go to SMU? Yeah. I taught you the school. You taught you the school? Yeah. I was a student in my teens.
And I used to teach I remember teaching a lot of these kids kids They not kids before I was like oh my older kids are going to get control So I taught these kids I had a hospital. Two clinics of hospital. Jerry and everything. I couldn't tell them before. I had a bad distress. It was all those things. Not being as heavy as they were. Right. Yeah. Yeah. couple little girl that crushes off you know the synagogue used to have all the cooking and back what's upstairs above the classrooms yeah yeah and that cooking a little bit of your titchens that very small titchens right I did I remember all six or seven women and they're chicken thousands chickens with all the heat and smoke no one is the confusion the smell I'm on there and have time doing cooking but she does that something mama give a little promise from my bar mr.
repair of black socks pay it. It's very black. Well, I gave an oration. I feel like it was open. Lies. Well, that's why you shoot today. It's one of the hot tours. I gave the, it's part now where you put the tour back. It's at the service. We put the tour back. I got it. That's something. Yeah, I gave an oration. I was scared to death in those days, you know. I said, I'm going to share a person. and when they tell you, the difference is amazing. Time will lose. These kids have no fear whatsoever. Have no handcuffs. Nothing bothers them. Nothing worries them. They're not scared.
One, it's an exception now to see somebody who's a little nervous about it. Most of them just take it in the skyline. Nothing you ever know. Amazing. And they're smart kids. The times have changed. So, Barzun and I used to serve kegs of beer a lot of times for the Agilent's food. Hey beer We used to drink so sophomore's input me away Most time because I wasn't there to drink I was like I'll get sick as a dog they had a dance floor the dance floor on the upstairs and something all has been smooth what it was sanded so many times they had a floor that was very serious problem oh really yeah they had sat in the floor so it never was put it for a dance hall Broadway ended up in a dance hall oh period they kept satin again to make it smooth so I remember I don't know what happened there they relayed a floor
with the desk for this father just gave oh my it's got sad we've had that season and I'm a turn it's our derwood plaque now they also put up kids friends believe that to that since three that's a sport that's awful but the over the answer we should have that and that was a big deal well who had the dances that were soccer the show or like the music and I'm a zay what's possible no response we sponsored lots and lots of them a older and later years sponsor not only for numbers a lot of the still to the business well I guess when her
cycle open and they use that for dances yeah but most of those thought I was already okay oh boy after the war you're out president what what's been 46 other the budget my year of president the entire show we had 300 members was $25,000 and we paid rabbi obama was six thousand dollars We paid 3 dollars a year and we paid the Shavas Krishna a thousand dollars a year well she made some money on the side The biggest giver was Max Jeffing He gave that year, I think, $83. He would always give a high, a double high. He would love to give him up. He himself could sing in a terrible, creepy voice.
For a kid, for Irving, Irving was especially a young pop tutor. popular but all of us I'm going to use to come down so those in a taboo design okay I'm used to come the famous movie yeah there's a lot of the big boys well just on their own or they were at rock travel rocker concrete are paying patient with money friends Jeffy's always Gilly stayed his house. Oh, really? He loved it, loved it, loved it. He used to be one group who was very famous for years called Monashua, the little boy wonder. Who was supposedly 14 or 15 years old, had a real high kid voice.
Yeah. And he had two javeres with him, two great that looked like thugs. Oh. Who sang? He grew up with one of them as a manager, and he used to sing a few low voices, and what do you call them, kind of harmony? with the three of the big music they were good sure this to be almost sold out well my gosh you can go to my children's home area these three were traveling through and this was before the war yeah is that right this is good concert is that a socket for questions we also not those guys younger years I think they even share his experience very very he taught us something others were don't you open I should have is that that will jazzed up you doll that's the one that knows that boy Jeffy and he would have them train his boys yes boy that was also proper this you're really really good for the teacher very good stay yeah but I remember you put posters all over South Dallas and here's the butcher shops had a hanging on the telephone poles all over South Dallas picture of the choir if the possible is to hitchhike the location just the positive I was a picture of a choir if it was a Ponashman case it was two hedge funds In the other case it was just a cousin When I was a kid I was seeing artwork and posters of some of the victims There was a rock.
I don't know if it was a big battle. It's like the rock singer today, only. I didn't know that. I didn't know that. I never heard it when I saw it. said there was really a lot of activity connected with the you know that was social the rich reviews especially those days there's always one club the opera her just couldn't but I'm very deeply referring to the us often yeah there was that activities they had dinners what were the dennis for just to fundraising or social social activities bring people together and also don't think about it should be a family affair all of them but you thought it all what about on holidays but did the show sponsored or have activities yeah would of course those seats were so needed the authority is fine but these dogs have the leaves yeah of course you get these lots and lots of the leaves that the wires and a few other, Ruben was already in the factory, then she was boring, Ruben, boring, and hardening, and effective things.
And had a few other Jews who were in business all the way around town. You didn't? That's it, you know? And reached a auction off the list, and I remember, it was done real, real, vividly. It used to be insightful. They said, waiting for a long time set upstairs over the fucking head about it but you can't remember which is when you sit up there later years I don't remember sitting in the balcony I remember they were sitting on the side and yeah yeah one side yeah I remember I was a little kid you sit down front of us kids with my mom Do you recall when the FEMA was taken out of the middle Yeah I trying to remember when that was I remember it It was so controversial Why was it?
Well, there were two schools that thought about Bema. One school that thought says yes, one school that says no. It depended upon which Ashkenazi's body and also which part of the world you grew up in. Because the Bemis were a lot of times the National Museums, but the Sephardim used to have Bemis and all kind of things going on. You know, the Sephardim used to really have a lot going on, parades, a couple of them. We were growing up in Arbiterium. right down there were her being brothers in the forest and the car for the paint still the Irish ring I remember we were a little we used to it all the time because they had the best car holes in town oh really gosh the women and men and that outfit used to really really labor of love put off carnival huge costumes oh really right around and around with the the barbortering and they had booths go I don't say all this activity one building but they used to have booths around I used to use to sell food and groceries I very distinctly remember my daddy would probably be a big shot of time and he would buy a lot of leftover stuff you know so they would have solutions and we used to buy lots of canned goods and stuff that they didn't sell so that there wouldn't be a total lawsuit.
I remember very distinctly costumes. It was a real jumping place. A lot of people with costumes walking around with revelry and excitement and noise and color. An old arbitrage ring. And of course the arbitrage ring then was a worker socialist type. And so a lot of people looked with disrespect socialism was not real popular, it was a Jewish idea, but it wasn't real popular with all of the Indians. We had times when I was growing up and started doing some youth work and that kind of stuff and all. We had problems a lot of times. You remember Levine, the Hindu student, in the Alegris before.
Some people in Dallas, excuse me, were being a communist at times because he had liberals like this. Labor of the Zionist died. He was a very, very good, excellent teacher. He turned out some real nice people. He didn't have to hide his head in shame. He was a remarkable teacher. He did well. And he turned out at times liberals that didn't go over well with everybody at times. I didn't think much about him, so I was there, but I'm sure he was a kid. He used to have a camera, I'm sure. I never went because he feels for the people, most of you feel share a visual.
It's kind of a funny mixture. He's a good man. Very good man. He's a good man. That's pretty good. God be welcome. What did the Jewish people do about Saturday? Men had to work or was that the feeling? Well, it all depends. I see my mother. We closed the door on Saturday. We closed the door on Saturday. We closed Friday afternoon. We didn't know much of Saturday night. In our neighborhood, we just put a sign up. Close. That's it. And I remember very distinctly, our original society, we used to go to show. My daddy used to go to show and I remember very distinctly going to show since I was a couple of years old.
I mean regularly, I don't know, about seven days a week. And after a show, if you look into the activities, come home and eat. In the afternoon, my mama made us read Perkei Evo. I'm a very distinctly new and I sit on the front porch and I swing and I'm in the old chairs. You can sit and read Perky Alba or read practically. I don't know how to do it. We'd sneak out pretty soon and play the streets. I learned, I got a subscription to Time Magazine. You know, I was 13 years old. I got a subscription to Time Magazine. I'm 13 years old. I've got a few numbers since I was 13.
All you get in the middle. 73 that 16 Look what came in the day Well anyway they make a lot of torture I heard it it was a story that I went to my arm control and she was in those days like my daddy had to listen It was always the same, Charles Lewis was Harry and Kegel and Kai. The old Harley Everton. He was going to have it those days. The minion was downstairs on Saturday evening. And it would go on. But Saturday was a day of rest. And we slept playing football, all the streets, football. Played football one time, very distinctly remember. It was funny.
I played with Jack McClure. He ended up in the North West Point. He was a commandant of the ROTC. And it was high school as far as I. Ended up in the farm in West Point. Became a professional soldier. Now thank you for the partners of the conference day. Anyway, I broke his leg. He was playing football in the street, on the street. But Mr. Bill was his. And I very distinctly get my leg under his leg and fall down on the top. Crack. A scared pup. Yeah. That's a good one. Very good. That's pretty sister. today did the did your the Jewish kids in your neighborhood did they also pretty much observed that Saturday but our mother was good well probably you've already answered my question you remember celebrating the Jewish holidays yeah he's big big so we're going up kids number now what's now was Allison had a then thereby triple up the past he had a great brick building get a ladies man affectionate we had a son was our age She grew up with us He married a girl who used to die a car Anyway now what was a real handyman for things He made for Horan an electronic hanging device.
This is the truth. He made a device whereby Hayman and his seven sons, when he pressed the button, went up on the gallows with the spring. No, man. So helped me. Figured to this day, Nala was made, and it had ploppers on it. Woot! Ploppers. Made the most terrible noise you ever saw in the seven suns. They were like the size of an apple box. Did he bring it to... Well, for it. To get us off the hill. Is that right? down in the front for a quarter. It was electrical in those days. The original electronic toy. And knowledge, us kids, we used to have to print.
It made so much noise you couldn't think. They finally had to have it toned down in places. But the seven sons used to get up on the roof and say, hey, we were trying to test them. Oh, that's something. and us kids used to get these cocklebur, you know these stickers? Yeah. And then had beer, not had beer. Us kids used to walk by, sneak up behind them and throw them cocklebur. And beers. What do you think about that? It was terrible. You were just mischievous. Oh, goodness, I've never heard of that. That's funny. and I know Simpestor was a big uh bigger player yeah I've never heard of that that's something classic so you had two brothers and a sister two years younger than I am slowly married son of a man Right.
Kathy she two years younger than David And the barman came around 10 years later My mama tried to get rid of him She tried to have an abortion Dr Borland the other place on service Dr. Ray Thorn. Dr. Who? Borland, the old Dr. Borland. Oh, really? Yeah, I've heard of him. He's the oldest in the world. I was born and a baby down here. My mama said, I haven't got time to have another baby. I'm busy running emotions. I haven't got time. I'll be saying, I'll always talk about it. I'll be helping step in the middle of my view. I've got three beautiful children. Shut up, go back to work and have them.
What? She'd try all the way up because she'd just off a flower bag, have them, stack some flowers with a flower bag in her hand. Nothing happened. In the morning, she'd get down the stomach. He took my console job. It was an old medical arts building where you had that long atrium in the middle. About 18 stories tall in the middle. When we were kids we used to go up on top and drop things up. It was an old medical arts building. Cecil Block. I was in my hospital. The only time I was in the hospital. You remember any other doctors from your childhood? Well, I remember Hatcher, who was our dentist.
Any Jewish doctors? Yeah. Jewish doctors. Well, we went to block the tuition. I'm going to tell you about one of my experiences. I was in a youth group some time. We used to get ad books for the fairs, you know, the French and the dances, and the fairway. So we walked in one time, I walked in one time, to George A. Levy, the old office in the Federation. He was going to be in the basement of the YM. He was scared to death. He used to sit up there like a king. He was a king. He had gray hair. He was smoking over cigars and all that shit.
I was a teenage and I was scared to death. If his barge used to sound like he was a... He had all the appearance of being in camp. If he was a royal, he was scared of the Holy Hell out of him. He was a goddamn... I remember calling Prads, calling Prads, going to those young kids. Used to go up to see Shrek and Kaplan, and they never cut me down. And go see Falun, Jitri. He used to run Jewish pork, but he wasn't busy running the junk, and he was driving the pork. Who the father? Well. Oh, really? Yeah, he did a study. Oh.
He'd sit there and take a face right to look at him. And Zestler, a light Zestler. Well, if there were tickets to be sold or anything to be done, he didn't tell anybody there was nothing he was doing. He could have tickets and he'd keep it up and down, ask three tests, reach the door, and he'd never miss himself. It's not generally the same way. While they came to sell tickets, they got out and sold tickets. They did it. Wonderful people. Did you ever go to the JCC? Yeah, he was doing dances there with the AZA and Aola when they had guests. I never was comfortable with lots of guests.
Did you play sports there? Play sports there? No, I never was much of a player. I never had time. He wasn't much of an athlete. Of course, Sonny, my brother-in-law was Sonny. He made all of the things. Yeah, he was very right. His ball We had some athletes. I never had much to do. I was too busy working. I worked all night. When did you get married, Saul? I got married during the war. I lied to Hannah until I was going overseas. I got married, I guess, a year before I went overseas. I came back off maneuvers in Louisiana. We were getting ready to go overseas.
And somebody changed their mind and kept us here at school groups. Up in the first year, up in the first year. I took that in Maryland. And I came back when my daughter was born in Maryland. My daughter was born in Maryland. I walked up down to Kettleman. Germany. What was your wife's name? Her name was Hannah Sobel. Isaac sister Gary and Hershey William Salton sister was and children Goldstein was a sister that had them Goldstein didn't have the farm South on these days. They were sisters and brothers. And one of them was in Fort Worth, one of them was in California. So how many children do you have, Saul?
She's got four children and two steps. She's got some now, six. Marilyn Zildes, she's an attorney now in Los Angeles. Not a sucker. Berkeley, she gave up that big high-pressure law firm and went to work for the city of Berkeley for less money but more time. Got a boy that's 15 or 16, she wants to see him before he gets up to go to college. And Judy is here in Dallas, she worked part of the hospital for about three or four years before that. She worked 10 years for the University of Texas Hospital System. And went private practice first of last year, and she was very active in the synagogue, synagogue at the conservative synagogue in Southeastern and she's the leader of the Texas women youth, the Texas women president of the state abortion league two years ago.
Oh really? Walked up galleries and used to hear the TV and radio, what do you call them, parades, and all that stuff. and then our other good for the future in Austin by Richardson and the first thing just these old son primarily the rich in bunch of school plus no and Eric is here works for now and grandchildren, Blessed Amy has a blonde girl. You! Sandra has adopted a baby girl. She couldn't get pregnant, but she works for abortion. She helped birth you know the alternative abortion a lot of times is children in adoption It beautiful Times have changed Marilyn has a 15 year old boy that's in high school in Berkeley.
That's it. you're still not a very good oh really well tell me when did the you no longer have in the grocery business you're in the drug business when did David started out in the drug business in college he started out at the University of Texas he worked for Robinson on Forest Avenue that's how he met Glenn Glenn had bakery across the street. Right. He smelled aroma of bread and got captivated. First thing you know of marriage and this. Beggar's daughter for all that. He worked for Robinson and he worked for, in his school years he worked for Friedman, Shelby Friedman, the grand. Oh, that's right.
He's on one of the pictures. Right. One of the pictures with Shelby. You know the pictures, you know the story? Shelby sold last year in soda for 10 cents. Right. All over Dallas people would come and sold it. So bread that curbservice sauce yeah they sold hundreds of those David was started as a soldier oh really make it a lot of things so much but she'll be having a deal you don't have a dime for every glass you broke he kept on you he kept a chill in the ice cream freezer and then that is so they made good ice cream yeah cold glass yes good that's a little show you settle up with you said it's about every glass you broke and he paid you are to touch us an hour whatever it was and then the week David over three dollars is for his best that's what I'm actually a pharmacist yeah okay so that was sort of natural Yeah, he was the War of Drug Company.
He was the War. They had been his fingers cut off, cut them off for a night, and put them away from high school at the grocery store He was thinking about the baby head that night for the senior banks And he wasn paying attention to the sausage mill And he put his fingers on the sausage mill He actually ground up those fingers on the sausage mill. I came home from SMU that Friday evening. I came home and boy, it was commotion around the house like you had never heard. That's what had happened. He went to the hospital with the head of the sausage mill and all the gyms.
You just tell the cashier's story. That's what happened when you really work hard and punch the cash register. I was a captain out of the Army, of course, he didn't think it was phenomenal. I got drafted out of the Pearl Harbor. Ended up in the field of October. Got up to the ride, ready to go to the German. I was a captain of the service battery. Did all kinds of things. That's the story. So how long have you been in the drug business? David has been in since before Pearl Harbor. I went into drug business with David when we got served. When we got out.
I was in general Warwick. We took the prisoners of war and Russians. So I was on the people. I still took a force, still a troop to Portilla, Oklahoma, and I've been for a while. And I was an officer in the school of the troops. And that was fun. anyway what I was needing though I think we covered quite a lot of territory I really think we covered quite a bit I've got a lot of good information about what was happening in Dallas, especially in your sphere. And I would like to thank you very much for letting me come today and to take your time and to tape you.
I love telling people about the old days. Well, thank you again. Good to see you.