<Begin Segment 2>

BF: And why did they leave Russia? Why did your grandfather at that point leave Russia?

AS: Well, one of the things that I've always heard the most and what they said also, and have read it, pogroms, Jewish people were persecuted there, they were denied rights to own land. My grandparents did have some land in their little village, because my grandfather's father was killed in battle. It was, I think it was the Japanese-Russian war, but I'm not positive. And so they were able to... but they were still, my mother tells me about, I guess it would have been... I guess it would have been an aunt. My mother's mother came from a family of six sisters, including her. And the younger sister, I think she was about sixteen, a pogrom came to their village, they took the younger sister, and they never heard, just that was it. They never heard anything, they don't know what happened. And so these things would come up from time to time.

BF: Maybe you could explain a little bit about what a pogrom is.

AS: Oh, oh yes. Right. My understanding is that it would be a group of Russian soldiers that for some reason or other would go after the Jewish people. And I don't know whether it was to take land or possessions or what. But the, there were a lot of Jews killed in these pogroms, or disappeared. And so it was a constant worry. And I don't know when they first started, but at least in my grandmother's lifetime, there have been at least that one pogrom where her younger sister was taken away. And, of course, they happened all over Russia, just not in that particular place. Does that kind, sort of answer?

BF: Yeah. That would be extremely, that would be horrible to be living under those conditions, never knowing if something were going to happen.

AS: Yeah. Never knowing when they're going to come, yeah. So, and also, all Russian males, whether Jewish or not Jewish, had to serve in the army. My grandfather did serve in the army, and didn't want that for, if he had any male children. Of course, he already, he did have one male child when they came here, but they had more later. And so... and there was, there were limitations on education, on where you, what you could do, where you could go. So, and I'm sure that in Europe, people had heard about America. This was the Golden Land, this is where people can do very well, live wonderful lives. And so, of course, he came. And so that was the reason, yeah.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.