Oral History Interview with Leonore J. Meyer

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Title

Oral History Interview with Leonore J. Meyer

Date

June 2, 1983

Contributor

Interviewee:

Leonore J. Meyer

Interviewer:

Summary

LeonoreJ. Meyer was born into an observant non-orthodox Jewish family, September 28, 1911 in western Berlin. She describes her post-WWI childhood, a nurturing family and schooling. She recalls very little antisemitism in her schooling and early years and recalls being a member of Kameraden, a German Jewish youth organization, founded by a cousin. She shares experiences of her large extended family and discusses that her family’s German roots can be traced back to the 1700s and 1800s in Danzig and Silesia. She briefly mentions the social distance between the German Jews and the Eastern European Jews. Leonore recalls that the majority of German Jews did not think the Nazi threat was so great in the early 1930s and contrasts this to other young people who anticipated the need to leave Germany. She recalls how her brother who had worked in Holland and Germany left for the United States in 1927 due to his unease with the future he foresaw in Germany. Leonore discusses increasing polarization between political groups [the communists and the Nazis] in the 30s and how Jewish groups began to break up. It was at this time that she joined a Communist youth group in 1927. In 1932, she opened and taught in a private kindergarten. She was dating a non-Jewish man and they decided to stay in Germany. In 1933, Leonore’s mother was dismissed from her position as a radio performer because she was Jewish. Leonore briefly mentions the Reichsvertretung and Leo Baeck.

By 1935, after the Nuremberg Laws, Leonoreplanned to leave Germany, but her mother still decided to stay. In 1936 Leonore went to England as a matron in a boarding school for German and Austrian refugee children. She came to the United States in April, 1938. Her mother left for the United States in July, 1938, paying very high exit taxes.Leonoreonly learned of the mass murders of European Jews through the United States Red Cross. She expresses that Jews should appreciate this country and the importance of voting.

The interviewer also goes by name Ruth Hartz.

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Publisher:

Gratz College

Number of Tapes:

1

Language:

Identifier:

HOHAGC00355

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Copyright date:

2017

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