Bernice Feldman

Rosenfeld: Mrs. Feldman, what were the circumstances that brought you to Portland?
FELDMAN: I married a Portland man and moved here permanently.

Rosenfeld: In what year were you married?
FELDMAN: 1916, September.

Rosenfeld: So you probably were here in Portland during World War I?
FELDMAN: That’s when it was. It was during World War I. That’s when the Council… They did very good things.

Rosenfeld: What kinds of things were they involved with? When you say “Council” you mean the [National] Council of Jewish Women?
FELDMAN: I mean the [National] Council of Jewish Women and the women who were interested in it. Well, for example, they cooperated very well with the USO and the SOS, which was a service to the Jewish soldiers overseas. We sent boxes of all types of things to the chaplains to be distributed. They started to ship a box shortly after that for the children in Israel, which I believe is still continuing. We visited the soldiers who were in Vancouver and we did a tremendous job when the newcomers came to Portland.

Rosenfeld: Now, going back to World War I. You were a very young matron then, do you have any recollections of other people who were involved with you as volunteers? 
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. I would say that most of my friends did a great deal for the Red Cross. I can remember Mr. Lowengart had the whole top floor of Lipman’s turned into a workshop where we rolled bandages and did many things. Any number – I can’t remember the names particularly – but any number of the women who lived in Portland at that time participated. 

Rosenfeld: Do you think there was more of a sense of obligation in those days on the part of young women, young matrons, toward community service? Or do you think that’s changed over the years?
FELDMAN: No, I don’t think there was a greater obligation; I think the war made us all very aware of our obligations. I think, however, that at that time it was many of the older women. When I came to Portland, the older women were in charge, and now I think the young women are taking over, which I think is wonderful. 

Rosenfeld: When you say older women… You were a young woman then. Now, in retrospect, how old do you think the older women really were?
FELDMAN: I was 19 when I got married, so maybe if they were 30 they were older women [chuckles]. That was it. But from that time on I really do think that the obligation to participate in helping, with the obligations that we had here towards the war effort, were very important to Jewish women.

Rosenfeld: When you said, Mr. Lowengart, what was his responsibility?
FELDMAN: He had something to do with the Red Cross. I don’t know if he was the head of the certain branch of it or what it was. He did that. Oh, and any number of women – Ruth Frank, Ruth Rosenfeld, any number of my friends. We all participated in that.

Rosenfeld: When you said that one of the floors of the Lipman’s store was turned over for the war effort…?
FELDMAN: It was made into a workshop for rolling bandages, making little pads, and all the things they do at Red Cross. 

Rosenfeld: So that in addition to the women that were willing to give of themselves in terms of time you had a commercial establishment that also gave that considerable space. 
FELDMAN: Yes definitely. I think that as the years went on, the others did too. They didn’t give space, but they did other things. Any number of places gave us materials and so forth. It was after that that we did a lot about the treasury bonds and the stamps, because there was a whole group of Jewish women who did that. I was head of the treasury stamps.

Rosenfeld: These were government stamps in World War I?
FELDMAN: Yes, they were the treasury bonds and treasury stamps.

Rosenfeld: And people were encouraged to invest in order to help the government in its financing, I presume, of all their war needs?
FELDMAN: Of course this wasn’t completely Jewish; it was in connection with the citywide efforts. But Jewish women did it too.

Rosenfeld: And you did this in relationship to a Jewish organization?
FELDMAN: I was asked as a representative of a Jewish organization.

Rosenfeld: Which organization was that?
FELDMAN: The Council of Jewish Women. I’m only telling you about the Council of Jewish Women. Everything I’m telling you, I believe, because while I was a member of the Sisterhood – that was the only other Jewish organization that at that time. Of course, Neighborhood House was part of the Council that I was interested in at that time. 

Rosenfeld: So as a representative of the Council of Jewish Women… Council participated in what must have been a city and a national effort to sell stamps and bonds. So that was part of your involvement as a young matron when you first came to Portland. You married a Portlander – is that what brought you after your marriage?
FELDMAN: I had been out here on a visit and I met my husband. We were married in New York and I came to Portland to live. 

Rosenfeld: And your husband’s name was?
FELDMAN: Henry Feldman. He was born and raised in Portland. His parents were both German-born, but had always lived in Portland. They arrived in this country and lived in Portland.

Rosenfeld: Did they come to Portland? From what you know of your husband’s family, did they come to Portland as a married couple?
FELDMAN: I believe so. No, no, no – they each came to visit a relative, I believe, and were married, I guess, here in Portland. Anyway, that was my impression.

Rosenfeld: And your husband then was born in Portland. Were there other children in that family besides your husband?
FELDMAN: Three boys and a girl.

Rosenfeld: What were their names?
FELDMAN: Joseph Feldman was the older brother, Henry was the second one, and Gus Feldman, who still resides in Portland, was the third brother. Elise, who married Herbert Sichel, is the sister. They all lived in Portland.

Rosenfeld: As a young bride, and a very young woman, 19 you said –
FELDMAN: – 20, almost.

Rosenfeld: What were your first impressions of Portland, as a city, as a Jewish community?
FELDMAN: Well, I was accustomed to a very big city. I’d lived in Chicago and New York. It was small, but I found it a very hospitable, very fine Jewish community. Quite close and comparatively small by our standards, I would say. Very definitely hospitable and kindly.

Rosenfeld: When you say hospitable, what kinds of things did they do?
FELDMAN: I think they were eager to have young people join their groups at the Temple [Beth Israel] and the organizations. I think they made us very welcome. They made me, as a stranger, very, very welcome. Not only socially, I mean practically in every way.

Rosenfeld: Do you think part of your being so cordially welcomed in the community was the fact that you had married a long time Portlander?
FELDMAN: Definitely, definitely, but I think as time went on that was only part of it.

Rosenfeld: Where did you first live in Portland?
FELDMAN: I always lived in Northwest. I never lived anyplace else. We lived in a hotel for the first few months we were married and then we lived on Northrup Street.

Rosenfeld: Northrup and what?
FELDMAN: I think it was between 21st and 22nd. It was so long ago, 57 years. Then we bought our first home, after I had one child and was expecting another, on 25th and Johnson. We lived there for over 20 years.

Rosenfeld: As you recall the neighborhood, going back to the Northrup Street, were there many other Jewish people living in the Northwest area?
FELDMAN: Well, let me think. I don’t know. I would say there were quite a few, yes, in the Northwest area, definitely.

Rosenfeld: Where did most of your young married friends live?
FELDMAN: Well, Portland Heights. Your parents-in-law [the Rosenfelds] lived in Arlington Heights; they were our very dear friends. All around the district where I lived (Kearny Street and Northrup) around in there. I knew very few people who lived on the Eastside. As it happened, not many of my friends did at that time, although I think there were a large number that did.

Rosenfeld: But of your particular close friends [it was] Northwest and Portland Heights and Arlington Heights and Southwest, close-in Southwest. Was there very much mixing as you recall, thinking back between people of different congregations?
FELDMAN: Not as much as there is now.

Rosenfeld: I think I was wondering about, was there very much mixing, as you recall, among the members of the Jewish community? Between those people who belonged to Temple Beth Israel and other synagogues?
FELDMAN: I don’t think as much as there is now. I think that is a very definite [inaudible] right now. No, I think not so much in those days. You see it was a very conservative community. People pretty much stayed in their own little niche. 

Rosenfeld: Were social groups based on how long you’d been in this country or where you came from?
FELDMAN: Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think that, really. I don’t, really.

Rosenfeld: But people had their small groups?
FELDMAN: Yes. That may have been a part of it, what you said, but I’d rather hope not. People don’t think it’s very fair. 

Rosenfeld: You mentioned something of your activities during those early years with Council and their marvelous work on behalf of the war effort and so forth. Did you always, from the time you were a young matron, did you always belong to Temple Beth Israel?
FELDMAN: Yes. Henry’s family were old, old participants there, and of course we joined immediately. 

Rosenfeld: What are your recollections of those early years of Temple Beth Israel? 
FELDMAN: Well, as you know, it was down on a different location. 

Rosenfeld: Where was it then?
FELDMAN: Remember where the Sunday school was for a while? It was 11th or 12th… 13th! 13th and Main. I loved it. Jonah Wise was our rabbi and we were very devoted to him. And yes, I always enjoyed working with Sisterhood too. 

Rosenfeld: What are your recollections of Rabbi Jonah Wise?
FELDMAN: [Chuckles] Well, just what everybody else’s are, I guess. He was a perfectly marvelous person – very, very intelligent. And, I think, really deeply religious, although sometimes it didn’t come out that way. 

Rosenfeld: What do you mean?
FELDMAN: Oh, I meant, for example he would have his robe over his golf clothes because he was going to leave for a golf game. Also, he had very definite ideas on many things, which he changed as he grew older, as we all do. I was devoted to him.

Rosenfeld: What are your recollections, in addition to Rabbi Wise, about the synagogue? Did people attend services or was it not so much?
FELDMAN: High Holy Days, and certain people went quite regularly, I guess. I don’t think the younger people did so much. As time went on, we had children. We were involved, and if we were able to get out and some of these other things, then we didn’t do it. Also, during the war and shortly after that, I suppose the men were pretty much involved in other things. 

Rosenfeld: What are your recollections then of Sisterhood? What did the Sisterhood do in those early days?
FELDMAN: Well, I wasn’t exactly in the Sisterhood as I was later. I think they mostly did what they felt was the proper thing to do towards the synagogue. They helped with the social events at the synagogue, perhaps the Sunday school. Not to the extent that they do now, of course. And refurbishing, doing that sort of thing. Of course, those early days are pretty hazy in my mind about a lot of things, because it’s so long ago.

Rosenfeld: Do you have any recollections of what kinds of social events? Did they have many social events at the synagogue? 
FELDMAN: I don’t think so. I really don’t think so, until we began the rummage sales, which was much later. I don’t think so. Perhaps they did, but I don’t recall it. 

Rosenfeld: The ‘20s were usually characterized as a very special period in America, of lightness and gaiety and so forth. Reflecting back – 
FELDMAN: – Was that the Prohibition years?

Rosenfeld: Yes. Did it that kind of thing reflect itself in the Jewish community that you knew in Portland?
FELDMAN: Well, of course the social part did. But I don’t know that I would say that it reflected in the Jewish community. Our groups would all have gay times, and very gay times sometimes. And I think there was a certain amount of… Yes, I would say so.

Rosenfeld: Was there a lot of partying?
FELDMAN: That’s it, that’s what I meant. Yes, the social part. I think so. The groups that we saw did. Very definitely. But of course that was our age. 1920, that was the age to have a good time. 

Rosenfeld: I suppose it was. That was the time to have a good time. 
FELDMAN: After the worst was over. That’s right.

Rosenfeld: Then as we came to the Depression years, which were the early 30s, a much different kind of a time set in. Did the Depression affect the way Jewish families lived, as you recall?
FELDMAN: I suppose it did. I really don’t recall too much. I think everybody pulled in their horns; they had to. But that was universal. I don’t think it had anything to do with being Jewish. It was just the general trend and everyone was participating in that.

Rosenfeld: Had to live in a little different way.
FELDMAN: Yes, I think so. They pulled in their horns somewhat, I think.

Rosenfeld: Going back to the Council, I know from our previous conversations how involved you were with Council. Do you have any recollections of some of the activities the Council was involved in after the war, in the ‘20s?
FELDMAN: Well, that wouldn’t be when the newcomers came, would it?

Rosenfeld: No, that was probably middle ‘30s.
FELDMAN: That was middle ‘30s. I don’t really remember. I really don’t remember.

Rosenfeld: I’m wondering about – were you involved at all in Council at the time they decided to purchase the hospital beds?
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. I forgot about that completely. Yes. I believe Mrs. Max Hirsch was the one who did the most about that. That was used constantly. 

Rosenfeld: Now, when was that?
FELDMAN: I don’t know.

Rosenfeld: Would you have guessed was it in the late ‘20s or early ‘30s?
FELDMAN: I don’t know. I think somebody would probably have a record of it, but I don’t know when that was. It was a terrific thing and it was used constantly. Then after that there was a second bed, wasn’t there?

Rosenfeld: At Emanuel Hospital. Do you have any recollection how the project even came into being?
FELDMAN: Yes, because they had a fund. Was that what is now the Memorial Happy Day fund? I believe that was how it all started. It was decided that the first $5,000 would be invested in something and I believe that’s the way it began. 

Rosenfeld: And then they decided to invest in a hospital bed. Do you have any recollection, thinking back, what was the intent then? It was a hospital bed to be used for what?
FELDMAN: For Jewish people who could not afford otherwise. I think that’s always been the reason for it.

Rosenfeld: Was Council aware that there were Jewish people in the community who were in that situation?
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. Definitely. Definitely that was the point, I guess.

Rosenfeld: Was Mrs. Hirsch a chairman of a particular fund?
FELDMAN: The Memorial fund at that time. She had it for many years. She was one of the ladies that I considered one of the older ladies, because her children were a littler bit younger than I was. [Name inaudible], actually, I thought was one. Wonderful woman, smart woman. She was a very, very staunch member of the Council.

Rosenfeld: And out of this grew a second bed? Finally came out of this fund?
FELDMAN: That was many years later, wasn’t it?

Rosenfeld: I’m not sure, but I know it followed by some years, the bed that was purchased at Emanuel Hospital. Was it to be used for the same purpose?
FELDMAN: I think so. They were always used for the same purpose. 

Rosenfeld: Those contracts, as I recall, were signed in perpetuity.
FELDMAN: They were. But has it gone on that way? I don’t know.

Rosenfeld: Yes. I think in the recent court decision upheld – 
FELDMAN: – That’s the way it was signed, “in perpetuity.”

Rosenfeld: That must have seemed like a long time.
FELDMAN: It did, it did, it did. We were very proud of it. We were very, very proud of the service we were able to give. 

Rosenfeld: As you think back – and I know it’s a long time – the Council did buy the beds, first at St. Vincent’s and then at Emanuel. Were there other organizations doing the same? Were you aware of it?
FELDMAN: If there were, I don’t know about it. I really do not know. I never did, because I was interested in our own project. 

Rosenfeld: I was interested as to if you knew how Mrs. Hirsch happened to even conceive of such a project.
FELDMAN: Well, she – I’ll tell you something, it may have been that way because of all the women of her generation, she probably participated more with non-Jewish people than a great many of them did. So that may have been true. I don’t know. I really don’t know. 

Rosenfeld: So you’re not sure how she became involved, in terms of even just knowing [how]. Speaking of Mrs. Hirsch – saying that she was probably somewhat more involved than many of the other Jewish women in community projects – as you think back to those days when you were a young matron and a young mother, were there many Jewish people involved in civic kinds of organizations?
FELDMAN: Not nearly as much as has developed during the years. Not nearly as much. Well, I think that probably during the war years we were all involved with everything civic. But I don’t believe that there was the participation that there is now.

Rosenfeld: When I say civic I was thinking of things like the symphony, the art museum, and some of those boards of those organizations. Do you recall any of the people who were involved?
FELDMAN: I really don’t remember.

Rosenfeld: [So] there were not that many that they came readily to mind, as they have in more recent years. At what point in your life – about how old were your children when you became so deeply involved in Council?
FELDMAN: I went to my first National Council convention in Detroit when my Elise – who is now, what is she 47, 48 – [was] six years old. She had her sixth birthday while I was away.

Rosenfeld: So it must have been over 40 years ago.
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. It is.

Rosenfeld: Did you go as a representative of the Portland Section?
FELDMAN: I went as the representative. I was the only one.

Rosenfeld: You were the only one who went to Detroit?
FELDMAN: That’s right. I went with a woman from Seattle and a woman from Vancouver. We went together as a western group.

Rosenfeld: You were the Northwest representation.
FELDMAN: And it certainly was an eye-opener to me. I came home [so enthusiastic] about everything. I worked very hard for several years, because the outcome of that. 

Rosenfeld: Of that national convention? It made that much of an impression?
FELDMAN: It made such an impression.

Rosenfeld: When you came back, do you remember some of the projects? You came back as an officer. Were you an officer when you went to that meeting?
FELDMAN: I was president. I wasn’t president very long when I went.

Rosenfeld: You were a newly elected president of Council.
FELDMAN: Yes. I think that I had filled out the term of my predecessor.

Rosenfeld: And who was that?
FELDMAN: At that time, she was Flora Metzger, but she later married Henry Berkowitz. She moved from Portland to California during her first year of office, so I finished it out for her. Then I had my own election after that, and that’s when I went to Detroit, I think.

Rosenfeld: Then you were the acting president for how long then?
FELDMAN: About six years. Wait no, no. What was it two and two?

Rosenfeld: Probably.
FELDMAN: Well, I guess it was almost four years. 

Rosenfeld: That was probably a long time.
FELDMAN: It was very long. It was too long [chuckles].

Rosenfeld: When you say it was too long, what do you mean?
FELDMAN: I mean I don’t think anybody should be president for that long [chuckles]. It worked very well. Mrs. Ramison, I believe, followed me and then Elise Wendell. So, you see, the younger women began participating after I did.

Rosenfeld: As president, did you find it difficult to encourage participation by membership?
FELDMAN: No. 

Rosenfeld: Did you get workers?
FELDMAN: People were wonderful. They were more than cooperative, more than cooperative. I think that they were very glad to see that some of the younger women were interested. 

Rosenfeld: And at that time you were certainly in that category of the younger women.
FELDMAN: Because before that, I think that the Council was pretty much a one-man deal. Mrs. Blumauer was the one that carried it. She was more than efficient, but I think that the community was happy to see younger women take over, too. 

Rosenfeld: So were you the first of the younger presidents? Well, your predecessor was, but she was only – 
FELDMAN: – I was vice president, she was president. Then when she left, of course I automatically became president and filled out her term. Then I had my own. 

Rosenfeld: Do you remember who your vice presidents were?
FELDMAN: Oh, I know the only vice president I had was Amy Goldsmith and I couldn’t have done anything without her. She was my vice president. 

Rosenfeld: She was your vice president.
FELDMAN: Then, I believe, eventually Mrs. Robison, because Amy didn’t wish to continue. In those days, that’s the way you did it, to progress. 

Rosenfeld: Then you must have had only one vice president?
FELDMAN: Well, until Mrs. Robison, I believe was not the full term. I don’t remember exactly, but Mrs. Charles Robison was…

Rosenfeld: Do you remember any of the activities that you were involved in that period of time during your presidency?
FELDMAN: Oh, pretty much, I suppose the same sort of thing. You see, the dates are hazy in my mind. I don’t remember which were the ‘30s and which were the ‘20s. 

Rosenfeld: That probably would be the ‘30s, then. 
FELDMAN: The end of the ‘30s, I suppose. Well, I would say pretty much the same sort of thing that we always had done. 

Rosenfeld: Which were?
FELDMAN: Well, the things that I mentioned before. Of course, we did a great deal at Neighborhood House at that time. Neighborhood House was very important to the Council in those days because there was a very, very large Jewish community in Southwest Portland at that time. As president, I was on that board too. In fact, there was one spread on the Neighborhood Board. That was a large part of our activity, the work out there. 

Rosenfeld: And supporting that work.
FELDMAN: Supporting and continuing helping it. 

Rosenfeld: What kind of activities as you recall?
FELDMAN: Oh, well, there was a great deal of athletics. I think it was a haven for some of the children who had no place else to go. I think that there were all sorts of classes from English up and down. They prepared people for naturalization and it was a very large part of the social content to that part of the community. It was not a wealthy community out there and people really needed a place like that. 

Rosenfeld: Did the Council members, in addition to supporting the Neighborhood House financially – were Council members involved as volunteers in helping to carry out that program?
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. Definitely. There was a sewing school that was completely volunteer and any number of activities were all volunteer.

Rosenfeld: So Council members were really deeply involved.
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. They were, definitely.

Rosenfeld: These were Jewish people that the Council was serving. A great many of those people of Neighborhood House were Jewish people. 
FELDMAN: Almost entirely, at that time.

Rosenfeld: Yes. Was there any social relationships [that] developed out of this that you were readily aware of? Or did the people who [were] volunteers see [their work] as doing it for a segment of the community – another segment of the community – without any particular friendships?
FELDMAN: Well, I think there was a little of each. I think some friendships developed through it. I’m sure they did. But largely it was a volunteer sort of thing.

Rosenfeld: And then as we got into the 30s, what was the attitude of people you knew toward the plight of Jews in Western Europe, in terms of Hitler and all that was happening?
FELDMAN: I think that everyone was horrified, just horrified. I think that as the newcomers came to Portland… Is that what you want me to talk about? I think the Council did a terrific job. They used to meet them, meet the people, settle them, keep… 

Rosenfeld: [We were talking about] the response of the Jewish community to the plight that the Jews [who were Holocaust refugees] found themselves.
FELDMAN: Yes. I think there was a tremendous lot of raising of funds. That wasn’t the Council. The Council participated and I believe that after Israel was established… Is that what you want me to speak of? Everybody. I don’t know of anyone who didn’t feel that it was a tremendous haven. But there was a great deal of difference of opinion on the settling of Israel when it came to the political situation. However, I think as time went on – I never shall forget, because we spoke of Jonah Wise before, I never shall forget when he came back at one time. He was head of a large group that was very interested in Israel. While he was never a Zionist (maybe he became one eventually, but he wasn’t to start with) I never shall forget his coming to our temple and giving a very, very fine lecture, which moved many, many people. Among the other trite things that he said was “there before the grace of God go I.” I never have forgotten that particular sermon, even though it was a trite thing that he said. It’s always been so true to me in so many instances, and that was one of them.

Rosenfeld: But there were differences among Jews in America and in Portland?
FELDMAN: Oh yes, oh yes. Oh yes, definitely. But that apparently resolved itself. We realize now that it had to be the way it is, otherwise it couldn’t have endured even this long.

Rosenfeld: Going back to Council’s marvelous efforts and people in the community and the wonderful thing they did in helping people who came to Portland from Europe getting settled and so forth. Thinking back, were there many people who still had some family? Distant relatives?
FELDMAN: Yes. Oh yes, definitely. What I was thinking of were these women who went down and met the trains and met these people who did not have any association.

Rosenfeld: Now, when you say they met the trains, were many people coming? What was your recollection of that? Were many people coming often to Portland?
FELDMAN: Oh, yes. A great many newcomers came to Portland at that time. Very many, largely from Germany I would say. Mostly from Germany.

Rosenfeld: Mostly from Germany.
FELDMAN: I would say so. Most of them had been other places. They had escaped to South America, or they had escaped to Switzerland, or they had escaped someplace. [Many refugees] came to this country and many of them came to Oregon.

Rosenfeld: I see. And the local people were marvelous in terms of their effort?
FELDMAN: I thought they were wonderful. I thought so. Of course, we had my father-in-law send for a great many of his nieces and nephew, and I think a great many other people did. But then there was still the problem of establishing them here. Even though you were responsible, you wanted to let them be on their own. Most of them quite readily did. In fact, I think that if you look into the history of this particular sort of thing, you will find that many, many of our outstanding citizens in Portland now – Jewish citizens – parents were probably, in those times we called immigrants. Now we call them newcomers.

Rosenfeld: They came either because they were sponsored by the community or else they had relatives who helped establish them?
FELDMAN: That’s right. When you say sponsored by the community, it was only as far as… I don’t know anything about the financial part of that, but I do know that we helped them very much, very much in every way.

Rosenfeld: In terms of housing, in terms of getting settled.
FELDMAN: Positions and so forth. Trying to place them.

Rosenfeld: As I think back, that was at a time… really, we were barely coming out of the Depression. Were there problems in that area?
FELDMAN: There were definite problems. In fact, most of them had to take the type of positions that would simply give them the bare living, rather than what they were suited for. But they were every grateful, and we were grateful to be able to do anything for them at all to get them out of that terrible situations they were in Europe.

Rosenfeld: Do you recall, as there were in other parts of America, people, who if families were unable to come, sometimes they took children and raised them? Were there many children who came into Portland under those circumstances where parents were left behind?
FELDMAN: Many.

Rosenfeld: There were many?
FELDMAN: Oh, yes.

Rosenfeld: And those children were raised, or at least lived, with Portland Jewish families?
FELDMAN: Yes, and were educated by them in many instances. I don’t like to mention names, because I would only know one or two, but I do know that there were many. Oh, yes, quite a few. 

Rosenfeld: So as far west as we were in Portland, we were certainly touched.
FELDMAN: Definitely. And we did our share, I think. I mean, as I recall, we did. Which I thought was a very fine thing.

Rosenfeld: It is sometimes said that we in America – certainly the Jews in America – didn’t realize the extent of the horror until after the war.
FELDMAN: That may be true. That may be true.

Rosenfeld: Did those early people leaving Europe… When they came here and were resettled – and many of those came, of course, before America was in the war with Germany – did they tell stories?
FELDMAN: I never heard them discuss it much. They didn’t seem to want to. So I personally haven’t too much experience with that. Other people may have had. I’m not very good at prying, and they didn’t give it out, see. It was too hurtful, I think. Yes, I think that’s it. 

Rosenfeld: As you think back over the years since you came to Portland, before World War I, 1916, what are some of the marked changes you’ve seen in the community of Portland?
FELDMAN: Well, like every place else, it has grown tremendously. In fact, it’s gotten very, very big. I think that the fact that Jews and non-Jews merge more, and see each other. I don’t mean socially, I mean in large groups and all. I think that that is something that has developed over the years, which is very fine. I think that from a very small conservative community we have grown into a large city in every way. I do think, [in] fact, that there is more civic participation for the young Jewish people than there was in my day – that’s a very fine thing. I hope it proves so. 

Rosenfeld: As you see it, do you think the more civic participation has been that Jewish people are being invited?
FELDMAN: Yes.

Rosenfeld: It wasn’t by their design in previous years.
FELDMAN: It was not that they weren’t invited; they didn’t wish to be pushed in. I guess they weren’t invited to participate. A few were, always, but not to the extent that they are now. 

Rosenfeld: And you see that this is one of the marked changes just in terms of the Jewish community?
FELDMAN: I think so. I think so. It would seem so to me. In fact, I sometimes think that they participate to the extent where they don’t participate enough in Jewish organizations. 

Rosenfeld: Is this a problem do you think?
FELDMAN: I don’t think it’s a problem, I think it’s just a situation. I think it’s just something… No, I don’t think it’s a problem. Of course, there are plenty of people who do.