Interview with Gertrude Feldbaum, February 6, 1992

Betty Bronner:

-Jewish family history project. This afternoon, we're speaking with Gertrude [Carp 00:00:21] Feldbaum who has been kind enough to talk with us. She lives at 2029 Lowell Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky with a phone number of 454-4982. [interview cuts off 00:39:00]

B.B.:

I didn't know that.

Gertrude Feldbaum:

[inaudible 00:00:48] My parents were married in Boston and my father was from [inaudible 00:00:54] and my mother was from Boston.

B.B.:

You and my husband must be related somewhere, because his family is from up in that area.

G.F.:

I was born January the 25th, 1909 in Poughkeepsie, New York. When I was about a year old, my parents came to Louisville and my dad worked for Sam Frank in New Albany in a men's clothing store. It was a relationship there. Then we went back ... My mother wanted to go back to Boston. Her ant wanted her to come back and we went back there and stayed about six months and came back to Louisville and been in Louisville ever since.

B.B.:

That's great. And where did your family come from?

G.F.:

In Europe?

B.B.:

Yeah, in Europe.

G.F.:

It is ... It was Russia. It was Andorra.

B.B.:

Andorra was...?

G.F.:

And Grodno. I think that's where-

B.B.:

Right. Right.

G.F.:

In Grodno. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Russia. Both my parents. But they were friends and they married here in Boston, Massachusets in 1908. My father came in 1904, my [inaudible 00:02:45] in 1906. And they married in 1908.

B.B.:

1908.

G.F.:

I was born in 1909 and I can't tell you what I want to say.

B.B.:

Okay. Let's go back to ... What was the immigration path that your parents took to Louisville? How did they get here? Did they come as a family, do you know?

G.F.:

Yeah, I was born then.

B.B.:

But I mean before, when the first parents- when they left Grudna.

G.F.:

Well, they didn't come together. They were just friends. And my father came here in 190-

B.B.:

Four I think you said.

G.F.:

-4. And my mother came in 1906. But they came from the same village, I will say. It wasn't a town, because I saw- I was there. And my dad came to Poughkeepsie, New York and my mother originally came to New York City. And then her ant insisted that she come to Boston, Massachusets. And my parents married in 1908.

B.B.:

I'm pretty sure I've got that. Yeah, I've got that.

G.F.:

In Boston. Then they lived in Poughkeepsie, New York. And I was born in 1909. 4:00And then they decided, Mr. and Mrs. Frank, my mother's relatives, insisted they come to Louisville. They came to Louisville and my father worked for Sam Frank in New Albany for a couple of years. And they went back to Boston and was not happy and came back to Louisville. And had their first grocery store at 13th and Liberty. Was there for about three or four years and then moved to 6th and Chestnut and had their grocery where WHAS is now.

B.B.:

Oh, that's wonderful.

G.F.:

And then my mother and father retired in 1924 and we went back to ... They took me to Europe with them. They were going to bring my grandmother back to Louisville, or America, and she was too ill.

B.B.:

And was this in Grodno? Or back in-

G.F.:

In Grodno.

B.B.:

In Grodno.

G.F.:

In the big city of Grodno, Grodno. Just as you'd say New York City, New York. And she had remarried. My grandfather was a doctor and everyone in his family was doctors. But when she remarried, she married the town rabbi in Grodno. And we couldn't bring her back with us. She was too ill and she passed away in January of that year.

B.B.:

Do you remember what her rabbi's- the rabbi's name was? I guess that's kind of 6:00far back.

G.F.:

Right this minute I can't.

B.B.:

Okay. We can add it later if you think of it.

G.F.:

If I can think- I haven't thought of it in years.

B.B.:

I'm sure. Like, tell me about- tell me about where you went to school, your early grades of school.

G.F.:

I went to apprentice school from first grade through sixth and [inaudible 00:06:41] from seventh and eighth grade. An all girls high school at 5th and Hill, until I graduated.

B.B.:

That's wonderful.

G.F.:

And one year out at U of L. And then I got married.

B.B.:

And where did most of the Jewish people in Louisville live at that time? About what area?

G.F.:

Well, we lived at 6th and Chestnut, but 7th Street from Walnut all the way through Market Street was Jewish area because there was Jewish butcher shops on Market Street, 7th Street was Mr. Gerwich's butcher shop where we got our meat.

B.B.:

Is that right? So there were a lot of Jewish merchants.

G.F.:

Oh yes. And Learner's Delicatessen, and all Jewish stores. Freedman's Department Store. All Jewish. It was a Jewish neighborhood with all Jewish merchants.

B.B.:

And the Jewish people then really went to those Jewish stores more than other stores.

G.F.:

Well, they-

B.B.:

Because they were right there in the area.

G.F.:

That's right. There was another ... some more Jewish, I think another Jewish butcher, but I can't recall. We did our shopping at Gerwich.

B.B.:

That's great.

G.F.:

There was a synagogue at- on 12th and Jefferson. They have a cemetery.

B.B.:

Okay. And tell me about the shul that you were talking about.

G.F.:

On 12th and Jefferson. I can't recall the name right now. And they also have a cemetery, their own cemetery, on Preston Street across from either Keneseth or in that area.

B.B.:

Right.

G.F.:

It's a small cemetery. And once in a while, they may have a burial there. If I'm not mistaken, Freddy Dukes was the last one buried there this past year.

B.B.:

Is that right? I just learned about the fact that there was a cemetery there.

G.F.:

Small cemetery. It was a small synagogue. And the people in the neighborhood, in 9:00that area, used to attend that little synagogue.

B.B.:

Right. And so do you think that may have been the oldest Jewish synagogue here?

G.F.:

No. Oh no. No, no.

B.B.:

What was the oldest?

G.F.:

I think the one that was on Preston and Fehr or the one that was on Jefferson between Preston and Jackson. Those were the two oldest. My parents belonged to the one on Jefferson Street between Preston and ... Also, they belonged to the one on 12th Street. And then in latter years, we belonged to Adath Jeshurun because I went to Sunday school there. So they belonged to three synagogues.

B.B.:

Which a lot of people do now, belong to one or two.

G.F.:

Yeah.

B.B.:

More for different reasons with children and so on.

G.F.:

That's right.

B.B.:

Right. And do you remember any special rituals or customs, Jewish customs, in that neighborhood, in that area, that people rushed home for Friday night or something?

G.F.:

Not particularly.

B.B.:

Okay. And how about telling me about the- there was a Strauss family or Strauss store that you were talking about.

G.F.:

Oh, Herman Strauss on 4th Street?

B.B.:

Yes.

G.F.:

That was a big department store. One of the- home owned big department stores before the other stores came into Louisville.

B.B.:

I didn't know that. That's great.

G.F.:

And then later on it was Kaufman-Strauss.

B.B.:

Okay.

G.F.:

And then there was Salmons. And then Stuart's opened their department ... I don't recall when they were open. But Herman Strauss', when I was a little girl, 11:00that was a big department store.

B.B.:

And part of the Strauss family is in Lexington I think still.

G.F.:

I think so.

B.B.:

An element of that family.

G.F.:

I think so.

B.B.:

And then you were talking about your family, your father's drugstore.

G.F.:

Well, my father had a grocery at 6th and Chestnut until 1924. Then he retired. He retired and was out of business until Depression hit and things got bad. It was his building, so his brother-in-law went across the street with a grocery. So he wouldn't do that. He opened a drugstore and he knew nothing about and made a success.

B.B.:

Isn't that amazing? Now we're recording. Now here we go. And you were talking 12:00about your father would give food to the needy.

G.F.:

Oh he always gave. I mean, there were always people came in and... There were a lot of poor people in those days who had nothing. And no matter who came in, they always got something to eat. And there was the nuns that had their convent on 8th Street, and they always came to my dad because he never refused anyone. Never refused anyone.

B.B.:

And how much did you say a bushel of kale greens was?

G.F.:

50 cents. And he used to give them... They'd take a whole bushel and they were so happy and it was only 50 cents. But 50 cents was a lot of money in those days.

B.B.:

A whole lot different than it is now. And then would you tell me about the step that came from that building?

G.F.:

On the 6th Street side of the building, there was a stone step that said, 13:00"Please wipe your feet." And I was told that at one time, that they had a medical school or... upstairs in the first room or two. But I don't know if that was true or not. But I do have the step. When the building was wrecked for the WHAS, I had the step brought here. And it is in my backyard.

B.B.:

That's marvelous [laughing 00:13:36]. And shall we go to-

G.F.:

All right. Gosh darn. When I was a little girl- all about the center.

B.B.:

Please.

G.F.:

I belonged to the Brownies, and we used to have a wonderful time once a week. Mrs. Goldstein was our leader but I can't recall her first name. And when she- 14:00when- that summer when she was giving up the group because she was going to have a baby, she had us all out to her house and we had a wonderful time and we all said, "We'll never forget you." [laughing 00:14:19] Then at the center, Blanch Mitchell rented the auditorium and had her dance studio there four days a week for years and years.

G.F.:

And a lot of wonderful dancers that went on to New York came out of that studio. Then the men had their basketball team at the center. These young men like [Pochi 00:14:51] Marks and Izzy Frank and Sammy Handmaker and Harry Lanker. And 15:00I was about 14 or 15 and I used to go there and watch the games. We all did. And then they had dance- dancing afterwards. Of course we kids went home. And they played with all the different teams here in Louisville.

G.F.:

The Turners. I can't recall all the names. But they were one of the best- the center had one of the best basketball teams at that time. Then Thursday night, when I was about 17 or so, a lot of my friends were older and were working and there was a black woman at the center that was in charge of the kitchen and all. She would fix a supper for these girls to come in on Thursday night and have a meeting and enjoy themselves and it was 50 cents per person.

B.B.:

Wow.

G.F.:

For these working girls. These working girls are, a lot of them are married, 16:00have big families. Had families, now some have passed away. But that was a long time ago. Then if you want to come to the war...

B.B.:

Oh yes.

G.F.:

The center on Saturday night and Sunday, was where all the soldiers came and stayed. On Saturday night, they had a dance, every Saturday night, for the boys. Then they would put up cots up in the gym for the boys to sleep. Well, so many boys came in that Keneseth Israel was at Floyd and Jacob. So they used our auditorium and put up cots and had one or two men spending the night there with the soldiers every Saturday night.

G.F.:

Sunday morning, they would go back to the center. They had breakfast at the 17:00center every Sunday morning. Then ever Sunday night, the different synagogues or organizations would prepare the supper. These were New York boys and they weren't used to salads and vegetables like we were. [laughing 00:17:23] They would have no salad. But they always had ... When Keneseth did it, because we used to have to set the tables and things, they would have soup, sometimes roast beef, some kind of potatoes, and they always gave them a vegetable because we're used to that.

B.B.:

And they weren't used to vegetables?

G.F.:

Not in New York. Uh-uh (negative).

B.B.:

Isn't that interesting?

G.F.:

Not in those days. And then we made dessert. Well Keneseth, when they had their supper would bake cakes at Keneseth during the week and bring that over for 18:00dessert. They gave them wonderful meals. And came to the time that we had to have two settings, there were so many boys. So the young girls would have to reset the tables fast and get it ready so then the other group of boys would have their supper.

G.F.:

But the center, the YMHA, was wonderful for during the war. They did a wonderful job. Took them all in.

B.B.:

I think that's great.

G.F.:

They were all out of town. A lot of them came from New York, Pennsylvania. A lot of them came down here ... What was the last thing?

B.B.:

Well, we wanted to talk about the boys at Fort Knox and that they prepared some meals for them at the post or in the city?

G.F.:

At the post. There were a few ladies like Mrs. [Okun 00:19:05], Max Okun, my 19:00mother, Sarah Carp, Sarah [Gredman 00:19:12] and I don't recall who all went, would go out at least every other week and prepare a Kosher meal out at the camp for these Jewish boys.

B.B.:

No wonder they had- thought we had such good southern hospitality.

G.F.:

We did. We did, more than anyone else. And, talking about the suppers at the center, there was something ...

B.B.:

And did they have dances?

G.F.:

No, not on Sundays.

B.B.:

Huh-huh (affirmative). On Saturday night.

G.F.:

Saturday night was their dance night and they would spend the night at the center and Keneseth, when they had to have more room. Then they had their 20:00breakfast at the center on Sunday morning.

B.B.:

For heaven's sake.

G.F.:

And I mean the girls ... People worked. And then they had a dinner or supper every Sunday night.

B.B.:

And then they had to go to work.

G.F.:

They had-

B.B.:

Back to the camp.

G.F.:

Back to the camp. Yes.

B.B.:

Would you tell us about the drive to build the new center?

G.F.:

Each synagogue, if I remember correctly, were given a ter-

B.B.:

Territory.

G.F.:

To go out to see these people. We had to contact them personally not on the phone. We had the west end, Keneseth did, and a lot of people were living in the 21:00west end and had their businesses there. And we went there. And we did do a good job.

B.B.:

A lot of work.

G.F.:

A lot of work but a good job. And I always felt like that's how we got our center built.

B.B.:

Which is wonderful still.

G.F.:

It is.

B.B.:

Better and better.

G.F.:

Sure is. I get mixed up.

B.B.:

Okay. We're going.

G.F.:

The second or third of July, Mr. [Schreiber 00:21:33] called Bernice Bloom and myself, Gertrude Feldbaum. He wanted to see us and we couldn't imagine why. They wanted to have a snack bar open for the 4th of July and he dropped it in our lap. So, we had- [Laughing 00:21:52]

B.B.:

Some drop.

G.F.:

It was. And we made bologna and salami sandwiches, had potato chips, pretzels, drinks, and candy for the 4th of July and we couldn't make enough sandwiches fast enough. We had such a crowd. Then after that, we got organized and we had hot dogs. And I decided I was going to make barbecue. They told me that was out of the question. Nobody would buy barbecue. I ended up making 50 pounds of barbecue a week.

B.B.:

A week?

G.F.:

Every week. It went over so fast.

B.B.:

And what year was this about? Not too long after the center opened.

G.F.:

When the center opened. Exactly when the center opened.

B.B.:

Okay.

G.F.:

Whatever that date was, it was the 4th of July.

B.B.:

The first 4th that the center was open.

G.F.:

That we had the snack bar. And then after that, we were able to have tuna fish 23:00sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches also. And then in the winter time, they had the ... In the winter time with the coin operating machines, we made egg salad and tuna sandwiches. I don't recall whether they were 15 cents a sandwich or what. But we'd have them sandwiches in there for two days. The third day we would take them out and would not sell them and make some fresh ones.

B.B.:

So it was a refrigerated machine.

G.F.:

Oh yes, they were refrigerated machines. But we felt like tuna and egg you had to be careful of.

B.B.:

Sure you did.

G.F.:

And they did a good job. I stayed on the snack bar for a year and a half.

B.B.:

Okay. Can you tell us about the swimming at the center?

G.F.:

We had- they had swim teams and also came in from other-

B.B.:

Centers.

G.F.:

-centers to swim against our children.

B.B.:

So they had competitive meets then.

G.F.:

They did and it was wonderful. They also had the beauty contest from the girls club every summer.

B.B.:

So we had bathing beauties, too.

G.F.:

We had bathing beauties. And they- it was really a wonderful summer to be out at the center those days. I don't know how it is now because it's been a long time.

B.B.:

Wonderful, too.

G.F.:

Oh it is? That's good. Hey, I've got rec clubs. The center had wonderful clubs. Still have I guess, but I don't think they have as many.

B.B.:

I think that probably they don't have as many.

G.F.:

Uh-uh (negative). The [Rics 00:25:17] they did a lot things... They also had ... During the Chris- not Chris- the holidays, one club was always selected to give the ball that year.

B.B.:

Oh so there was a holiday ball?

G.F.:

From the-

B.B.:

Clubs.

G.F.:

Mm-hmm (affirmative). And the one year the [Rics 00:25:43] club gave it, we went out ... of course, I knew where to get all kinds of decorations. And we went out and I rented ... I used to be able to go to Stuarts' ... I knew them all, see?

B.B.:

Oh right.

G.F.:

From weddings and stuff. They had a place over on Preston Street where they kept a lot of that stuff.

B.B.:

Oh the window dressing things.

G.F.:

I went in there. They asked no question. They never bothered me. And I took a 26:00lot of stuff off to the back. And we decorated that stage as a winter scene. It was gorgeous.

B.B.:

Oh it must have been.

G.F.:

And I'm not going to [interview cuts off 00:26:22]

B.B.:

Here. In the picture that you've shown me that shows your son and his group in Resnick ACA, we had a now famous personage who was-

G.F.:

Jerry Abramson. And he was one of the boys, and he's still one of the boys.

B.B.:

That's great. That's great.

G.F.:

He really is. Oh this is a wonderful bunch of boys. Pinky [Weisburg 00:26:55] was their advisor and they had a wonderful advisor.

B.B.:

Oh I know he did a lot of work with the younger groups.

G.F.:

He really did.

B.B.:

He and Marianne.

G.F.:

That's right. [inaudible 00:27:08]

B.B.:

Yeah. Tell me about the what- the dances that were given during the holidays 27:00that kept the kids busy and happy when they were very young. Were they able to drive during that time, your children? Or your son?

G.F.:

I don't think they were quite that old. I think they were 15 or maybe some were 16. But they- each year, the center appointed one of the clubs to sponsor the holiday dance. And this one year, it was Resnick. And they did a terrific job. They decorated the stage like a Christmas scene, winter scene, and had a 28:00wonderful time.

B.B.:

That's great. It's a wonderful place for young people to spend their holiday time.

G.F.:

It was.

B.B.:

That's right.

G.F.:

Also ACA would have their convention in Louisville during the Chris-

B.B.:

Christmas holidays.

G.F.:

Christmas holidays. And the different homes would house the boys, and different homes housed the girls. And they always loved to come to Louisville because they had such a wonderful time and things were always planned for all of them. The four or five days that they were here, or the weekend, it was no question of what are they going to do next because it was always planned.

G.F.:

And all the meals were served at the center. Lunch and your evening meal. And 29:00the last night was the dance, and it was always wonderful.

B.B.:

I know there have been a lot of long-time friendships that came from those conventions.

G.F.:

That's correct. Finished. At 19 and 20 when we were all getting married at that time- we're all set?

B.B.:

Mm-hmm (affirmative). We're recording.

G.F.:

When I was 19 and all my friends and I were all getting married, 20 years old in those days, I started helping everyone. I don't know where I got the know how to do it, but I just did. And then I've gone on all these years and I didn't get paid for years and years and years. I wouldn't even take any money. I thought it was rid- no one would want to pay me. But I'd help with everyone, with the invitations.

G.F.:

I got in, knowing people who were able to get things for cost and I've done that all these years. And I get invitations now, I do not make any money on it. I make no - I will not take money for anything except the few dollars that I get for my service. And from what I understand now, people are getting four or five times, even today, than I got last year or two years ago. Which I'm not doing anymore.

B.B.:

Well, you really worked into a specialty business. It's become a real big business.

G.F.:

It was. And now it is, and these girls all have learned from me.

B.B.:

Yeah. Would you tell us the story about how the temple got their [chuppah 00:30:57] for weddings? [interview cuts off 00:30:58]

B.B.:

We thank you very much because Gerty Feldbaum has always been a wonderful part 31:00of Louisville and we thank you for working with us. And that's it.

G.F.:

And I didn't even give you a Coke. Look-