Interview with Hugo Taustine, July 26, 1977

Interviewer:

For the record, I'm at the home of Hugo Torstein, at 2516 Alanmede Road in Louisville. It's 7:30 PM, July the 26th, 1977. And we're about to begin an interview. Hugo, the first thing I would like for you to do is to give me your name and the date and place of your birth.

Hugo Torstein:

My name is Hugo Torstein. I am 77 years of age. I will, very shortly, be 78. I was born in Louisville, September 27th, 1899.

Interviewer:

Thank you. Hugo, you said you were born in Louisville. Were your parents also born here?

H.T.:

No, my father came from Austria. He was of Orthodox Jewish background. My mother was born near Shelbyville, Kentucky. A little town called Proper, Kentucky. They 1:00were married in Louisville, however. They raised a family of five, and I was the youngest boy of four. And I went through the public schools of Louisville starting at the school at 17th and Madison Streets.

H.T.:

We were living at that time at 15th and Walnut in Louisville. And when I was seven years old, we moved uptown from what is now called West End, I suppose. And we moved up, my father opened a delicatessen on Market Street, between First and Second in Louisville. And those people who are old enough to remember, there was a theater in the middle of that block called the Hopkins Theater. It was burned down some 20, 25 years later. And that became the Labor Temple, I believe, that building. It was in the center of the block between First and Second on Market Street.

H.T.:

At that time, the Jewish community, the Orthodox Jewish community, was centered on Preston Street in Louisville and Madison Street, and the more elite were living in homes out on South First, Second, Third, and Fourth Street.

Interviewer:

The community had began to spread out a little bit.

H.T.:

The community had begun to spread out. My first recollection of any religious affiliation was at Adath Jeshurun Congregation, which at that time, in 1907, was located at Floyd and Chestnut Street, right across from the Louisville General Hospital. At that time the Louisville General Hospital was a very small institution, and there was a school across the street, a public school. Many 3:00Jewish families lived in that area. We subsequently, when my father moved up on Market Street, we became affiliated with Brith Sholom Congregation, and that's where I still am affiliated. Down on Brith Sholom, over 50.

Interviewer:

Do you remember when that was? When you became affiliated? How long ago that was?

H.T.:

It's more than 50 years ago because they gave me a 50 year certificate.

Interviewer:

That's right, I remember.

H.T.:

A couple years ago. So I suppose it was about 1910 or there abouts.

Interviewer:

Do you remember where the building was located?

H.T.:

Second Street congregation-

Interviewer:

Is that where what's on Second Street?

H.T.:

Second and College, my first recollection of it. That Synagogue, or Temple as we always called it, was a church building. Now I don't know, I wasn't around when 4:00it was acquired. The Rabbi, when we first became affiliated with it, was a venerable, venerated Jewish person. Fine character named Ignatius Miller. One of his daughters, Naomi Weil, is still around, and she still is affiliated with the Congregation. They had another daughter, Ruth, who moved to Cincinnati and died recently.

H.T.:

Louisville had two reformed Congregations then just as up to very recently. Adath Israel and Brith Sholom. Adath Israel, at that time, it was located on Sixth and Broadway and later moved to this location out on Third Street, which just recently had been sold. As a result of the unification of Brith Sholom and 5:00Adath Israel. Is that running?

Interviewer:

Yeah. It'll run until it gets to the end of the hour it'll pop up.

H.T.:

The reason I ask is I thought maybe you could turn it off for just a second and let me collect my thoughts.

Interviewer:

Oh, sure.

H.T.:

Getting back to my father's delicatessen. There were a couple of other Jewish delicatessens in Louisville. My father did not run a strictly-Kosher place. He had a grocer-style delicatessen. And he had a phenomenal trade. He could have been rich had he known how to develop a business. Max Feidelson had a 6:00delicatessen on Preston and Jefferson. Mr Lerner was on Seventh Street and I can remember so well that all the Jewish teenagers and youngsters and the dance addicts would go to Lerner's at 11, 12 o'clock at night and he had a hot bun with salmon. It was a real gathering place.

Interviewer:

Your daddy you said came from Austria. How did he happen to get to Louisville? Or do you know?

H.T.:

I'm afraid I don't know. Some of his family, most of them, the ones that had come over, were in the New York area. He had, I remember now, he had a couple of 7:00friends who had settled in Louisville and I think he was attracted by them and this city. Furthermore, my mother having been born near here, about 30 miles from here. She would want to be in this area too, because she has a large family.

Interviewer:

Well, they had married before they came to Louisville.

H.T.:

No, he met her here in Louisville and I think the romance... the wedding took place here. I don't know the details of that, I never did ask my parents about that. But-

Interviewer:

Did he have other family?

H.T.:

He had other family who were located in New York, two brothers and sisters. Which we visited once. They took me up to New York, it was, like... I think I was about 13 years old, probably around my confirmation or Bar Mitzvah time. I 8:00was not a Bar Mitzvah, but I did go to Hebrew school here.

Interviewer:

Did you? Which Hebrew school did you go?

H.T.:

To Jeshurun, which was presided over by a man named Kaletski who was a character and who had a tough time keeping the kids in order. I remember that so well.

Interviewer:

That's typical of most Hebrew schools though.

H.T.:

And one of the other Rabbi's who ran the Hebrew school was Oscar [inaudible 00:08:31]'s grandfather, a man named Rosenthal. He had his Cheder on First Street across from what was then a neighborhood house, and what is now Milton Garin's Auto and Upholstery shop. Glass and they do automobile work. He also had 9:00a Cheder that one time on Preston Street just north of Market Street, between Market and Main. And I can visualize those little benches that he had and the kids and they'd go every afternoon after school and that was true of the several Cheders that I can remember.

Interviewer:

Even if you belong to a foreign Congregation then you went every afternoon?

H.T.:

Well, I didn't. I wasn't that much of a student. I'm sorry to say it because I couldn't get enough of it. Didn't have enough and that and it cost money and my folks just couldn't afford to spend money.

H.T.:

And we were very... we lived very modestly. We lived upstairs over the store and we moved uptown and that's how I went to school at Floyd and Chestnut Street, right across from Adath Israel Shul. Adath Assurance School.

Interviewer:

What was the name of the school. Do you know? The school you went to?

H.T.:

Yes. It was later called the George W. Morris school, and that's the only name 10:00I've ever known it by. Guess that was its name when I got in there, in the third grade at the age of seven. I finished eighth grade at that school and then went to Louisville Male High School, which was then located on First Street, north of Chestnut. The Medical School was on the corner of First and Chestnut. The Louisville Male High School was right next door to it. It was rather a famous school because they had an educator, a man of great talent, Professor Howard who wrote a lot of text and who did a lot of studying in education and it was said at that time, and for may years, that his high school curriculum was almost 11:00equivalent to a junior college.

Interviewer:

I bet it was, in those days.

H.T.:

Some fine stuff, a very, very wonderful educational advantages there.

Interviewer:

Did a lot of the Jewish boys and girls attend? Well it was boys then.

H.T.:

No, strictly boys.

Interviewer:

Strictly boys then.

H.T.:

Not co-educational at that time. The last year at that school, that school moved to what is now the, I guess, it's Manual, no. Manual's and Male. The Male High school and Manual Training High school consolidated to Louisville Boys High School in the year 1950 and I graduated there in the year 1960, the first graduating class. The thing that impressed us the most was the fact that the rivalry they had, athletic rivalry, the football games, which culminated in the 12:00Thanksgiving Day football game every year. It was really a big deal. The school spirit was terrific and when the schools consolidated that worked to its detriment. They could not get the same spirit then. After about three or four years, they separated the schools again. Manual went to Brook and Oak. And the school is still in operation there, and Male went to Brook and Breckenridge, where it's presently located.

Interviewer:

That was too much rivalry between the two factions apparently.

H.T.:

The spirits, the school spirit was positively remarkable. It was a real deal. Thanksgiving Day football game was the biggest thing in the world. Incidentally, 13:00there were some, several, fine Jewish boys, fine Jewish players on the team. One of which, one of whom was [inaudible 00:13:08] Marx, whom everybody knew. A famous football player later opened a store down on Fourth Street. His son who is presently running the store now in Louisville, recently terminated his business before the Mall.

H.T.:

The most important thing in my life as a youngster was the YMHA, then located near the corner of First and Lawrence Street. A couple doors south of where [Aunties bar 00:13:52] later was located, of course now it's far... on Dutchmans 14:00Lane. Let's see, I've lost my train of thought.

Interviewer:

So YMHA you were telling me about.

H.T.:

Yeah. The YMHA was a... our life was-

Interviewer:

This was the social life of the young people.

H.T.:

Social life. It was all kinds of life. The YMHA back then was strictly an athletic association.

Interviewer:

Oh. Is that right?

H.T.:

Well, that was the biggest part of it. As young as seven, I started going over there. We'd go three afternoons a week after school, and we'd play games and take exercises there. They had a gym instructor.

Interviewer:

Do you remember his name?

H.T.:

Yes, I remember very well. When the family first started there, it was an Irishman and he wasn't there very long but later MCI, Max Isaacs, was a Jewish 15:00event, a Jewish athletic instructor and he certainly gave the kids everything that was good for them. It was a wonderful, wonderful institution. There was nothing finer, really.

Interviewer:

Did the girls participate?

H.T.:

Oh yes. The boys participated in the athletic program. The girls participated in social and education programs. Which was an outgrowth of... it was in existence as well as I can remember, but I don't know how long the place was located on First Street before we went there. Of course after some ten or 15 years it moved to Second and Jacob Street. And now, of course, it's located at Dutchmans Lane. It had everything. It had oratorical contests, theatrical organizations. A very, 16:00very active theatrical group. The principle club, educational club, was a junior social literacy society and met on Sunday afternoons and girls and boys, young men and young women participated. It was a real on-going group.

Interviewer:

This is a literary society?

H.T.:

Literary.

Interviewer:

In what sense?

H.T.:

In the sense that there were programs presented, and they went through the 17:00routine of having minutes and dues and they were operated by a social worker at the YMHA, they had a physical instructor for the gym part of it, they had a general secretary. The most famous of which one that I remember best was Louis Gorn. Who served there for many years, very dedicated fine gentleman. President of the YMHA, the one that I can remember, the first one that I can remember, was Ben Seely. An attorney. A very handsome, gorgeous man. Everybody revered.

H.T.:

And of course, the leading the light, he came to be the leading light in all it's activities was Charlie Mars. Charles W. Mars, who also was an attorney and who, other than the founder, he is responsible for the cooperation of all the 18:00Jewish groups, in one organization, which has grown to what it is today and is, I suppose, it's a reputation became nationwide. It set an example for many of the of similar. [crosstalk 00:18:23]

H.T.:

In those days, they were all called YMHA, Young Men's Hebrew Association. And that's all we knew it by-

Interviewer:

When did it become a center?

H.T.:

I just can't remember.

Interviewer:

Do you have any idea of how long ago it was? Since I've, you know, been familiar with it, it's been called the Community Center.

H.T.:

It's been called the YMHA as long as it was down on Second and College that I know of. It did not become a center until it moved out to the Highlands. That's my best recollection. At it's present location. Of course in those days, there was no swimming pool, but it had a fine shower room and a steam room and a gym 19:00with a balcony, a running track, around the balcony. It had a famous basketball court. They've played regular schedules, beating all the local and some out-of-town aggregations. The out-of-town ones usually were YMHAs, institutions of similar nature, and they had some of the finest players. They won many championships.

H.T.:

Some of the people I can think of, at this moment, were Tony Landon was a 20:00non-Jewish boy, and Alvin Linker and Tony Leverton. Just any number of them. And it was a big deal because when they played their games, they would attract fantastic crowds, in general, a lot of enthusiasm. They did a lot to keep the spirit going.

Interviewer:

Those were different times. No TV, no movies and people really got together and enjoyed each other.

H.T.:

Well, the YMHA was really my second home. It was where we had dances, we had social activities, we had picnics. We had educational programs. I took part in the oratorical contests, won several of them. The theatrical performances were such delights to those who participated, it was a very active group.

Interviewer:

Were you in those also?

H.T.:

Yes, I participated in those. The last one of which was not too many years ago. 21:00Let's see now. It was the tenth man which was done in 1966.

Interviewer:

Oh yes, I'm familiar with that.

H.T.:

But the YMHA had a fantastic... everything it did was outstanding. I mean-

Interviewer:

They had good leaders.

H.T.:

They had good leaders, they had good talent and good participants. People who usually excelled in what they undertook and as a result they had outstanding groups. This YMHA was known far and wide.

Interviewer:

This was a meeting a place, apparently, for young people. Now how about the older people?

H.T.:

The older people didn't participate nearly so much or anything like this much as they are now in the new facility. And the girls didn't participate in anything 22:00like this as much as they do now. Of course, I said there was no swimming pool and that has been a great attraction. But it was a place where many, many couples met, romanced and married out of there. Didn't happen to me that way.

Interviewer:

Didn't they have dances too there?

H.T.:

Dances, and they were real dances. I mean, they were... And then another thing, when World War I came along, the Jewish Welfare Board made it's headquarters there. People like Arthur Kling who was very, very much interested in the Jewish Welfare Board, developed it to its utmost. Saturday night dances, when the soldiers would come in from Fort Knox, and Camp David preceding Fort Knox, Camp 23:00David located off Preston street. It was a small camp of course compared to Fort Knox, but it was a big military installation during World War I.

Interviewer:

I guess that's brought in an influx of Jewish boys?

H.T.:

All the boys that came to the YMHA just as they do now, Sunday morning brunches, and they became not only in my life, they became the center of my life. And I think that was true of a vast majority of the Jewish people.

Interviewer:

How about the synagogues? What part did the synagogues play in social life?

H.T.:

The synagogues, Brith Sholom, with which I was associated all my life, had 24:00acting Sunday schools. Brith Sholom itself had some Hebrew instruction on Saturday mornings, maybe an hour a week, so they had no afternoon programs. Of course Adath Jeshurun always had a Jewish Cheder program which was every afternoon. Just as were the other Shuls. At that time it was Brith M'deth Shalom which was up on east Jefferson street. There's another one, I think it was Agudas Achim, on Preston and Liberty. There was a very small congregation down on 12th and Jefferson. I don't think they ever had a building or anything like that. Small group that I can't recall if they had Cheder or if they had services 25:00regularly. I can't remember when it was that Rabi Gilckman's shul, no, no that's-

Interviewer:

Keneseth.

H.T.:

Keneseth. When it was formed, it was a combination, I think, of those two Agudas Achim and Beth Hamedrash Hagodol and there was another one. I don't know when 26:00that took place and some of the old Orthodox rabbis, for instance Rabbi Zarchy, who was a patriarch of the Orthodox Jew, and some of the others, of course Rabbi Gittleman is of more recent [inaudible 00:26:21] and affiliated with Adath Jeshurun.

H.T.:

The shuls all had their own activities, of course. Each one of them, some more or less, some more than others they all had their carnivals, their picnics, their fundraising activities. And I can't recall when the Conference came into being. Of course that became the hub of-

Interviewer:

Now what is this? The Conference?

H.T.:

The Conference. The Louisville Conference which Charlie Morris founded and which-

Interviewer:

Were you President of that at one time?

H.T.:

I was president, at that time it wasn't called a Conference. It's funny but I can't recall what it was called before it became the Conference. I was president of the conference in, let's see, in 64 and 65, comparatively recently. Renee Brett was always very active too. It's grown so much larger.

Interviewer:

I think that's your phone.

H.T.:

I don't remember my first affiliation. I know I've been in B'nai Brith more than 50 years because they gave me a 50 year certificate recently. I don't remember what years I was president for I served the two years.

Interviewer:

I guess you've seen a lot of changes in all these organizations.

H.T.:

It is remarkable though that all of them have retained their vitality. I can't think of any of those organizations that have lost their ongoing activity. It 29:00seemed to have lived on through the years because of their fine programs. Louisville was very fortunate and had some tremendous leadership. Men like Lewis Farm and Charlie Morris. They were just real leaders and people that... they built a community, which, as you know today, has worked together in all their drives. Everything they do was sort of driven. I guess we have as good a relationship between the very segmented Jew, the Orthodox Reform and the Conservative as any city anywhere. I'm just rambling on here.

Interviewer:

That's all right. Keep rambling.

H.T.:

What I want to tell you...

Interviewer:

Were you affiliated with other organizations?

H.T.:

You mean other than Jewish organizations?

Interviewer:

No. I mean, yeah, well, I'll get to that later but were there any other weren't you president of a federation too at one time?

H.T.:

That's what I'm talking about.

Interviewer:

Is that what it was called? It was called that? Oh, I didn't understand that. It was called a Conference before it became Federation. I see.

H.T.:

Federation is a very recent nomenclature.

Interviewer:

Oh, so you were president during the time it was called the Conference?

H.T.:

The Conference, the Conference of Jewish Organizations. I thought you were 31:00familiar with that. That was it's first name. The reason for the change of name is because so many similar organizations that throughout the country are called Federations. That was the compelling reason.

Interviewer:

Well was this thing, the Conference, unique to Louisville? The name itself? Because I'm not from Louisville and I had never heard it referred to like that.

H.T.:

I really don't know. I think it just grew like Topsy and then as the years went on and they're all working together in the, whatever the parent organization is called. 90 percent of them are known as a Federation. That's how that came about.

Interviewer:

After you graduated from Male High, then where did you go to continue education?

H.T.:

For a year I attended the University of Louisville, and then I went away for a year to [inaudible 00:32:36]. [interview cuts of 00:32:37]

H.T.:

At that time I had anticipated going into theatrical school, I wanted to become an actor.

New Speaker:

Oh, really? [laughing 00:32:49]

H.T.:

At one time I even considered going to medical school. Rabbi Miller, who was, [inaudible 00:32:59], worked on me a little, but I couldn't do it, I knew that I 33:00wasn't, didn't have enough background, I didn't have that sort of... and thank goodness I didn't.

H.T.:

But with respect to this bit about theatricals. I participated in so many amateur performance from work at the University of Louisville [inaudible 00:33:21] and from working with Martin Priddy. He wrote some plays himself. He directed the University of Louisville group. Just played to the Temple whenever they had any sort of shows or anything, and I took part in the Oratorical Contests and won several of them and I just, like so many people, acting was a magnet.

Interviewer:

Yeah, it's very appealing. We all like to show off.

H.T.:

I got no encouragement at home or from anyone that I knew. I was strictly on my 34:00own. Tried for a year and when I got back here I decided to shelve it. I then went to Law School and did night law school at the Jericho School of Law and finished up at University of Louisville. Which was, at that time, was one of the... the business as universities go.

H.T.:

Then I graduated there in 1922, started a practice and have been practicing ever since.

Interviewer:

Where there many Jewish lawyers here at that time, do you recall?

H.T.:

There were some very wonderful Jewish lawyers here, they were real... they were leading lawyers in law, very good. And they were leaders, such as Charles and Morris and the Seligmans and people of that kind. People who were leaders, the 35:00Seligmans were active in the YMHA. They were very, very fine lawyers. They were instructors at the schools, both the day school and the university as well. As a result we had some pretty good law schools here. They were of short duration, because that was the character of the courses they gave.

H.T.:

At one time you could become a lawyer, before the advent of the schools, you could become a lawyer by simply working in a law office for a time and passing examinations.

Interviewer:

You didn't have to have any official training?

H.T.:

I don't think you had to have any degree of any kind, if you-

Interviewer:

If you knew the law, you were a lawyer.

H.T.:

If you served your apprenticeship and passed an examination you could be 36:00admitted to the Bar. There was however, an examination under the laws of the State which... just as a doctor has to take... sit for an exam, lawyers had to sit examinations. But in my time, as I say, when I graduated in 22, you had to have two years of law at least in an accepted law school. The year that I graduated, after that it increased to three years and subsequently it increased to... now it's three years pre law and three years minimum, six years.

H.T.:

In my adult life, I served on several boards. Chairman of the Conference and I 37:00was president of my congregation for five years.

Interviewer:

Brith Jeshurun?

H.T.:

Yeah. I was there when Rabbi Fassel-

Interviewer:

Who was that?

H.T.:

Rabbi Fassel, it was before your time. And then of course, when Rabbi Furley was engaged, I was there and-

Interviewer:

Has the congregation remained more or less the same size?

H.T.:

The congregation has remained more or less static. It was, prior to my being connected with it, they conducted services and sermons and things in German.

Interviewer:

In German?

H.T.:

In German. It was always a Reform Congregation it-

Interviewer:

Well it was the German element that began the congregation, because Reform was started in Germany didn't it.

H.T.:

Yeah, the-

Interviewer:

But then it's really interesting. It wasn't in Hebrew. It was in German.

H.T.:

In German. The sermons were given in German. That was before my time, which Brith Sholom right now is about 125 years old. This present affiliation with Adath Israel was something that was started back 30 years ago. Some talk about it, there was some efforts made to join together, but various things separated them and kept them separated. It's only been in the last several years, that this movement, this present movement where the congregation joined originated, I 39:00think with Adath Israel. Prior to that time it had originated with Brith Sholom.

H.T.:

The group that brought about this present affiliation worked and worked very methodically and planned it so well and presented such a wonderful program that it-

Interviewer:

It caught on.

H.T.:

It caught on and the resulted in it being effectuated. I think... I just kind of wish to get the key building built, knowing it's going to be a very, very fine-

Interviewer:

Fine congregation.

H.T.:

Very fine congregation.

Interviewer:

Well they really seem to be going about it in the right way. But it's interesting that this has really been going on for such a long time.

H.T.:

It's been going on for, I said 30 years, but I may have... certainly for a 40:00number of years. During my presidency, I can remember holding joint meetings, but somehow it just didn't hit it off. There's always the problem of the Rabbis and the name and all those little thing, you know.

Interviewer:

Little petty things. What about the background of the people that were at, you said this was mainly Germanic, it's original arm. What about it's role.

H.T.:

I really don't know about that. I can't tell you about that. They were, I don't 41:00know... they originated, they originally had their congregation out on 6th and College and a small group, it gradually expanded. They went out on Third Street, between College and Breckenridge, between York and Breckenridge. It became a much larger congregation, grew as did Brith Sholom when it moved up to the Highlands. Brith Sholom was the first congregation thought to move away from downtown. And it expanded greatly when they made that move. They did that round when Rabbi Fassel was there.

Interviewer:

Who was Rabbi when you were president?

H.T.:

Rabbi Fassel and Rabbi Ferling. He was there for quite a long time, then he went 42:00into this job, he resigned and went into this job.

Interviewer:

Yeah, that's right. Herb told me that.

H.T.:

Herb knows a lot more than I do, many of these things than I do.

Interviewer:

Well he's just like you. Says he doesn't know anything either. Everybody-

H.T.:

You know, Brith Sholom, I had some very, very dedicated people, Herman Meyer who became the undertaker and his family still own a good undertaker deal, was on that board and he was secretary of the congregation and men like Herman Meyer and Mat Homely and Simon Land, were dedicated individuals who lived and breathed 43:00that congregation, just and I lived and loved and breathed the YMHA. I guess between my congregation and the YMHA, there's a good community sense. They were the biggest things of my life, I suppose.

Interviewer:

Weren't you also... had some kind of political position at one time?

H.T.:

Yes, I was Judge of the lower police court. I was appointed in 1954 and then I ran 1957 and was elected on the Democratic ticket and served for four years, 1961. I served a total of seven years as a judge in the lower police court.

Interviewer:

The second time you were elected.

H.T.:

The second time I was elected.

Interviewer:

How did you like running for office?

H.T.:

Well it was quite a novelty for me. But you soon, you trail along with the 44:00group. You're exempt from things at that time. Bruce Hoblitzell was our mayor during that period and-

Interviewer:

When was this? Do you remember when that was?

H.T.:

Yeah, as I say, in 1954, I was first appointed there. Somebody- I was appointed by the then judge of the police court, as one of his assistants, by Judge Peter Miller. And then, when his term was up, in 57, I think, 1957. The organization accepted me as a candidate rather than Miller because he was out of their good graces for some reason or other and I ran and was elected along with the slate. 45:00The following term, after four years in 1961 the entire Democratic organization from the mayor on down to every office in Jefferson County in Louisville, was swept out by the Republicans.

Interviewer:

Where there other Jews in politics at that time, in this area?

H.T.:

Oh yes, lots. Rommen was County Attorney. A rather celebrated lawyer. Joe Lazarus was on the board of Aldermen. There were many, many Jews who were active. Not nearly so many as there are now, the Jews who did participate, most 46:00of them were very outstanding and respected. They participated in the cultural and educational and the best of life. Of course they had mediocre material.

Interviewer:

That's always true though.

H.T.:

I really don't know what else to tell you.

Interviewer:

Well you've been very enlightening. I really appreciate this interview.

H.T.:

I enjoyed my work in the congregation. Since 1961 I went over to Israel with the B'nai Brith, not a B'nai Brith group, but it was called a young leadership study mission, and actually I guess we were the youngest people on... I mean the oldest people on there. It was a fantastic trip. Wonderful, wonderful. An indoctrination trip because they were all on a mission that was our key to 48:00the... I'm struggling for a word here. For the enhancement of the State of Israel. The certain key, that just as they always have done, the people of Israel have developed. The ones that we see, that come over here have always been outstanding. Tremendous capacity. We had a some of the finest. Some of them... Rabbi Eban came over here and spoke to us, I had the pleasure of introducing him out at the Memorial Auditorium. The place was jammed with of 49:00course, non Jews as well as Jews.

Interviewer:

He's a terrific speaker apparently.

H.T.:

He's a mighty, he's electric, his choice of language and his beautiful accent, just a delight. For some reason he comes around mentally all around here, Galiver too.

Interviewer:

Yeah, that's a surprise.

H.T.:

I don't think there's anything else that might be of interest.

Interviewer:

All right, well I certainly do thank you.