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As the festival of Pesach was drawing near in 1915, and Grandfather was a devout Jew, and wealthy, he invited the invalid Austrian Jewish soldiers from the convent to spend the holidays with him.
Dinner was served outside, in the summerhouse. There’s even a photograph of that dinner, but because they couldn’t take the photograph in the summerhouse, because it was too dark, they took the table outside – even the tablecloths weren’t laid straight, in a hurry, while it was still light. Yes. Behind the table, on the wooden wall of the summerhouse, hung a portrait of the Austrian emperor, Franz Joseph [1]. Well, it was Austria, and Grandfather was a loyal subject. The Jews prospered under Austria. In the center sat my grandfather, this gray-bearded Jew, and all around him soldiers. My grandmother, mother, and father were there too, and my brother in his sailor’s cap. My Mama was in a white apron, because she’d been helping to serve dinner. Afterwards she was most outraged that they hadn’t told her to take her apron off for the photograph. My 2 cousins Mala and Pepa, were there too, and Aunt Ela.
Dinner was served outside, in the summerhouse. There’s even a photograph of that dinner, but because they couldn’t take the photograph in the summerhouse, because it was too dark, they took the table outside – even the tablecloths weren’t laid straight, in a hurry, while it was still light. Yes. Behind the table, on the wooden wall of the summerhouse, hung a portrait of the Austrian emperor, Franz Joseph [1]. Well, it was Austria, and Grandfather was a loyal subject. The Jews prospered under Austria. In the center sat my grandfather, this gray-bearded Jew, and all around him soldiers. My grandmother, mother, and father were there too, and my brother in his sailor’s cap. My Mama was in a white apron, because she’d been helping to serve dinner. Afterwards she was most outraged that they hadn’t told her to take her apron off for the photograph. My 2 cousins Mala and Pepa, were there too, and Aunt Ela.
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Interview
Emilia Leibel
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