Louis S. Goldman

Louis Goldman was born Israel Labe Guntmacher in 1894 in Ladyzhin, Podolsky, Ukraine. The Ukraine is about the size of Texas and Ladyzhin was a small village then with about 800 Jewish families. My father-in-law said it looked just like village, Anatevka, in Fiddler on the Roof. They spoke Russian, Ukrainian and Yiddish. In the [...]

The Bakery Born in a Kitchen Oven – Freund Baking Company

Story provided by Gladis Barker
Back in the 1850’s when Mrs. Moritz Freund baked Bohemian rye bread for her South St. Louis neighbors, she had no inkling she was starting an institution that was to become a lasting part of St. Louis tradition. Freund Olde Tyme Rye Bread – baked according to Mrs. Freund’s Old World [...]

Sam Fox

Story was recorded at the Covenant House on May 20, 2008, by Michael Naclerio.
My father moved here from Russia when we was only 17 years old, and then he brought my mother and her family over when he had raised enough money to pay for their trip. They started raising me and my brothers and [...]

Ruth Mariam

Story was recorded at the Covenant House on May 20, 2008, by Michael Naclerio.
I grew up in a small apartment in North St. Louis off of Easton Avenue or what is now called Martin Luther King Street. My parents both immigrated to the United States before I was born, and when I was little, they [...]

David T. Portman: Part III

Part III. Story was originally written by David Portman in 1979 and submitted in 2008 by David’s daughter-in-law, Carol Portman.
There were activities such as drama groups, social clubs, ballroom dancing, schools to teach reading, writing, English and athletics, but most interesting of all to me was a group known as the Alliance Military Cadets which [...]

David T. Portman: Part I

Part I. Story was originally written by David Portman in 1979 and submitted by David’s daughter-in-law, Carol Portman.
I am David Portman, 80 years of age. I arrived in St. Louis about 1905. A year prior, I landed at Ellis Island as an immigrant from Russia, together with my family members, consisting of my mother, an [...]

An Irish Jew?

I have had a rather unique upbringing.  My mother was raised Catholic, was married and divorced, then converted to Judaism, and finally decided she wanted to have children.  She was artificially inseminated to have me, her now 22 year old daughter.  It has been just my mom and I in my immediate family for my [...]

Bat Mitzvah Girl: Rita Horwitz

Rita Horwitz shares memories of her adult Bat Mitzvah at age 66.
1930s – 1940s
My sisters and I began Hebrew School (Cheder) when we were quite young. However, I was not always so eager to go to Cheder. Classes began after public school except on Friday. Not many girls went to Hebrew School. During these years, girls [...]

My Journey of Faith

If you would have told the 16-year old boy being confirmed that he was going to become a major participant in his Temple one day, he would have said you were mistaken.
My exposure to Judaism growing up was a place I had to go on Sundays until I was confirmed.  I sat through the 2 [...]

From St. Louis to the Milton Berle Orchestra

My great Uncle (Grandma’s brother) was something of a musical prodigy. His parents’ were poor–they lived down on Carr or Biddle street (I can’t remember.) My Great Grandma recognized my Uncle Al’s talent. She could barely speak English but she wanted better for her children. She worked as a seamstress to pay for music lessons.
He [...]