NOTE: The interviewer s questions and comments appear in parentheses. Added material appears in brackets.

Transcription

1 INNA SHTERN. Born TRANSCRIPT of OH 1721V This interview was recorded on April 4, 2011, for the Maria Rogers Oral History Program. The interviewer is Brandon Springer. The interview also is available in video format, filmed by Chandler Routman. The interview was transcribed by Krista Anderson. ABSTRACT: Ina Shtern, who is an emigre from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, talks about her and her family's transition to Boulder with the help of Boulder Action for Soviet Jewry. She speaks about her Jewish identity, how it changed with her relocation, and how it changed over time as she lived in Boulder. She also discusses raising her children in Boulder, and how their Jewish education differed from hers. She speaks about several different jobs, and tell occupational and other anecdotes that express differences between Uzbek and American culture. NOTE: The interviewer s questions and comments appear in parentheses. Added material appears in brackets. [A] 00:00 (Today is Monday, April 4 th, and my name is Brandon Springer. I'm interviewing Inna Shtern, who is a former Jewish emigre from the Soviet Union. This interview is being recorded for the Maria Rogers Oral History Program, and is being filmed by Chandler Routman. Inna, we will begin with when and where you were born.) I was born in Tashkent, and (Could you tell me a little bit about growing up in Tashkent?) Oh, the whole my life was in Tashkent, and I went to school, I graduated college, got married at age 21, and started working as a piano teacher since I was 18 years old, had two kids, um (So let's start with your childhood. What was childhood like for you as a young Jew in Tashkent?) Oh my gosh long time ago. [laughs] I was back to long time ago so I was I remember having my grandmothers from the both sides of the parents that were really Jewish. I don't remember my grandfathers because they were at the end of World War II they were dying, yeah. So, they raise the whole family emigrate end of World War II, as I remember, from Odessa from the Ukraine with the parents, and that's how most of the Jews ended up in Uzbekistan because it was a safe place where the mothers with the Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 1

2 kids can be far away from the Germans. So, I remember celebrating Golden Holidays with the grandparents. I remember going to occasionally to synagogue. But it wasn't the place where we can be very open allowed to be inside of the synagogue. I remember staying outside. But most of all, I remember celebrating all the traditional holidays Jewish holidays. Like Rosh Hashanah, like Hanukkah, like Purim. This is the most colorful event for me. And then we that's what I remember. The school years, I remember I wasn't proud of myself to be Jewish. Trying to hide it from everybody. It wasn't kind of the persecuted but, it wasn't you should hide it. The most important for you, yeah, so you rather be like everybody else. It's Russian, or we were born in Uzbekistan which is a Muslim Republic, so obviously by my face, you wouldn't say I'm Muslim, or Uzbek. But I m pretty much typical have the nose of a Jewish person, and you can't hide it. I remember my first kind of impression when my kids were born. They didn't look like Jewish and I was so proud. Yeah, I said, you are going to have a better life here than me [laughs], because that's what I remember about being Jewish. (And you said you occasionally went to synagogue were there multiple synagogues in Tashkent?) No, it was only one or two. No, no, no, it wasn't multiple. I even don't remember was it official building for synagogue? Or it was it one synagogue? It was in somebody's house, big house, in the yard they have a big yard. So the people, it wasn't even like a sitting synagogue, you can stand with all the Jews came and celebrate everything. (Was it common for the Jews in Tashkent to go to synagogue?) Not at all. Not at all. Because you were afraid somebody would see somebody will notice your Jewish because everybody was standing around, and no. I don't remember it was common to go. Maybe Igor can add something. (And what did it mean for you to be Jewish?) I have to take a break right now. [break in recording] 05:00 (So you said your grandmothers were both very Jewish. What did that mean to be very Jewish? How were they very Jewish to you?) They spoke Yiddish, both of them. I can understand a little bit (Did they teach you Yiddish?) Yes, Yiddish. I was raised on traditional songs like in America you know lullabies everybody I know all the Jewish musical songs, because of the grandparents. Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 2

3 (Which ones?) Food. It was very traditional in our house all the Jewish food what we later opened here, Russian deli here so I had the memory of all the recipes in my head how to prepare. Even the restaurant was called Russian Deli, but we prepare a lot of the Jewish stuff. And, we were only the I believe only the deli in Boulder responsible for Jewish food. For all kind of the holidays, and all kind of the recipes it was in my head, not on a piece of paper, because of the grandparents they taught me how to do it. (And what kind of foods were they, that you were eating?) So, it was knishes it's a kind of a strudel with mashed potatoes. It was stuff I call shekah [?] in Russian, but it's a skin you take off the chicken skin from the whole chicken, and you're stuffing and this was a special food for some of the holidays. It was hamentashen for the Purim I even don't remember, it was for the Purim right now, I understand it's for the Purim but it was kind of very often dessert in our house. [laughs] (And what kind of songs were you singing? You said you knew all the Jewish lullabies Yiddish songs.) It would take for me time, yeah. Hava Nagila. We know Benerbebushtain [?], if I remember. Sorry, it's hard for me to come up right now with all the titles, yeah, of the names. But most of all, Hava Nagila and Benerbebushtain [?]. And even on our weddings, yeah, we were dancing all traditional songs what you're using right here in weddings in Jewish weddings. (You said you were married at 21, was in a traditional Jewish wedding? Were you married under a chuppah?) No. It wasn't, unfortunately it wasn't [laughs] in this way. Even I don't remember our friends who are Jewish we emigrated to different countries in Israel they have traditional Jewish no. Unfortunately, no. But our daughter who married here she has a traditional Jewish so it's kind of, our dream came through our kids, hopefully. And our son will marry, too. (Tell me what it was like being a teenager in the Soviet Union.) Oh. [sighs] I remember a couple of the episodes so first of all, you're not honest about you're Jewish. And I remember every year, we have a different teacher in the beginning of the year, and, on the first, or maybe on the second day the teacher ask the nationalities. And when it came to say your nationality, it was kind of embarrassing for me to say I'm Jewish. And we have, in our classroom, only couple of the kids let's say, out of the thirty, so it wasn t a majority. And, I didn't like to say it. All the time, if I could, I can hide it. Because it could be kind of thekid who didn't understand it's they call religious, or it's not even religious nationality they can be very mean to you saying Jew, Jew, Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 3

4 Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew. Especially they can say it first of all by appearance of your face, if you have and, it wasn't pleasant for me. 10:02 (So then did you go to college?) Yes. (What did you study in college?) Music. Music, yes. Music. I was (And what were the college years like for you?) The college was much easy, because in the group of the eight kids we have probably four or five Jewish people, so we kind of know each other [laughs]. Yes, we didn't hide it. And it was normal because in this college the majority of the kids were Jewish, yeah. They were smart, they were intelligent, they would prefer to go to study so we didn't hide it. Yeah, it wasn't kind of bad for us. And we enjoyed playing the Jewish songs, yes, already we know how to do it, yes. And what is it for. (So you learned all of the Jewish songs.) Yes. (And these were the same ones from your childhood, that you knew in Yiddish ) Absolutely, absolutely. (And you learned more later on?) Absolutely. And right now I am learning more, because I have couple of the students Jewish who want to celebrate it, so I try to please the parents [laughs], having the music and know how to read the music Jewish music, yeah. (So music was a way for you to express your Jewishness.) Sort of, kind of yes. I always like you know, it brings tears. (So once you were married you started giving piano lessons in the Soviet Union, correct?) Correct. (Who would you give piano lessons to?) Can you repeat the question? Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 4

5 (Who would you give piano lessons to?) I was a teacher in the special school a Russian special school is like you go to the dance school after the program here in America but we have more intense schools. So, the kids has to go five times a week approximately five times a week after regular school studying twice a week private lessons, whatever instrument,, literature, choir and, I was a teacher for the group lessons responsible, and it's not the kind of the private lessons, so the kids enroll in this for very, very low amount of money to the schools. And, we taught from five years old to, I would say, sixteen years old. (And you did that for the entire time you were ) Yes. Yes. (And then, when did you start thinking about leaving the Soviet Union?) Umm we had a conversation, started when my husband's relatives moved from Odessa how many years ago, prior to our departure? ([Igor]: Twenty.) Twenty years ago, they moved. So we re here almost nineteen years we came here nineteen years ago. So, when they moved we started to talk about, and they gave us more information about, the life here in America, and we started to talk about (Was there anything that had happened to sort of spark you moving? Any event that made you really decide we have to leave? Because at that time it wasn't the Soviet Union anymore it was just Uzbekistan.) Uzbekistan, right. I would prefer Igor will answer this question. Yes, historical question, political question (Okay [chuckles]. So when were your children born?) When? (Yeah.) Umm Milana was born in 1979, and Alex born in, uh 1988, yes. So when Milana, the oldest, moved here she was thirteen years old, and Alex he was three years old when he moved to America. (And had you taught them about being Jewish when they were growing up in the Soviet Union before you came?) Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 5

6 [pause] ([Igor]: He was three years old.) (Brandon: Well, she was thirteen, though. Had you ) ([Igor]: Ah.) Well, the daughter she was thirteen years old We explored the older traditions, because the grandparents were still alive, they were with us all the time, but it wasn't kind of the traditional education to go like here to the synagogue. And they have separate issues not in this way. Not in this way. (And did your daughter at least know that she was Jewish?) Oh yeah. Absolutely. (And was that because you told her, or because she had found out some other way?) You have to tell everybody because we had the passport, and the passport has a special page when it says whether you are Jewish, or Uzbek, or somebody else Yeah. (So that was the moment when she knew When she ) Yes. 15:43 (So, tell me about the process of leaving Uzbekistan at that time when you decided that it was time to leave. What was it like coming ) [pause] (Perhaps tell me about your last night in Uzbekistan.) [pause] (So, you know, let's go back a little bit you were telling me about music, and about playing Jewish music, and I was wondering did you sing any Jewish to your children when they were very little?) To be honest I don't remember much, but it was in my head maybe yes, maybe not yes. We were raised, and we didn't even think about to go to America at this point when our daughter was at a school, so, I don't know it was good or bad to bring the Judaism to her head, or to know much of it. So maybe I kept it a lot what I knew before we came to America. That's when I became very open with the kids about the music history and everything, yes. Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 6

7 (So, do you want to talk about coming to America?) Sure. (Will you tell us about your last night in the Soviet Union or Uzbekistan at this point?) Last night. I remember weirdly we have a house full of stuff. And by this point when we have to move, we couldn't sell it, we couldn't donate it, because the kind of donation organization didn't exist in Russia. So, we didn't even know what to do with this stuff, so we luckily sold our apartment, and months before we decided to move, and then it was a financial inflation, so whatever we can sell, we couldn't convert to the real money. So I bought just a fur coat, and it was cost for me the whole of my three-bedroom apartment. So, we left with one-hundred dollars in the pocket for each person very poorly, yes. So, I wasn't worried a lot about the stuff I left because my parents were still there. So, I was thinking about long term I was thinking they will move eventually with us, or they will come. But, in reality I didn't know how soon they will be with us, so I didn't worry, I just left everything for them. (And you didn't leave with your parents.) No. (You left before them.) Yes. We left before them. We left one year after my husband's parents Igor's parents left, and it was time for us, and then one year after they, when we came to America, we were able with the help of Bill Cohen to speed up the process of all the papers for them to move to America to join us as a family. (And then you said you had one-hundred dollars for each person what else were you able to bring with you, when you left?) We decided to bring, um you know, it wasn't our decision we were allowed to bring only two suitcases, I believe. So, it was twenty kilograms in each suitcase, so you have to put only necessities stuff in the suitcase, and it's very hard to know what's going to be useful in a different country what kind of style is it. Even we talk to the father-in-law over the phone many, many, many, many times. He instruct us what to take, but some of the things were very, very heavy so we couldn't decide what we can do. We couldn't take the new stuff with the labels, so everything has to be or looks like very used stuff. It was very, very hard to leave the stuff it's very precious for us like pictures. Pictures of our kids. But we managed to take all what we needed, and we still have the stuff with us right now. Some very, very important. 20:23 (And then, how did it feel leaving?) Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 7

8 It was very hard, because first of all you leave your parents. You never know if you will see them. Even we talked about this. Yes, yes, yes, it will be very easy. The doors are open. But, in reality, we didn't know about this. Will they see us again, or not? Especially from my side, because all my side of the family left. But we luckily, they live, everybody's here right now, and we maybe in different states. Two sisters in New York right now with over the period of the time they can join us but luckily we're together. It was very hard, it was like a funeral, for everybody. Don't believe it. Nobody can believe it, we will be together again. (But you were eventually correct? Once you got back here you were eventually back together again.) Yes. We're lucky. We're lucky. For many, many years we are together. So, I left 19 years ago Tashkent and have never been back in Tashkent, because all my relatives, all my friends, they left. So, some of them in United States, some of them in Israel. So, the people who couldn't get a chance to get to America, they have to emigrate to Israel, because it was more open for them. They don't need to have a requirement relative to join them. They can go without any relatives connection. (Had you had any desire to go to Israel?) Yes. I would like to go. I would like to go and explore it. And, I don't know when this will happen but yes, definitely. (But at the time did you ever think maybe we should go to Israel, instead of the United States. Was that ever a thought that occurred to you?) No, we didn't have the kind of the issues, because it was a good time when the Gorbachev opened the gates from the Soviet Union, and we know we have a right to join my husband's parents. So, no. We didn't think about Israel. It was kind of the back-up plan for everybody. But, and best time, at this moment, we have a good chance to join them. (So tell me about your first day in Colorado, once you finally got here.) Um when we came here, we were lucky because my husband's parents were here, and they have a little bit experience living for one year. But, looking back I understand that one year is nothing [laughs] right now. But we were met in the airport with kind of the people who belong to the organization who was organized by Bill Cohen. Uh help for the Soviet Union people what is it called? (Boulder Action for Soviet Jews ) Boulder Action for Soviet Jews. Boulder Action for Soviet Jews. I didn't have knowledge about all the volunteers good volunteers it was very strange because it didn't exist in kind of the Tashkent and Russia. This kind of a position, volunteer. It was very Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 8

9 strange how the people can give up their own time from their family, just for nothing. Just, not even earning the money, [laughs] from just desire. It was very strange, but they were very, very extremely helpful the family, the host family, who knows. So it was like second parents. They help us in everything. They met us at airport, they brought us home it was a long distance to come from the airport, which was old airport in the South of Denver. To bring in the cars to Boulder. All apartments already was set up. We were next door to Igor's parents. It was a small apartment, but it was already our house. They said, this is your house, you're going to live there with the kids, and we were just very happy overwhelmed. The timing was different because it was a long flight, so you re kind of like, Whatever. Okay, this is the house? Okay. We'll live in this house. [laughs] Yes, and this is necessity, what you have to have fine. And so, the next day came and then more people come, and they explain to us what we should do for the next three days, then the next four days, then the next five days it was kind of the steps, how to live in a new country. Like they taught us like babies how to walk, how to crawl but with different issues, yes. 25:29 (And so, what were the first things you had to do once you got here?) Uh, we have to go to the social security [laughs] to get real numbers, official numbers. We have to go, and we have to live, yes. And they gave us I believe they gave us a couple of days of freedom to adjust to the climate, to the time. And then, the real work started how to find a job. Our kids were thirteen years old, and three years old. How they should start to go, where should they start to go to the preschool to the schools, so we were together we were just following the people, volunteer people from the Boulder Soviet Jews. We trust them, 100%, because we didn't understand what we were doing. It was kind of the we were in a position. We didn't understand English most of the time, yes, we were doing whatever they tell us to do we just followed them, yes. And whenever they request our signature, we did it [laughs]. We were like blind kittens at this time, [laughs] yes, yes. And more people came every day the person who were responsible to help us to find a job. The person who responsible to translate for us it was a Russian woman who translate everything, because our English was minimum. People who host family who supposed to show us around everything. So more and more people came every single day. We just have appointments, we didn't know it's by appointments everything the new style life started, yes. By minute, by hours. It was a good experience of the new life, and we were in the middle of our 30s. Yes, it wasn't so easy to adjust you're not like a kid, you're not like a you're not qualified for the social security, so you need to start you job you need to start your life over again in the middle of this. Who knows how many years you're going to live, but that's what is a very hard period of the life. You have to forget what you were and Tashkent, and the Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 9

10 Soviet Union, and start your new life. Because of the kids, we believed the future with the kids was here. That's the main reason why you moved here, so you have to survive. (So you mentioned that you had a translator, and that you had to learn English. How did you go about learning English?) We had a second at school, started in Tashkent, starting in the third grade everybody has a mandatory to learn as a second language. Choices were German, English, or Greek. Because we have a population of the Greek people community, so the school district allow to learn Greek's family their native language. So my language was English, from the third grade through the college as well. But it wasn't conversational English it was kind of written and a British English, which was very different. And, when my daughter was turn eight years old, even I didn't think about it to go to America yet. But, we had a special like musical schools for very gifted kids like a Julliard right here. We had English schools, German schools when the kids learning not only once in the week, twice a week, for forty-five minutes. They learn every single day writing, reading, pronunciation, everything. So, I decided it's a good opportunity even not thinking about to go to America for my girl to learn as a second language it's more professional style, more serious style. And that was my English experience, but it wasn't very good, because communication is number one, yes. Unfortunately I can spell the words, [smiles] yes, but how does it help? If you cannot distinguish between the w and v when you say valnut. Where do you live on Valnut? And the people are asking you, Where? Valnut? Oh, Walnut. [laughs] For us, it was the same. Or you have to remember to put the tongue between your teeth when you pronounce the theatre. This is very strange we never had a th this kind of letter. The Russian language is very strict it's very simple, like a Slavic whatever you see, you pronounce. English is more complicated you can see five letters, but you pronounce one syllable which was very, very hard to learn. But, the reading skills was already there, yes. 30:35 (Did BASJ provide you an ESL [English as a Second Language] tutor?) We started to go, yes, we started to go to ESL schools for the Sun Juan [San Juan del Centro Learning Center], which is mixed all together, all the people, different nationalities we started to go there. But, it was very hard to take it absorb everything remember you're not so young already, and your mind is occupied how you can survive, you need to find a job. But, at the same time, you understand you cannot find a job without the language. The language was a huge barrier in the life, so you force yourself, you come home, you still have hungry kids, you have to cook, you need to have money to cook something. But things got we know how to cook from one chicken at least five dinners, so we know how to be a very safe with the money, how to what is the word, I forgot. I forgot this word [laughs]it s missing from my tongue. But, how to be good with the money. Even you do have money, but you're not spending. We were very, very, very, very good with this one, yes. Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 10

11 (So, when did you eventually find a job?) In three months. We have a person who was very responsible for us to find a job. And, so, we went together. It was Daily Camera, when it wasn't the Craigslist, in those years. So, he found a job for us, and he took us for the different interviews, to see. And of course he ask us if we wanted to do. He found a first job for me as a musician to be accompanist at the Salvation Army once in a week. It was great experience for me, ten dollars per hour, and they have only one hour every Sunday. And, I remember we didn't have a car, so I have to walk, and it was in the Pearl Street. First of all it was very close to our house, where we live in Boulder. But then, Salvation Army move so I have to walk for a far, far way. But it was a good job for me I had experience of how to read the music, even it wasn't Jewish music and I remember one of their on the celebration of the Purim, orthodox Rabbi ask me, Where do you work after one year? I was proud of myself to say, Salvation Army. He said, How dare you, you working in Salvation Army? You shouldn't step over the church stairs, because you're Jewish. And I didn't know I was so shocked I didn't know how to reply to his comments, but I was very proud because the job was related to the music, I didn't care. And it gave me money forty dollars per month, it was good money. And then they found for me another job, it was very interesting to be assistant in a laundromat. And, the job was I live in the north of Boulder, and the job was in the south. So, we didn't have a car I should take two buses, and it took for me one-and-ahalf hour each way, but they gave me only four hours of job. And, when I wrote it down to my mom, I'm working for $4.75, she started to cry, she told me. She imagined me just to wash the clothes in an old-fashioned way [laughs]. We didn't have a kind of the washers, what we have right now, and a dryer. She didn't understand, I have just to put the dirty clothes, and I have to take it out and put in the dryer this was my position. But, I remember the boss, she trained me how she interviewed me: She gave me one dollar, and I was capable to do the change. It was hilarious for me. And another hilarious episode was in my life, when I ask another of my coworker, how much does she earn. And, because for me, I was thinking about, Okay, I started with the $4.75. What is the tops? Where should I grow? It was my desire to know, how much money will I get eventually? She didn't answer to me, this question. But the next day I was lectured by the owner. And for me it was easy. I didn't understand eighty percent of what she told me, but I understand it wasn't proper question for me to ask about salary [laughs]. It was very funny for me, because in Russia it wasn't kind of, you re not it s kind of a tradition. It's not a good manner here, right now I understand. You never ask about the salary. But at this time it wasn't. Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 11

12 So I was working with the same person for three or four years, and luckily, because my husband couldn't find a job, and then he was so sick so all the kind of emotion because in Tashkent, I was a housewife, he was a provider. But in this situation, I have to be a provider. And, he has to stay home, because he was so sick he has gout and wasn't able even to walk. And, limited of English does prevent him from taking any kind of a job and a position. It was a big shock, because he owned a company in Tashkent, and now he couldn't even be a student of the plumber. They didn't take him, because of the limited of the English. 36:28 There was a couple of hilarious moments in our lives. We were standing at the bus stop. We didn't know how the bus operates, and we borrow the pennies from our niece. We started to count how much money we have to pay we didn't know it was exact change has to be done. So, my husband said Okay, forget it, after we calculated the pennies. We had to pick up our son from the preschool we didn't have a car, and all of a sudden somebody, a volunteer, calls and said We can't bring your son back, so you have to take a bus. It was a new experience for us, using the bus, using the tickets, everything was new. And, we started to calculate how many pennies is it enough for us and the woman, she came passing us and said, Do you need any help with the money? I can help you with the money. [laughs] My husband was so embarrassed, he said, Oh I have a bill, ten dollars, we can pay with a bill, ten dollars,. And the bus stopped, and the driver said, Are you ready to pay? My husband gave him ten dollars, and he said We accept only the exact change. And we started to communicate in Russian, and the driver said, in broken Russian, Forget it, you can pay next time. [laughs]. He understand us, what we were talking. So, it was many, many hilarious situations, in life, yes. (Tell me about your first trip to an American grocery store.) Oh, I have butterflies [laughs]. When I saw the first of all, my shock was when I saw that all the stores are open until eleven, twelve o'clock. When Albertsons, I remember, Albertsons started this time. It's the first store when they said, we're not closing until twelve o'clock in the nighttime it was a shock for us. So it was safe to walk our streets, so you can go any time eleven o'clock, and the shelves will be full with the Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 12

13 food? Come on! No, I couldn't get in the store for the first four months I have butterflies in my stomach because of the doors open by itself, it's a shock. The time when we left Tashkent, you can imagine, literally all the shelves were empty empty of food. So if they have food, it was a big huge line to get it, and after certain hours of time everything was disappeared. But luckily we live close by the bazaar it's like a farmer's market where the farmers selling the food, but it was much, much expensive. So you cannot allow all of the time to go and buy only the fruits and vegetables. But stuff like meat, sugar, necessities, you have to go to the store, but by this time it was empty. And, it was a big contrast, like a. The store full of food, and you came from the place where it's empty, totally empty it was a big shock. For many, many, many months. You have to adjust. You have to adopt this kind of culture [laughs]. 39:34 (And so tell me more about American food. How was that? I mean was there anything that shocked you about the food itself?) A lot of the stuff we didn't get used to, like yogurt. Like, I say, varieties. It was a different taste of the vegetables and the fruits. Because we came from the very, very sunny place Uzbekistan, where they grow their own stuff. And kind of Colorado was having everything on the shelf, in the winter you have a watermelon, but unfortunately it doesn't smell like a watermelon. And, in the winter you have strawberries but the strawberries not ripe until later, in April, in June. So, we just look at this it's like a picture of them, a museum, for us. We didn't use it art, yes. First of all, it was a kind of experience sharing, all the people Russian immigrants where do they get the good food? And where do they get the I mean, groceries, produce stuff. From the farmer's markets, from the old flea markets because of the Mexicans that brought very good ones. But later, we understand it's not good quality [laughs], it's not safe to eat. But it's a different taste, it's a different taste of the many, many, many, many stuff, yes. So we can say I grow up on the organic product, because the farmers were all close by. And, the neighbors had the goat milk, the neighbors had the cow milk, so we even don't go to the stores, [laughs] yes. But it was different. Yeah, the taste was different, and, of course, if I don't know, every person who came from Russia for the first two or three years, gains ten or fifteen pounds, immediately. Because of the, like, right now we can say the junk food, like chips, like dessert much dessert. Dessert was much sweeter in our taste than everybody's, so everybody tried to taste it, and gained ten, fifteen pounds immediately. It wasn't good for everybody, no absolutely not. And then, everybody started to understand, Oh, you have to lose the weight. [laughter]. You cannot live in this way, you cannot eat this way. Even it's so tasty, yes. [laughs]. (So tell me when you first got involved with Jewish life in Boulder.) Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 13

14 My first experience I ended up, after a couple of years, when my English improved, I started to be helper I started to be a volunteer for the Boulder Jewish organization. When people came new people, I started to help them to go to the doctors, I was a translator already, for them. And I knew how to introduce because of my own experience. Yeah, and I started to go to the synagogue to celebrate all the kind of the holidays not only the Jewish but American holidays as well. And, we started to go in the first kind of the Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah it was new for us as well, kind of the traditions. (Was your son Bar Mitzvahed?) No, unfortunately not. (And then, how did you get involved with Boulder Action for Soviet Jewry? You said you were a translator how did that come about?) I was involved in a lot of the activities whatever they asked me to do, I never refused to do it. And, pretty much as a help for them in all kind of the events. So, I was thinking about I'm a part of this community, and right now it's my turn to give my time, my knowledge to other people. (And was that a good experience for you?) Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm still doing something, yeah. If somebody needs it, yes. (And then, you mentioned you celebrate all of the holidays with the Boulder Jewish community. How was it different celebrating the holidays here, than celebrating the holidays in the Soviet Union, when you were growing up?) It was more ritual, yes, right here with all kind of, so here we actually learn. In Russia we just learn with the food, and that's it and how to get together. Here we learn how to read the Passover book during the Passover holidays, learning how to celebrate. And because we had a very good host family, they were of course Jewish they taught us how to do it. From A to Z, [laughs] yes. Yeah, I'm very grateful for them. (What sort of things did you learn that sort of surprised you, maybe about being Jewish?) Here, in this country, I can be very open. I can be proud I'm Jewish. I remember a hilarious scene when I quit Salvation Army, and I was looking I found another ad in the Daily Camera, it was a Bethel United Methodist Church, looking for accompanist for their Sunday services, and I called them. Actually, I was so afraid to call them, I asked my host family to call and said would they mind to have me to try for the interview. And she called and invite me for the interview. And I remember, like today, this episode: When the pastor when they interview me how I am playing, and they said, You're very good. And the pastor asked me, What's your religion? Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 14

15 And I said, I don't know, how did I come up immediately to say, I'm from Russia. I'm atheist. But by passport, I'm Jewish. And it was the proudest moment for me to say, first time I remember. And I'm still with this church for sixteen years. I already four pastors left, but I'm still there [laughs]. 46:04 (So you identified as an atheist.) Yes, yes. Unfortunately, yes. I did it because it was a brainwash. I lived in the country for thirty-six years, and to change your mind right now in the middle of thirty-six, it's hard, but, it might be we work in different ways. But when we came here in this country, we were so occupied with different issues survival issues. So you're not even thinking, but you don't have time to think to be religious, you have to have time to absorb everything, to understand everything. You don't have time physically, time. You're so dead tired after the end of the work. You're lucky you have a roof, and your kids are healthy, and that's it, you know. I remember when by my house, when we went, I had a I always learn English. I always learn English, it was not a big problem for me. I always like to know something new about the language. And, I saw a big sign English Classes in the big church, so I stopped by at this church. And the pastor's wife, Your English is good enough, but I can do one-on-one with you, classes. And I said, Oh great! Perfect! Because we already were here ten years. And then I understand she started to convert me to Christianity [laughs]. And, she started to talk to me about this. And she asked me, What do you think about this? What do you think about that? And, I was honest with her. I said, Believe me or not, I don't have time, and I don't want to be converted to the different kind of the religious that I ever have in my heart. But I'm proud, whenever my kids wanted to do it explore Judaism, I always was open. My daughter, she started to, at the age of fourteen of course I brought her to the [Congregation] Har HaShem, and she started to work in the childcare at the age of fourteen, when they have big holidays, with another Jewish friend. She's still friends with her now, after twenty years. And, they started to take care of the kids Jewish kids. So she was exploring the Judaism already. And then, one of the mothers, she noticed her, and she offered her a job as a babysitter. And, luckily, this woman was very religious. Her husband was the one who wanted to organize the Jewish channel on cable TV. So she was with this family for all the years through the high school, through the college she graduated CU college. And then when she graduated, the father of the kids offered her a job, and she went with him for five years. And then he promoted her that's how she started to be So, this family was very Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 15

16 religious, I mean, and they taught her, and I was very grateful. She didn't learn from me, from my family unfortunately. But from this family it was a big explore, and that's how she learned everything. 49:41 (And did your son become more religiously Jewish, too?) Yes. He was for him, I tried to explore everything here while we live here in Boulder. We were close to the Har HaShem, he visited the classes. But then he was very involved, he was very involved in all the classes, all the Jewish education but then unfortunately we have to move to Westminster. At that time, Westminster didn't provide any kind of synagogue close by. And, I have a limited experience to drive, I couldn't drive on the highway. It's a big issue, and we didn't have relatives, I didn't know about the carpooling at this time, so it kind of isolated him. But, when he started to go the college, he was on his own, he explore all the Jewish friends, and all the different organizations. He's right now in Denver, and he's very involved in the Shabbats and everything. He went to Israel, he loves Israel, with all the programs what they provided for him. I'm very, very fortunate to live in America, because America gave opportunity for our kids to be independent to be professionals. They gave us opportunity to enroll them in every school they can go to be very independent, very knowledgeable people. They gave them opportunity to be not to feel they are immigrants, not to feel they are the kids of the immigrant's family. Because they gave us kind of the chances to be I'm talking about all kind of the different summer camps, all different kind of the extra activities we will never, ever can be able to pay money for this kind of activities. But, because you are in the low income, America gave us chances, and I'm very, very, very grateful for this to be a part of American community. (So being part of the Boulder community, and more specifically the Boulder Jewish community did that change for you what it meant to be Jewish?) It brought me closer to this kind of the idea I'm Jewish. To be next to the Jewish people, to be celebrating all the holidays, to be on Friday occasionally on Friday, Shabbat with the Jewish people. It became closer to me, yes. (So are you still in touch with the Boulder Action for Soviet Jewry volunteers that you worked with, and who helped you when you came here?) Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Especially with the host families. Yeah, they became as a family for us. We had the same aged kids, we watching their kids, their accomplishments, and we are still keeping in touch after many, many years. Because, those kind of people, you know you need to find the friends, now. Because when you happy, when you have bad days as well, and these people showed they can be very good friends, friends, yes. Real friends, which is very hard to find these days. And they trust us, and we trust them one-hundred percent. (So you still feel a part of this Boulder community even though you live in Westminster?) Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 16

17 Yes, I am. I am still feeling. [chuckles] And whenever I have a chance to move back, yes, I would like to do it, because in Westminster I kind am feeling isolated. But, it's my business over there, and my kids closer to me, which has been very good; yes. (Do you have any regrets of leaving the Soviet Union?) No, absolutely none. Zero, zero. (Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you'd like to talk about, any stories that you'd like to relate?) I think you covered everything. And I'm very helpful, I'm very grateful, because this is a story can be watching maybe in a couple decades, our grandkids can watch us what we get through. And hopefully they'll never have an immigration again, in their life, yes. It's a very hard process. (Do you have any questions [directed to videographer]? Thank you very much.) Thank you. Thank you for inviting us. [break, then recording resumes] 54:44 (So, you know, there was something else you wanted to share with us.) Yes. I had many hats of occupation here in America being from the piano teacher, laundromat assistant but one of the occupations was I was the director of the school for Russian Jewish kids. [It] was organized here in Boulder, and it existed for I believe five or six years. And this is a picture of us, so I have an idea to organize because of my own kids organize a school of the immigrants, Russian Jewish, definitely kids, who never explore Judaism. So we got the money grant money, through the Denver Jewish Organization. And B'nai Shalom let us use the facility for free. So, the way how we organized, me as a teacher, because I was all the time all my life as a teacher as I remember myself I brought a Hebrew teacher. So, I knew there is because of education, our Russian Jewish kids never had a real Jewish education, and the parents probably were in the same shoes like me was very, very busy with the jobs, were atheist, yes. So, somebody has to bring up to the kids to start their Judaism. So, I brought, I hire through the grant money, of course I couldn't do it myself, from the grant money to brought the Norman, I remember him, he was a teacher of the Jewish preschool. Once in a week for three hours we taught our kids music, Hebrew, and Russian language. For three years. For three years ah, no, for five years we were in this school, and until nobody can support us with the grant money, because the parents they just pay for the three hours of school five dollars per month, which was nothing for them. But it was a good explore for the kids, and I did it because of my son. Somebody has to bring up the Judaism, and I was very, very grateful for this. Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 17

18 (And what did you call that the school?) It was a Russian Jewish School. (But did it have a name?) Russian Jewish School. (Oh, just Russian Jewish School ) Sunday school. Russian Jewish Sunday School, yes. Because we met at Sundays. (Oh!) At the B'nai Shalom. [laughs] That's it. (And, was it successful?) Very successful, yes. We cover all the kids who were Russian Jewish. We have a concert for the parents, and Norman, he brought everything what he knows about the Judaism in the crafts, in the songs, of course, in the music. We did everything, whatever we can do it, yes. It was very successful. Yes. (Great.) That's what I wanted to mention. 57:52 [End of interview.] Transcript of oral history interview with Inna Shtern, OH 1721V page 18