Interview with Ida Berkowitz, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Partial Transcript: Ida lives in Kenosha Wisconsin.

Partial Transcript: Ida was born in a small town in Poland near Russia. The town was near the capitol of Poland. Her father came to America and went to Kenosha right away because Ida's aunt and uncle had a farm there. At the time Ida's dad immigrated, there were only 12 Jewish families in Kenosha. He immigrated in 1904.

Partial Transcript: In Poland, Ida's father was a teacher. Ida was 12 when she came to America. In 1906 Ida came to America.

Partial Transcript: Ida says her family struggled to make ends meet. Her mother would take in Jewish boarders. She wanted Ida and her siblings to go to school and not become rabbis. Ida was the oldest and she worked really hard around the house.

Partial Transcript: Ida's father's sister and her husband had a farm in Kenosha. Her uncle came to America in 1898 during the Spanisb war, and her aunt a few years later. Ida came because of family, but she does not know why her aunt and uncle first settled here. After Ida and her family moved, her mother worked on getting everyone to come to Kenosha. Ida's cousins shortened their names.

Partial Transcript: In 1906, there were 12 Jewish families in Kenosha. Ida had services at her family's house because there was no shul. The services started in 1906 when Ida and her family invited a congregation into their home. A shul was built in 1912. By 1912, there were 30-40 families.

Partial Transcript: Like a rabbi, Ida's father taught children and took care of services. In 1922-1923, a rabbi came to Kenosha. Around 1922-1923, the congregation split.

Partial Transcript: The congregation Ida belonged to was strictly orthodox. They kept kosher, and Ida's father could kosher meat. The Jews in Kenosha were from Poland, Austria, and other parts of Eastern Europe.

Partial Transcript: The Epstein's were in Kenosha before Ida's family. Jake Stern was also in Kenosha early as well. Others include the Gratski family.

Partial Transcript: The Kenosha community was small. Ida lived across the street from a farm, and describes how their was not much going on.

Partial Transcript: There was not regular religious services. Only on Friday night and Saturday. Currently, Ida says there is not usually Saturday morning services because young people do not want to go to them. There is still Friday night services though.

Partial Transcript: There was a Western Star organization in Kenosha that started before Ida came to Kenosha. The Western Star gave money to Jewish families for funerals. There were Sunday night and Tuesday night get-together's. Ida has five children and they all remember going to the functions.

Partial Transcript: The Federation was a big success at first, but not anymore today. Ida says money is still needed. She went to Europe and Israel a year before the interview was conducted.

Partial Transcript: Jewish people in Kenosha were mostly peddlers. They peddled dry goods. Ida's uncle was a farmer, and when Ida moved to America he moved to the city and started a grocery store that is still in existence.

Partial Transcript: There were a group of Jewish working men in Kenosha and they would bring in Jewish activities and culture. This happened around 1930.

Partial Transcript: There were no difficulties with the non-Jewish community. Most other members of Kenosha are Catholic, and some of Ida's best friends are Catholic. When Ida was young, she was name called a little bit by some other school children.

Partial Transcript: Ida felt that most people in Kenosha were against Hitler, and definitely every one in the Jewish community was. There was two marches where men wore swastikas. Overall, Ida loves Kenosha and feels that it is an accepting community.

Partial Transcript: Ida's father was in Kenosha for 45 years. There was trouble in the Jewish community in Kenosha over religious practices and traditions. One group wanted more reform, and one group wanted to stay more orthodox.The trouble did not last between the two groups. In the 1920's a Young Men's Hebrew Association was established.

Partial Transcript: The new group in the community was less religious than the original group. One wanted more reform and the Jewish congregation split because of it. Ida's father did not like the split, he was orthodox. He would never be a reform. Ida is now a conservative Jew.

Partial Transcript: The Jewish congregation is changing all of the time. The younger generation does not want to donate money.

Partial Transcript: YMHA was a men only organization in Kenosha. The community center was a major hub for social activities.

Partial Transcript: There was one congregation, then two. Ida talks about how there is talk that they might merge again, but still far from it.

Partial Transcript: Ida describes Kenosha of the past and Kenosha of her present night and day. The Jewish education she gave her children did not register. She observes the dietary laws, her children do not. Back then, the Jews were mostly peddlers, in Ida's current time there is only one Jewish peddler. Social life is much more casual in her current time. There are Jewish charities that exist in Kenosha in Ida's current time.