Selected text
My sister got married in 1932, my brother-in-law is called Feri Citrom, Ferenc. They lived in Brasso, then [after World War II] they asked for permit to go [to emigrate]to Israel. Everybody who wanted to go was allowed to leave.
And Jews were running from Romania. Just a very few stayed. Well, just Sepsiszentgyorgy had more than 300 Jewish inhabitants. They gave [passports]to everybody, to Jews who wanted to leave forever, well, everything was left to them [to the Romanian state], each of them had a house, you couldn’t find a Jew who didn’t have one. And on top of it all, it was a demand that it [the house]had to be renovated completely.
The Romanian state accepted the gift only if it was perfectly arranged, everything painted, doors and windows, the floor, everything. Here my brother-in-law was a tradesman, but in Israel – since he didn’t speak Hebrew – he was the aid of a butcher from Romania, he was carving the meat. My sister died in February 1999 in Israel.
And Jews were running from Romania. Just a very few stayed. Well, just Sepsiszentgyorgy had more than 300 Jewish inhabitants. They gave [passports]to everybody, to Jews who wanted to leave forever, well, everything was left to them [to the Romanian state], each of them had a house, you couldn’t find a Jew who didn’t have one. And on top of it all, it was a demand that it [the house]had to be renovated completely.
The Romanian state accepted the gift only if it was perfectly arranged, everything painted, doors and windows, the floor, everything. Here my brother-in-law was a tradesman, but in Israel – since he didn’t speak Hebrew – he was the aid of a butcher from Romania, he was carving the meat. My sister died in February 1999 in Israel.
Interview
Alice Kosa