Document text
Accession no.
f=
WPA L. C. PROJECT
Form --3
UNIT
IN 3647
Date received
100/40
Consignment no.
1
Shipped from
Wash, Offloo
-Label
Amount
4p
ilakl.9ra_Collection (or Type)
Titielassitionn..liissia Christens. at-linia
Roma
Place of origin Chi.0111404. Illinois Date....11/1. 15/11
Project worker Hilda Polashssk
Project editor
Remarks
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
FOLKLORE
CHICAGO
STATE Illinois
NAME OF WORKER Hilda Polacheok
ADDRESS 1410 East 57th Street
DATE
SUBJECT American Lives
Christmas at Hull -House
NAME OF INFORMANT
My first Christmas at Hull -House was significant because on that day I vas
freed of a variety of century -old superstitions.
In a small Polish village where I was born, and where I lived until I 'lap
six years old, all Jewish ohildren were brought up to shun everything connected
with the Christian religion. These early teachings were not left behind when
I was brought to Chicago.
When I was in the second grade of the grammar school and was learning to
read, the reader that I used contained a story in which appeared the word Jesus.
When I reached the word, I stopped as if my tongue had suddenly became paralyzed.
The teacher urged me on.
"The word is Jesus," she said helpfully.
I told her that I knew that the word was, but that I could not say it.
"Inv not?" the teacher asked.
I told her that I was not allowed to say the word. That my mother had told
me never to say it. The other Jewish children in the class backed me up. They
too, had been told by their parents not to pronounce the word Jesus.
lbat was back of this superstition?
The Jews of Poland and Russia had suffered all kinds of persecutions at the
hands of the Christians. The Jews were a minority, and they were afraid of their
oppressors. The fear became a hysteria. The hysteria became a superstition.
W3647
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
FOLKLORE
CHICAGO
STATE Illinois
NAME OF WORKER Hilda Polacheck
ADDRESS 1410 East 57th Street
DATE June 15, 1939
SUBJECT Christmas at Bull -House
NAME OF INFORMANT
It was bad luck to pass a church. It MRS bad luck to touch a crucifix. It
was bad luck to mention the name of Jesus.
As all pogroms were started by ignorant priests and their fellowers; it was
natural that whatever was sacred to the church, must bring bad luck to the Jews.
It was a combination of Christian and Jewish fanaticism.
Cnristmas was a day to be feared in the small Polish and Russian villages.
The illiterate people had been taught in the churches that the Jews had killed
Christ. And so the birthday of Christ was celebrated by murdering dews, burning
their synagogues and destroying their property. Christmas was an evil day for
the frightened Jews. I had not escaped being infested with this fear and super-
stition..
Sp when I was told that could go to a Christmas party it Hull -House, I
instinctively shrank at the thought. I told my little Catholic friend that I
never go to Christmas parties.
"Why Not?" she asked.
I told her that I was not allowed to go anywhere on Christmas Day.
"Why not?" she persisted.
I told her that I might get killed.
"Get killed" she stared at me "I went to the Hull -House Christmas Party
last year, and the year before, and no one was killed."
FORM C
Text of Interyiew (Unedited)
FOLKLORE
CHICAGO
STATE Illinois
NAME OF WORKER Hilda Polacheok
ADDRESS 1410 East 57th Street
DATE June 15, 1939
SUBJECT Christmas at Hull -House.
NAME OF INFORMANT
I then asked her if there were any Jewish children at the party. She assured
me that there had been many Jewish children and that no one was even hurt.
The thought occurred to me thatthings might have been different in Chicago.
I struggled with my conscience and finally decided to accompany my little Irish
Catholic friend to the Hull House Christmas party. I did not tell my mother that
I was going.
My little firend and I arrived at Hull -House and went tothe coffeehouse, where
the party was held. There were many children already seated when we arrived. It
was the first time in my life that I had been in a roam where there was a Christmas
tree. In fact, there were two Christmas trees there; one on each side of the high
brick fire -place. The trees looked as if they had just been brought in from a
heavy snow storm. The glistening glass icicles looked very real.
There were children and parents at this party from many countries in Europe.
They were all having a good time and no one seemed to care where we had come from
or what religion we followed.
The programme started with the lighting of the candles on the Christmas trees.
I remember comparing the small flames to the stars on a frosty night. Then the
children of the Hull -House Music School sang some beautiful old Christmas carols.
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
FOLKLORE
CHICAGO
STATE Mllinois
NAME OF WORKER Hilda Polacheck
ADDRESS 1410 East 57th Street
DATE June 15, 1939
SUBJECT Christmas at Hull -House
NAME OF INFORMANT
I shall never forget the caressing lovliness of those songs. All feeling of
religious intolerance faded away. I could not connect this beautiful cele-
bration of Christmas with any religious differences.
After the singing Jane Addams told us how glad she was that we had all
come to her party. The sincerity of her words shone in her eyes. I knew
that she meant every word she was saying.
I became an American at this party. I was with children who had been
brought to America from all corners of the earth. The fathers and mothers
of all of us had came in search of a free and happy life. And we were all
having a good time at a party.
We were all poor. Most of us were underfed. Some of us had torn shoes.
But we were not afraid of each other.