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SIAM
NAYE OF
ADMESS
DATE
SCEJECT
Forms to be Filled out for Eacn interview
FOR!i;
Circumstances of Interview
New York
mpl:p2t. Versohleiser
1419 Jesup Ave. New York
Nov. 23, 1938
YIDDISU FOLKLORE °MYER"
1. Date and time c' Iterviow
Nov. 19
Cafe' Royal, and Ave.
2. Place of interview
3. Name and address
FOLKLORE
NEI! YORK
*4er" o informant An interesting Character Who
r
mingles with literary circles.
4. Name and address of person, if any, wno put you in
ton ,:n witn informiwt.
5. Name and address of person, if any, p_ccompc.nying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundios,
e•
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the Iorms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
FORII C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE NOW York
IMF OF WORXE? Versehleiser
ADDRESS 1419 Jesup Ave.
DATE Nov. 23, 1938
YIDDISH FOi_KLCIRE., "NEYiR"
SU/IJECT
TALKING ABOUT SUPEiiSTITIONS
FOLkLOBE
NE' YORK
I, of course, don't believe in superstitions, myself. Although when
I was a yonng bey and used to go to "Moder* (a school where Jewish children
are taught Hebrew) I was afreld to pass a lumber yard. I don't remember how
I got the notion but I thought that a ushee(jowish name for a evil spirit)
hid there behind the nooks. I heard of many superstitions in our little
town... When somebody died in a house, nobody shculd sit on the doorstep
for months afterwards 600:MUSS he'll hear the moaning cs the dead man's spirit.
Or that a person must not look at a mirror in the dark or he will see his
soul there. Or thet everytime one sees a falling star, it means that someone
died and his soul is going up to heaven. Or my grandfather used to admonish
me not to whistle or I veald call all the evil spirits together.
my father told me the following story that happened to him. He
was
going home to the village with two cans of whiskey in his hands. The distance
from the town to the village was a few miles. He covered this road many times.
It beatte dark. Be was going and going and the road seemed never to end. About
a mile from the village was an old empty inn with broken windows. When
he reached the inn and looked up at it, be saw lights lathe inn and in
every window stood a man and slapped his hands, like in a dance. my father
became so frightened that he could not move. But then he dropped the whiskey
and began romping and ran all the way home. When he came in be fell down
and fainted. I heard him tell this story many tines and I, wysel4 felt a
shiver over my back everytime he told it.
A MAN TAUS ABOUT TILE DEATH OF HIS MOTKER
She knew that she was going to die. I'll never forget it. Meyer%
she told me, *promise mem I know that you are a modern 0 a heintftweltigers
meaning literally a man of the world of today) and whether you believe or
don't believe, promise ms that you'll sir tZsdiahlu prayer for the dead).
She lay very quietly mad looked at me. Just looked at me. She vas very quiet.
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