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Oral History Interview with Bernice and Eugene Schwartz, March 18, 2010, inclusive

Scope and Contents

During their interview, Bernice Schwartz (1925-) and Eugene Schwartz (1918-) discuss growing up, how they met, how they became involved in Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, and what Brooklyn Heights was like in the 1950s. Eugene describes growing up in Brooklyn, his religious upbringing, and his father's career. He recalls that his father was a founder of the Ocean Parkway Jewish Center, but separated from the congregation for political reasons. Eugene and Bernice describe meeting each other and living together at the Bossert Hotel. They describe finding an apartment on Montague and Hicks Street for $110 per month and living there for fifty-two years. Eugene describes starting school at Brooklyn College in 1932 when the campus was in Brooklyn Heights. He talks about Brooklyn College's transition to the Midwood campus and that it was opened by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eugene and Bernice describe how they became involved with the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. They describe how it was difficult to find Jewish families in the neighborhood and that many Jewish families were not interested in religious education for their children. They recall that recruitment was difficult for the first ten years. They describe some of the early members who were influential in the founding and organizing rummage sales and recruiting events. Bernice also describes Brooklyn Heights in the 1950s and how many families would move out of the city to the suburbs once they had their second child because of the schools. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

Biographical / Historical

Bernice Schwartz (1925-) is from Jersey City, NJ. Eugene "Gene" Schwartz was born in 1918 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and grew up in Midwood, Brooklyn and upstate New York near Katonah. His parents came with their families from Romania around 1896 and settled in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. His father owned one of the first "motion picture theaters" in the city around 1910 and also worked for New York Life Insurance. His father was a founder of Ocean Parkway Jewish Center. Eugene also worked for New York Life Insurance. He served in WWII and attended Brooklyn College (1932) when the campus was in Brooklyn Heights. At the time of the interview, Bernice and Eugene Schwartz had been married for over 57 years. They currently live in Sarasota, Florida where they moved around 2000.

Conditions Governing Access

This interview can be accessed onsite at Brooklyn Historical Society's Othmer Library and online at the Oral History Portal.

Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201