Mike Falkenstein

Frankel: Good morning. I will begin by asking you to state your full name, date, and place of birth.
FALKENSTEIN: It’s Michael Falkenstein, born in Frankfurt Germany, September 2nd, 1938. My German name was Machol.

Frankel: Was that a common German name?
FALKENSTEIN: I think it was partly due to the Nazi regime. They had my parents change it to that.

Frankel: Can you describe the family members who lived in your household in 1938? And what were their names?
FALKENSTEIN: I will do that, taking in consideration that I was just a baby then. My mother and father, Gustav and Hedwig Falkenstein; two sisters: Ruth, who was seven to nine years older, and Ingeborg. We all came to the United States, but Ingeborg died here. Our house contained a textile business, so it was not only a home but it was also a business that my dad had developed over generations.

Frankel: Did you know your grandparents?
FALKENSTEIN: No. The grandparents were taken to Theresienstadt, so I never got to know them. They died there. My father did not want to believe that the Nazis would be as significantly bad as they were. He waited until 1940, at which time, because he had sufficient gold and money, we were able to smuggle out of Germany through the Trans-Siberian railway. They originally wanted to go to South America, but the only place still open was Shanghai, China.

Frankel: How clearly have you listened to stories – when you became an adult? Between 1938, the day you were born, and 1940 there was Kristallnacht; the war had started. Was your family directly affected?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. Kristallnacht made the final decision. My dad was beaten up; the store was severely damaged. My dad needed eleven operations on his legs because they beat him so badly. That was the message – to get out. Fortunately, we were able to get out through the Trans-Siberian railway.

Frankel: 1940 was late. How did they find out about Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: My dad had a lot of connections. Even in the non-Jewish community there were people who helped us. They also hid us for a while in a neighbor’s home, until we could get the passage out coordinated.

Frankel: What language was spoken?
FALKENSTEIN: German. I was hidden in a box under some pillows, with wine and sugar in my mouth to keep me quiet on the railroad passage. There was already a proclamation that all males were to be picked up. My dad had a sister who disappeared.

Frankel: In Frankfort?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: Disappeared before you left?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: Were there other family members in Germany?
FALKENSTEIN: My mother’s sister, and my dad’s or my mother’s brother-in-law left for America much earlier. So, they and one other brother-in-law went to America. We were stuck and heading to Shanghai.

Frankel: How long had your family lived in Germany? How many generations?
FALKENSTEIN: Unfortunately, I don’t have a good history of that because they never revealed a lot of things.

Frankel: When you said that your grandparents went to Theresienstadt, were they your maternal or paternal grandparents?
FALKENSTEIN: They were my maternal grandparents, I believe.

Frankel: Did you know your paternal grandparents?
FALKENSTEIN: No, they died earlier.

Frankel: What about religious life? Was your family religious? Traditional?
FALKENSTEIN: I think traditional religious, yes. They identified themselves with the Conservative synagogue here.

Frankel: When they left, were they aware of other friends or relatives who were going to Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. One aunt and uncle. We lived in the ghetto in Shanghai, in two rooms. We lived in the inside room; the uncle and aunt, who had no children, were in the outside room. So, we always had to pass through their room.  I remember reading many times in Anne Frank’s book that in spite of the significant trauma that was occurring, you had these human interactions where there was some irritation. I was a little boy and would run in and out repeatedly. In general, we were able to get along, but I am sure that it was quite an irritant.

Frankel: Were you told about the trip to Shanghai? The Trans-Siberian rail and the boat trip?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. I wasn’t told a lot, but my Dad had paid off a lot of people to get on the Trans-Siberian. So much so that when they got to Shanghai they had nothing left. After the Tran-Siberian they went to a small port in Manchuria – at that time they called it Manchukuo – and went by junk to Shanghai. There was a family who were relatively well-to-do; Kadoorie was their name. They are the ones who really saved our bacon. In fact, when we arrived in Shanghai, they were handing out sandwiches. I don’t know if they were given the honors that they should have been given but they were really responsible for helping. To my knowledge, there were about seventeen thousand Jews.

Frankel: From which countries, mostly?
FALKENSTEIN: From Germany, and some from Russia. But mostly Germany.

Frankel: What are your earliest memories from Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: The poverty of the Chinese. The fact that we, who were refugees, were not any better off than the Chinese. In spite of that, as a child I did a lot of things that children do. Some of them were somewhat bizarre. I would go out after various bombing and collect shrapnel. I had this enormous shrapnel collection. Those were my toys. If you think about the memory, we lived in single room where everything transpired, including the creeping of cockroaches all over the place. My parents were remarkable in that they adapted and helped us adapt. The reason I say that is because from looking at pictures and my sibling’s recollections, my parents lived a relatively good live in Germany, with a chauffeur and a valet, etc. When we came to Shanghai, my mother never once complained. For a woman who was not used to being the kitchen, she became a phenomenal cook. She made cardboard taste good! I think of them fondly not only as parents but as remarkable people.

Frankel: Was your father able to work?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. As I said, in Germany he was in the textile business. In Shanghai, he developed a meat business. He would buy and sell meat. I guess you call it wholesale. I’d go with him periodically to the various places where he sold it.

Frankel: From whom would he buy the meat?
FALKENSTEIN: He made contacts with people in Shanghai. He was a pretty remarkable guy; for not knowing the language, he was able to get enough communication to establish the business.  Obviously, we weren’t well off, but we were well off enough to have meals and clothing and sometimes my aunt would send us things from the United States. I remember that a Hershey Bar was . . . you’d have that Hershey Bar forever. She also sent some clothes. I don’t look myself as overly emotional, but I think I am somewhat emotional and when I say these things, I do everything I can not to cry.

Frankel: Who were your neighbors in the ghetto?
FALKENSTEIN: A lot of displaced people from Germany, and some from Austria. We became pretty close. We were people without a country and we tried to develop a “small Europe.” Some people developed a little coffee shop. Human beings are just amazing.

Frankel: What did your sisters do?
FALKENSTEIN: They were in school at the time.

Frankel: At what schools were they at?
FALKENSTEIN: The Kadoorie School, which the Kadoorie family developed. It was a nice school, except that it was periodically strafed. 

Frankel: What language was taught?
FALKENSTEIN: Some English, but mostly German was used. It was a real savior to us to have that school available. My sisters, who were older, were pretty involved in the school. Very honestly, I ran away from the school frequently because I was afraid. If there was any strafing or bombing, I’d run. For me, it was a rather incomplete education.  When I came here [to Portland], I was somewhat traumatized. I was at Couch and Shattuck schools and I remember coming home and crying, and my mother would ask, “Why are you crying?” I would say, “I’m never going to learn how to speak that language [English]. 

Frankel: Even though you had learned a little bit of English?
FALKENSTEIN: Very little. The American Navy periodically … I would climb the boats and they would teach me a word and give me an apple. It was. . . somewhat hectic.

Frankel: You arrived [in Shanghai] before Pearl Harbor?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: And clearly you were still very young, but did you notice the Japanese who were there?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, they were very mean to us. Very mean. There was a contingent headed by a Japanese man by the name of Goya. He had – if I’m looking at this relatively accurately – a real Napoleonic complex, and he beat on people frequently. He also had this little cane or whip with him – it used to scare us. He’d close off roads without a real obvious reason. It would limit my Dad’s work because he’d be going somewhere and they would cut him off. And sometimes he [Goya] would jail him.

Frankel: Your father would be put in jail?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. For no reason. So, we’d have to go down and get him. He’d say, “We’re going to go on.”

Frankel: Did that Goya whip or hit only Jews, or the Chinese as well?
FALKENSTEIN: I think he hit everyone. I think he was a pretty sick guy. He disappeared at the end of the war.

Frankel: Were there rumors as to how?
FALKENSTEIN: There always were rumors that Goya would disappear. I think that probably the refugees made that happen.

Frankel: Did the Chinese live in the same Ghetto restricted area?
FALKENSTEIN: Not directly inside, but you would see them lying on the streets outside. Terrible conditions for them. You’d see them as you come out of your little lane in the morning, lying there. And in the evening they would be deceased. It was a constant and terrible sight for anyone, especially kids.

Frankel: Was there any interaction with the Chinese, like children?
FALKENSTEIN: Some. I had interaction with other kids from other countries. We would play together. Some from India, Austria… kids find their way together.

Frankel: Did you pick up any Chinese [language]?
FALKENSTEIN: A little, enough to get around.

Frankel: Besides the regular school classes, were there activities organized for the children?
FALKENSTEIN: Hebrew school, Talmud Torah.

Frankel: Did you attend that?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. And we had a synagogue. In fact, to my knowledge, that synagogue has been made into a museum.

Frankel: Was that the synagogue where the Kadoories and the Sephardic community attended?
FALKENSTEIN: I think so, yes. The Kadoories were responsible for a lot of positive things.

Frankel: Right. In the two-room apartment you lived in, was there running water?
FALKENSTEIN: There was one bathroom for many, many families and it didn’t always work. We had water at a pump in the field and we’d go out and pump it. But not any other amenities. Light, periodically; but sometimes it didn’t work. Heat was limited, stone floors. My mother really had a hard time with asthma in later years because of all that.

Frankel: How restricted were you in terms of walking outside the ghetto?
FALKENSTEIN: To my knowledge, I didn’t go unless my dad went, or my mother – usually my dad. I didn’t get too far, but sometimes I went with him too. But I’ll never forget this: years ago, there was a movie called Empire of the Sun. For years, after I came here, I was concerned that I had attached myself so closely to my parents that I felt I wasn’t autonomous enough. One of the things that hit me hard when I saw this movie Empire of the Sun, was this little boy was holding on to his family because of the crowds. Shanghai was a mass of people, masses. I mean, if you didn’t hold tightly, who knows where you would end up. I remember trying to hold on to my dad’s hand and just being terrified because I was a child and I’m looking up and all these things… it left a mark. 

I try not to get too personal, but I’m married to an American woman, and I don’t think she will ever fully be able to grasp what transpired there and why I feel – and felt – about my family. Because I think – and I’m saying this with as much objectivity as I can – that to this day she would say to you that I was much too connected to my family. And maybe that might even be the case, but I don’t think any you can really articulate all the things that your emotions, your behavior, your mind put you through; without at least one of those responses. I don’t know how relevant that is, but that’s coming from my heart and my gut.

Frankel: Did you leave relatives behind in Germany when you left?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: How aware were you about what was going on? Were there letters?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. Only in later years did the Red Cross identify the family members. I remember as a child seeing my parents cry when they received those letters.

Frankel: When you were still in Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: Did Zionism play a role in your family journey, or later in Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: I don’t get that picture at all. I don’t think so.

Frankel: I understand there was a yeshiva for Lithuanians there. Do you remember seeing those yeshiva students in Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: Some, yes. I wasn’t exactly sure about them, but yes. Unfortunately, as you get older and more mature, you wish you had connected…been more curious. I think part of the problem is that the first response is survival. That prevented a lot of connection.

Frankel: When you got to Shanghai and over the years, did your family always know that this was temporary? 
FALKENSTEIN: Hoping so, but it lasted almost eight years. I think that at some point my aunt, who lived here [in America], was trying to get us a visa. To my knowledge, that was the holdup. Over those eight years she couldn’t get it until the eight years were… I think there was always the hope of going to America, the miracle of the world. When we did finally get that [the visa], it was on a military ship.

Frankel: As the war ended, did things ease up in Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: It certainly eased up from the standpoint of not having to worry about the bombings. Shanghai was such a mess, and Chiang Kai-Shek was not an altruistic leader. As a child, my impression was that he was a guy who was taking care of his family. He put a lot of money in Swiss banks and so forth and didn’t really do a lot for his people. A lot of poor Chinese and a lot of hungry Chinese.

Frankel: And the Japanese were gone?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, they disappeared toward the end of the…

Frankel: Was there a British presence at any time when you were there?
FALKENSTEIN: There was partly a British presence, but they were mostly in Hong Kong. So, we didn’t get to see a lot of them, but we knew they were there. There were people who lived in Hong Kong, I think they called them the “White Russians”, and they were there for generations. They were very well off; I remember them talking about their servants. It’s not something we had any connection with.

Frankel: Were refugees able to leave before you did?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, I think there was a number system, so we waited and waited. When we got the word, it was just wonderful.

Frankel: When you left by train, were you able to ship things or bring a lot of stuff with you?
FALKENSTEIN: No. We had a few things, but by the time we got to Shanghai we didn’t have much left.

Frankel: Did your father work until you left for the United States?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, he did. He worked very hard.

Frankel: Tell us about the departure.
FALKENSTEIN: When we obtained visas to go, I remember I was in constant elation. We are on a military ship; the American Navy and some other military on there too. My aunts and uncles who were here [in America] kept talking about the “land of milk and honey.” That’s how we described where we were heading. For a kid, it was all one big fun journey from Shanghai. 

Frankel: How old were you?
FALKENSTEIN: I was eight, almost nine. I remember getting an apple from one of the Navy guys, and I wouldn’t eat it because I wanted to save it. My parents kept telling me, “You go ahead and eat that!” It took quite a while; I had it for a long time. As was the case for shoes. To get a pair of shoes was a big deal in Shanghai. I got some in America and I kept putting them away. My parents kept telling me, “I want you to wear those.” I finally did, but it took… to this day I take great care of my shoes. I always marvel at the human psyche, how we were able to manage all these little things. 

Frankel: How long did the trip take?
FALKENSTEIN: It was a rough trip. I think it was two-and-a-half weeks, and it was rough. My dad used to see the bow of the ship going down, and I’d be holding his hand, and the ocean would be coming up over it. But we managed and we had our own little bunks to sleep. It was a big deal to have that.

Frankel: Your aunt and uncle who lived in the other room, did they live on that same ship with you?
FALKENSTEIN: No, they left on another ship. They went to New York, ultimately.

Frankel: Around the same time?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, pretty close. But it’s interesting that they had no children. They were nice people, but they really went from one ghetto to another. I went and visited my aunt in New York and I was shocked that she was living in an awful apartment. You’d look out the windows and there would be rats in the alleyway. They bettered themselves significantly living in America, but not in their living arrangement.

Frankel: Were they able to work and make a living?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, they both worked. I think they worked for a large manufacturing company. They both worked hard. I think not having children insulated them.; they didn’t really get the grasp of what they could do. In later years, I moved [my aunt here] and ultimately moved her into the Robison Home. She had a nice place, but she was never full of laughter of any kind.

Frankel: Were you still speaking German?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: Do you remember the date or year when you left Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: 1947, I believe it was January.

Frankel: Was there someone awaiting you?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, my aunt. She lived in Portland, but we landed in San Francisco. Ironically a representative of an organization – I believe it was called UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] – met us at the ship in San Francisco and we were all elated. The irony of that was that that person took us on a little tour which included Chinatown! And my dad looked at me and said, “Mike, do you think this whole country looks like this?” And I said, “Dad, I don’t know!” But ultimately, they took us to a really nice hotel. I remember not sleeping because of the freedom of walking up and down all those stairs. All I kept doing was going up and down those stairs all night. Ultimately, I adapted. From there, we took a train (which was really fun) to Portland.

Frankel: What was your aunt’s name?
FALKENSTEIN: Martha Stern, Martha and Albert Stern. She was my mother’s sister. She was ultimately responsible for getting us here. There were some human frailties and interactions. When we were leaving for Shanghai, we gave some money to relatives to hold in case we ever made it to the US. Unfortunately, they couldn’t remember that. I remember getting here, and my dad said, “We’re going to go over to so and so and pick up some money, and then we’ll be able to do a few things more independently.” But the relatives said they didn’t know anything about the money. Allegedly, they had given part of the money to another uncle – another brother of my mother’s, who was living in New York. He didn’t know anything about the money either. Ultimately, we resolved it; actually, my dad had to go to court to get a little of it. The judge was really angry with my relatives, but the way it had been constructed, without a contract…it was one of those unfortunate human frailties that go on with money.

Frankel: Did you first stay with your aunt? 
FALKENSTEIN: No, she had picked an apartment out; it had its irony to it. You know where the Multnomah Athletic Club is? Across the street from the MAC was this apartment. I remember coming home after school to the apartment and there would be rats sitting on the couch where my sister was sleeping. Today, I spend my time working out at the MAC, and I frequently look over to that area and think, “An amazing thing, this whole life process.” That’s where we were. I’m kind of reticent to say this, but some of my cousins that were here treated me like a refugee, like a second-class citizen.

Frankel: Can you think of an example?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. My aunt would have us all over for dinner. She lived up on NW Pettygrove, in a real cute house right across from Chapman School. She was a great cook and I remember having this wonderful meal. My cousins were also invited. We’d say, “Let’s go for a walk for a while.” They always left me – they would be walking and I would be walking behind. I never have quite figured that one out, but the irony is that I ultimately became president at the Multnomah Athletic Club [MAC], and suddenly I was “their” cousin. Which, to this day is meaningless to me, because – and I’m saying this as honestly as I can – “Big deal!” [sarcastically] I was president of the MAC, big deal! I think that a lot of people develop in their minds these things are bigger deals. I enjoyed doing my work there and enjoyed the club. But it’s so ironic: here you are at the MAC; years ago, you weren’t good enough to walk with them, and of course now, I’m “their” cousin. 

Frankel: What did your father do when he came here?
FALKENSTEIN: My uncle, who was here for a long time, sold clothing house to house. There was an area called Guilds Lake, which was flooded in the Vanport Flood. [The neighborhood] disappeared, my dad went to help some people, a lot of people. One of the people who was really good to us – who was not Jewish – died in that flood. A beam hit him and he drowned. That whole scene in Guilds Lake was quite traumatic; that whole Vanport situation was really sad. To my knowledge, I think they did something with the land that would prevent that from happening again.

Frankel: I was asking what your father did.
FALKENSTEIN: Oh, yes. My uncle was selling clothing house to house. Guilds Lake was a big area of people who, I think, felt better having someone come to the house than going out. So, my dad did the same thing as my uncle; he developed a large following among the black community. Because he was also very good to people, they may run into problems with money and they would call him and he would go ahead and loan them money. That was North Williams Avenue and that area. I’d walk with him periodically and remember dad was knocking on a door, and another black individual across looked at us. I knew enough English at the time to know that he was rather violent. He said, “You’d better get out of here, Whitey!” I never forget that because it really left a mark. But my dad developed a pretty good business.

Frankel: Did he develop it into a store, or did he continue to…?
FALKENSTEIN: He had some places where he warehoused things, but he went house to house always. He had a lot of pretty positive communication with people.

Frankel: And he ended up learning English?
FALKENSTEIN: My parents never learned it really well, but they tried. We had an organization here called the Friendship Club. It was kind of a refugee club.

Frankel: German Jews?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, and others.

Frankel: When you say others, do you mean non-Jews as well?
FALKENSTEIN: A few, but mostly Jewish people. 

Frankel: What kinds of things did they do?
FALKENSTEIN: They had entertainment, picnics, and they helped each other. It was a social escape for them.

Frankel: Did children join them?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, I did, and there were other kids there too. But mostly adults who needed that outlet; I think it was important for them.

Frankel: Did they actually have a space, a building?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. It was called the Pythian Building. I think it is still there, close to the Library. They had a space and they developed a hierarchy, a president and so on. My parents were part of it.

Frankel: What did your sisters do? How old were they when they got here?
FALKENSTEIN: They were about seven to nine years older. My oldest sister was probably the brightest of all of us. My parents tried to do what they thought was an important thing, to give her exposure. They sent her to an aunt and uncle in New York, and unfortunately, I think some awful things happened there that I was never able to identify. She was pretty damaged and came back within a year and a half.

Frankel: Was that after she had graduated from high school?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. She never fully came out of it. I don’t know if it was because of things that happened back there, or whether… she had some real paranoia about the Nazis. Her house blinds were always shut. I’d meet with her son once a week for lunch. She was married to a man by the name of Pinky Gottlieb, who had spent his childhood in concentration camps. So, they were both kind of damaged, and their son was never given a “normal” upbringing. He does not speak well of my sister, his mother. I think that she was very paranoid and very sick. My parents were not knowledgeable about such behavior. Teachers in school had no concept of what it means to be a child in a war zone. I remember diving under a table when a plane went over Shattuck School, and the teaching grabbing me and making me stand in front of the room. I think that wouldn’t happen today; it certainly left a mark. That was a time when people didn’t focus on those issues.

Frankel: Who were your friends here?
FALKENSTEIN: Other kids from refugee families, and some kids living in the area where we lived. We played softball and I slowly learned how to adapt to all that.

Frankel: After Shattuck [Grade School], where did you go to high school?
FALKENSTEIN: Lincoln.

Frankel: Was that a good experience?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, it was a tough experience because I still wasn’t in command of the English language. Even then, I don’t think that some of the teachers were very sensitive or aware of all the different students and their backgrounds.

Frankel: When you moved to the states, did your family continue to have religious observances? Where there holidays?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes. Ultimately, we lived next door to Rabbi Stampfer and we partook of the holidays; my parents kept kosher.

Frankel: Do you remember the neighborhood in South Portland?
FALKENSTEIN: Oh sure, I loved it. 

Frankel: What are your memories of that neighborhood?
FALKENSTEIN: Korsun’s Deli, and Dave’s Deli. I went to school at the Neighborhood House and I was still not fully adapted, and I remember missing a bus on the way home once; it just broke me up. I was standing on the street corner crying by this gas station. The guy who owned the gas station took me in and ultimately got me home a few hours later. There were those kinds of things. I don’t think there was ever a full grasp of the ramifications of all the things that happened to us. And to me, specifically, in what are my strengths and weaknesses because of that. I even find that to be the case in my present life. As I said, it’s hard for anyone who has been brought up here – even if they’re intellectually capable – to really understand that.

Frankel: Did your family or did you join Jewish organizations?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, there weren’t that many, but through the synagogue there were some. I belonged to a couple of organizations and kid’s clubs. The really fun one was B’nai B’rith Camp down on Devil’s Lake. I thought that was just “the world”.

Frankel: You spent summers there?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes.

Frankel: What about the JCC [Jewish Community Center]?
FALKENSTEIN: I spent a lot of time at the JCC. If my parents were looking for me they always knew where to look. It was on SW 13th. We lived on Harrison, which was about five blocks from there. So, my time was spent at the JCC.

Frankel: Did Zionism become important when the State of Israel was declared in 1948? Do you any memories of that?
FALKENSTEIN: I think we were all pretty elated over it, but I don’t think we had much real awareness of Zionism – at least I didn’t.

Frankel: What happened to your other sister?
FALKENSTEIN: Ruth, who lives in Seattle now, was a sweetheart. She has two boys (men now) who are really nice human beings. One is an anesthesiologist and the other is a CFO of a company. Ruth is in Seattle; I was just up there. Unfortunately, there is dementia involved. I’m reticent to say it; I’m not exactly sure why that is. I was thinking this morning, I really miss her. She was a really good sister.

Frankel: Did you ever encounter antisemitism here?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, but not a lot.

Frankel: And after you graduated from Lincoln, what did you do?
FALKENSTEIN: I went to Portland State, then I went to law school. Then I graduated from law school.

Frankel: In Oregon?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, Lewis and Clark. Just before graduation, I worked at the juvenile court in Clackamas County. A judge had called me and said, “I’d like you to look at a position here.”, and I said, “No, really I don’t want it.” He said, “Just humor me.” So, I humored him; I went out there and I was there for thirty-three years. [chuckles] It was a good position. A fellow who was the director, he married a Jewish woman by the name of Betsy Welch, who was a Circuit Court Judge here. We’re real close, so they’re coming for dinner again tonight, which is pretty common.

Frankel: How would you say your parents adapted to this culture?
FALKENSTEIN: I think they adapted exceedingly well. In spite of the difficulties in the language, they tried very hard. For example, Don Welch is coming for dinner tonight. He’s a real handy guy; he can fix anything. Whereas I am persistent; I may finally get the nail in. My mother, who was limited in her English, tried very hard. I remember she wanted to say that Don was a real handy guy, but she said “It’s so nice that Donny is so handicapped.” [laughs]

Frankel: Did your mother work out of the house?
FALKENSTEIN: She did, she worked for the cannery – hard work. Called Libby’s Cannery, I don’t think it’s there anymore. She worked very hard.

Frankel: Besides the Friendship Club, was she involved in organizations such as Hadassah or Sisterhood?
FALKENSTEIN: The Sisterhood, but not to a great extent. They [Mike’s parents] were so focused on trying to develop a life that they didn’t have the ability to focus as we certainly do. My aunt had these card clubs and they played cards together. Not everybody learned…if we don’t have sensitivity to minorities and issues such as that, who would and should? I remember that there were a very few among the social groups that my parents were in that were somewhat arrogant and had forgotten where they came from. The only time I remember doing this – which was out of character – was during a card party at my parent’s house. There was a fellow who relatively successful business-wise and lost his memory about where he came from. I really told him off in front of my parents, which was not like me nor was it like my parents. I told him that he can’t talk that way to people.

Frankel: Clearly there was a German-Jewish community, not of refugees, but who had come before. Was there distance between the German refugees and the German “long-timers”?
FALKENSTEIN: I think there is always for someone like this man to be a little arrogant, but I think they ultimately were cohesive, worked together, and socialized.

Frankel: Did they also help the German refugees?
FALKENSTEIN: Yes, they did a lot of various things.

Frankel: What about relationships between the German Jews and the Eastern European Jews?
FALKENSTEIN: I think there was a little tension there. But I was a kid and not focused on that. I could see it but didn’t pick up on it. Human beings…

Frankel: How would you say has the Jewish community and the community at-large changed over the years since you moved here?
FALKENSTEIN: I think that the Jewish community has assimilated relatively well. I find it really important to remember where the hell you came from, and to try to contribute to the community as much as you can, and to be sensitive to other human beings – not necessarily Jewish – who have gone through… I don’t think I do enough; I try to do some things. I deliver meals and do some other things. My parents didn’t get a chance to do a lot of things because their focus was to try to develop getting back a standard of some kind. I’m not concerned about what my legacy is, but I am concerned about whether I’ve done some things that would help other people. It’s interesting, talking about all this… I’m more emotional than I thought I would be. My focus and goal is to be somewhat helpful in the community and hopefully end up doing the right thing.

Frankel: Do you have children?
FALKENSTEIN: No. Two cats.

Frankel: Who were the leaders who stand out in the Jewish community over the years? Both Jewish and non-Jewish?
FALKENSTEIN: That’s an interesting question, because the fellow who was running for president – he was in the third or fourth party – someone asked him the same questions and he couldn’t remember any names. I’m sitting here thinking, “who are the leaders?” I personally don’t agree with some of the behaviors that stand for this leader. We had a man by the name of Karl Bettman, who was secretary to Ahavai Shalom. My parents and they were very close. She [Karl’s wife] was relatively religious; that was the first time I ever saw anyone with a sheitel [a wig worn by some Orthodox Jewish married women in order to conform with the requirement of Jewish law to cover their hair]. They have a son named Sam who’s now living in Israel. They were pretty profound in that regard. [Rabbi] Yonah Geller…I can’t think of who else, but those are people that I thought did some important things.

Frankel: Did you ever go to Israel?
FALKENSTEIN: No, my wife did. It’s a place that I hope I still get to go.

Frankel: Did you ever go back go back to Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: Only got to Hong Kong; I didn’t get to Shanghai. At the time that I went, there was some problem that I couldn’t get into where we lived. I think It was a bureaucratic issue.

Frankel: Is there some king of connection between refugees who spent the war in Shanghai?
FALKENSTEIN: There used to be, but they’re pretty well assimilated and a lot of people are gone. I know a man named Henry Haas, who lives in Olympia. He and his parents were close to my folks, but there isn’t much left. Your relationships – your spouse or partner or whatever – also affect that. 

Frankel: Anything else you would like to add?
FALKENSTEIN: I just hope most of us don’t forget where we came from, and that we are able to do a few decent things for others. Beyond that, I try to just keep moving forward.

Frankel: Thank you very much.
FALKENSTEIN: Sure.