Soeurette Joseph Part V: Settling In

Life developed at a "normal" pace for the Josephs...

(You enjoyed being a mother?)

Oh, yes. Oh, yes, very much so. I played a lot with them. I liked to play and I played a lot with the children.

(And when they reached school age did you know you were going to send them to the American School?)

No, I didn’t know anything. Yes, there was no choice but the American School. For later on I didn’t know what we would do.

(So was that the first time, at least for Sylvia, that she was really mixed with Salvadoreños?)

No, we – no. At the Deportivo they always saw children, other children. No, they had friends. But Sylvia had mostly – her friends were Monica Weill, Miriam Guttfreund, Susi Gunn. Those were the friends of Sylvia.

(And were you happy with the Jewish part of your life? Did you feel --)

Yes, I was very comfortable. I was very comfortable.

(How religious was your home? Was it --)

In Salvador? Like everybody else. Like everybody else.

(Your children stayed at the American School until -)

Jean-Paul left after – before getting to high school and Sylvia went on year to high school in Salvador and then left.

(Where did you send them?)

Jean-Paul went to Andover for four years. First they asked him to come to a summer session to get used to the U.S., so he went to summer session and then he went to Andover for four years. Then he went to Penn and then he went on to graduate school. And Sylvia went to Abbott, which is now Andover, which is the same school now, and then she went to Penn, then she was sent to England and then she went for her PhD in Chicago.

(Did you think that you would live the rest of your days in Salvador?)

Absolutely. I was prepared to do it.

Transcription by Claudette Allison, Word-for-Word.com