Eugenia

"The anti-Semitism [in Moldova] was everywhere… I would never even own a Star of David in Kishinev.  It got so bad the last couple of years… "

"They look at the last name. If it’s a Jewish name it’s kind of likely that you would fail [in school]…all my life I had straight As – so I would be entitled to get a gold medal which means any university of my dreams would be open to me.  I wanted to go to Moscow State University. It was the best, like Harvard here…. But I had a Chemistry teacher in high school and he was Jewish, right. He once told my Mom they would fail me one subject – they would give me a B and I wouldn’t get a gold medal, because I was Jewish…"

"I didn’t have problems here in U.S. I got straight A’s.  They didn’t care that I was Jewish.  The first year we were afraid to say it. Then we learned that it’s okay to say who you are here. Then we started to go to synagogue. And our kids go to Jewish school. And just it’s so different that you can be open about who you are."

Silva

"I miss my language; when I can talk to people and explain everything to them about me.  I miss this a lot. But you know when I think, to start to feel I did right choice [coming to America], when I saw my Eugenia in school. Oh, I was so happy! I was very happy for her. I was happy for her future. And my Sasha, she ate everything that she wanted. She could eat everything. It make me so happy. "

"You know, when I start to work in here, in the restaurant, I was afraid to tell the people I was Jewish. I was so afraid…Where I work [now], we don’t have good pay, but I work with Jewish people. This make me more brave to tell about I’m Jewish. This make me feel very good, very happy. I love where I work."

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