But I had a hard time finding anyone to integrate with culturally or even to speak to at first, and our real contacts came from outside the Montreal Jewish community. |
JIAS helped us find our way when we got here, bought us our beds and mattresses, which we really appreciated. |
We didn't want to leave our home. I never felt anti-Semitism there or anything like that, but we were living in fear: You would go out and didn't know if you would come home again. So we decided it was worthwhile living a safer life, a quieter life, even though we would have to sacrifice a lot to be here. We came with only our bags, nothing else. |
We were both well-known, teaching, working at our professions and having a good standard of living. But then life got very violent. |