2008.040.006 Oral History Interview with Bert Feinberg December, 21, 2008

 

Bert Feinberg, native to Brooklyn and long-term resident of New York, describes his experiences in Chinatown and the block often referred to as the Daily Forward block, colloquially named after the Yiddish Daily Forward newspaper. There, Feinberg was employed at a family-owned catering and restaurant business called the Garden Cafeteria. During his time at the Cafeteria between 1949 and 1974, he saw significant demographic changes in the neighborhood. Feinberg initially estimates that the Daily Forward block was ninety percent Jewish residents and businesses. By the sixties, and more so the seventies, he observed significant geographic and demographic expansion in Chinatown due to the influx of Chinese immigrants establishing residency and businesses there. Feinberg recalls the unique mixture of customers who frequented the Cafeteria, such as clientele from the Workmens Circle and the Daily Forward, who created a close-knit community within the restaurant. However, as housing became more expensive and long-established businesses relocated or sold their property, the Jewish community gradually dissipated and disappeared. Feinberg ponders whether Chinatown will experience similar changes as the once predominantly inhabited Jewish community, as he has noticed that with increasing gentrification and higher education, younger Chinese generations are choosing professional careers over sustaining family businesses.

0:00 - Introduction, Met wife working at children’s summer camp, Father-in-law Charles Metzger owned the Garden Cafeteria, Has one son who is a Unitarian minister, Father born in New York and mother born in London, Growing up in Jamaica, Queens living above grandfather’s dry goods store 简介,在儿童夏令营工作时遇到妻子,岳父Charles Metzger拥有花园自助餐厅,有一个儿子,儿子是一神论牧师,父亲出生在纽约,母亲出生在伦敦,在皇后区的牙买加镇长大,住在祖父的干货店楼上

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5:53 - Experience working at and managing the Garden Cafeteria 1949-1976, Attending Brooklyn College and Stanford University, joining Army for basic training in 1944 and then stationed in Munich, Germany as military police, Garden Cafeteria catered meals for New York mayor John Lindsay, Bess Myerson, and other significant New York figures, 1960-1970s saw influx of Chinese owned businesses in the Garden Cafeteria block 1949-1976 年在花园自助餐厅的工作和管理经验,就读于布鲁克林学院和斯坦福大学,1944 年参军接受基础训练,然后作为军警驻扎在德国慕尼黑,花园自助餐厅为纽约市长约

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16:41 - Jewish community living along Essex Street and Avenue A to Rivington and Stanton during the 1950s, Parents spoke Yiddish but did not enforce strict Jewish transitions or customs in household, Sold Kosher goods at family store including Streitz’s Motzo 1950年代犹太社区沿着亚瑟斯街和A大道交接处到Rivington和Stanton的交接处居住,父母说意第绪语,但没有在家庭中强制沿用严格的犹太传统或习俗,在家庭商店出售犹太洁食商品,包括Streitz's Motzoh

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28:10 - Observations while visiting Chinatown, Garden Cafeteria had Chinese chef and multi-ethnic staff, Father-in-law was a liberal and accommodating figure, Garden Cafeteria had a liberal clientele base during 1950s, 1970s racial tension and rise in drug addiction triggered race riots at restaurant 参观唐人街时的观察,花园自助餐厅有中国厨师和多族裔员工,岳父是一个自由党和乐于助人的人物,花园自助餐厅在1950 年代拥有自由党派的客户群,1970年代种族紧张局势和毒瘾上升引发了发生在餐厅的种族骚乱

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38:31 - Poverty in Lower East Side during the 1970s, Father-in-law purchased building on corner of Rutgers and East Broadway and founded Garden Cafeteria at the beginning of World War II with immediate success, Cafeteria building on corner of Rutgers and East Broadway was all commercial space 1970年代下东区的贫困,岳父购买了位于罗格斯和东百老汇街拐角处的建筑,并在二战初期创立了花园自助餐厅并立即取得了成功,罗格斯和东百老汇街拐角处的自助餐厅所在的建筑全部是商业化空间

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50:51 - Forward building journalists and writers regularly sat in front of Garden Cafeteria, many Forward executives were also Workmen’s Circle executives, New York Times article about Jewish temple in Chinatown and Garden Cafeteria building that became Chinese restaurant, the Cafeteria was not just a restaurant but an institution and cornerstone of community 犹太报纸Forward大厦的记者和作家经常坐在花园自助餐厅前,许多Forward的高管也是工人圈的高管,纽约时报关于唐人街的犹太寺庙和花园自助餐厅大楼成为中餐厅的文章,自助餐厅不仅仅是一家餐厅,也是一个机构和社区的基石

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59:48 - The Forward building was architecturally unique but accepted by locals, Insurance program initiated by Workmen’s Circle caused move out of Forward building because neighborhood was less desirable, after Yiddish shows at Folks’ Theater the audience and performers would come to Garden Cafeteria to eat, Feinberg Lived in Valley Stream and would commute to Lower East Side 犹太报Forward大楼在建筑上很独特,但被当地人所接受,Workmen's Circle发起的保险计划导致从Forward大楼的搬出,因为社区不太受欢迎,在Folks' Theatre的意第绪语演出结束后,观众和表演者会来花园自助餐厅吃饭,Feinberg

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69:02 - Defining community, Son did not grow up with strong Jewish community, Feinberg visited Lower East Side for Place Matters project by City Law recently, Wife be friended famous actors and actresses like Nita Talbot, Owned and operated bakery on Grand Street during 1970s 定义社区,儿子没有在强大的犹太社区长大,Feinberg最近因为市立法的Place Matters项目访问了下东区,妻子与妮塔·塔尔博特等著名演员成为朋友,1970年代在格兰街拥有和经营面包店

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82:52 - Gang activity and fights in Chinatown on Mott Street, Significant changes in the New York restaurant scene has made restaurant culture more expensive and name driven than it was before, Immigration laws change in 1965 and Vietnam War plus other conflicts in Asia caused surge in immigration during 1960s and 1970s, Internal political and language division within Chinatown 华埠勿街上的帮派活动和打斗,纽约餐厅的显着变化使餐厅文化比以前更加昂贵和更加看重名气,1965年移民法的变化和越南战争以及亚洲的其他冲突导致了1960年代和1970年代的移民激增,唐人街内部的政治和语言分裂

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97:01 - Political divisions in the Jewish community, Progressive group from the Workmen’s Circle, Similarities between how immigrant populations in America are mistreated and insulate themselves against assimilation, Footprint of Chinatown has grown considerably 犹太社区的政治分歧,工人圈的进步团体,美国移民人口如何受到不公对待以及隔离他们反对同化之间的相似之处,唐人街的足迹已大大发展

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105:41 - Sweatshops off East Broadway off Chatham Square, Changing boundaries of Chinatown and how people remember them differently, Immigrants bring new perspectives to America but America is not a melting pot, Assimilation happening in second and third generations of immigrant families 东百老汇且林士果附近的血汗工厂,改变唐人街的边界以及人们对它们的不同记忆,移民为美国带来了新的视角,但美国不是大熔炉,同化发生在第二代和第三代移民家庭中

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