Why had Ellen asked her such a strange question, "Are you Jewish?" Ruth had no idea. No one had talked about it at home. They did not go to church and were not religious. But Ellen's nanny had said that Ruth's family was Jewish; Ellen was curious and so was Ruth.

This was in Hamburg, Germany, in 1934. Ellen and Ruth were good friends; they went to the same school and usually walked home together, as they lived only two blocks apart. They were eight years old; the walk home was along a lovely, tree-lined street past a wonderful old church that was on sort of an island surrounded by gravel. Ruth and Ellen found colored "jewels" that they both collected and kept in special boxes. Adjoining the church was a little park beside a lake on which several swan families lived, swimming along elegantly with their beautiful white bodies and graceful long necks. When they moved their wings, they looked almost like angels.

The little girls loved to watch the swans; when they had some left-over bread, they would feed them.

After the park, they had to cross a bridge; they parted at Eilenan Street, where Ruth lived. She would then run home to be greeted at the door by her nanny, or sometimes her mother. On this day, she rushed into the living room of their pretty house, and before her mother could give little Ruth her usual big hug, Ruth breathlessly asked, "Mommy, are we Jewish?" Her mother looked surprised, and then a little troubled, and wanted to know why Ruth had asked. "Ellen said that her nanny had said that we were Jewish," Ruth explained. "Yes, darling, we are. But that is really no one's business."

Ruth was satisfied for the moment, but this was Hamburg, Germany, in 1934. A new government had lately been elected, headed by Adolph Hitler, and being Jewish or not had suddenly become everyone's business, especially the government's. Ruth was vaguely aware that some awful things were happening, but it had not affected her life at all yet, and so she did not give it much thought. But she knew that her father was sometimes very upset and worried, but she did not know why as he never discussed it with her.

Her father was a patriotic German who loved his country; he had volunteered at 17 to fight in the World War. He and his grandfather owned a wonderful big store, full of marvelous things--dresses, shirts, stockings, beautiful fabrics, ribbons, all sorts of notions, sheets, pillows, and much, much more. At Christmas time, it became a wonderland, decorated with toys, Christmas trees, and a little train that would run along the wall. There was even a little house with Santa Claus inside, handing out gifts to good children who recited a poem to him. And sometimes, at very special times, Ruth was actually allowed to go into the little house and help Santa Claus hand out gifts. That was the greatest thrill of all. The store would be filled with hundreds of customers, and the atmosphere was so festive and happy. Ruth knew that all the other children there must envy her for being Santa's helper.

She loved going to the store, because shed see her grandfather, who was very funny, and spoke a funny German because he was born in East Prussia, where they did not seem to know how to pronounce words. She sometimes tried to teach him to at least pronounce her brothers' names correctly, but no matter how hard she tried, her grandfather continued to say Gert and Junther instead of Gerd and Gunther, which were their correct names. Everyone in the store was always so very nice to her, and all that made it a very special place.

Ruth had three brothers--Gunther, Gerd, and little Peter, the baby. She was the oldest as well as the only girl, so always felt quite special. Her grandmother, who had died just a little while before, had always spoiled her greatly, and loved to buy pretty dresses and gifts for her, as she had only had sons. Ruth knew that this was not fair to her brothers, but had enjoyed it nevertheless, and now missed her "Oma" very much. But her "Opa" was very special to her too.

The Seymon family lived on a very pretty tree-lined street, which was along one of the many canals so typical of Hamburg, that lead from the Alster Lake in the center of town to various outlying areas. When Ruth and her mother wanted to go downtown, they just walked to the dock right near their house and got on a special boat that took them right downtown, stopping along the way at several other docks along the canal. They then traveled along the beautiful Alster, where some of the most elegant Hamburg residences were located, as well as parks, pavilions, and hotels. It was a wonderful, magical trip. The most exciting part was that the boat always passed by the large, old house where Ruth was born. This was a senior citizens home where Ruth's parents lived when they got married during the terrible inflation in the 1920s. No new houses or apartments were being built at that time, so they had bought the attic of this home and built their first little apartment there, overlooking the Alster. The attic was five stories up, and there was no elevator, so Ruth's pregnant mother got lots of exercise, and little baby Ruth got a great deal of attention after she made her appearance. She was probably the first and perhaps only, baby born in a senior citizens' home.

Hamburg was a very exciting and international port city, situated on the Elbe River, not far from the North Sea and the many trade routes to the rest of the world. One of the great European harbors was located here, and the influence on the life and culture of the city was English as much as German. Ruth's dresses were similar to the English Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret a Scottish plaid with buttons down the sides and a pleated skirt. Over this was a grey flannel coat. Downtown Hamburg had great hotels and wonderful department stores, and Ruth loved to go there with her mother, especially if they were going to buy something for her. Sometimes they would even have an ice cream at the Alster Pavilion, which was located right on the dock where they would eventually catch their boat home.

Her father worked very hard every day except Sunday, making it a very special day. They usually slept a bit later, and then there would be that special whistle which meant that the four children could come to their parents' bedroom and jump into their large bed with them, where they would giggle and sing and tell stories. Ruths favorite story was to hear how her parents met.

In the summer, there would always be an outing to the countryside after breakfast, in their wonderful Opel car, the envy of all the children on their block. Their house was similar to all the other townhouses on the block, except for one thing. It had a garage! None of the other houses did. The kitchen used to be down there, and in their house it had been moved to the main floor, a very modern idea at that time, as very few people in Germany had cars then.

The house was quite wonderful. There was a little front garden, enclosed by an iron fence with a gate, with a small lawn and some lilac trees, and steps going up to the front door. Inside, on the main floor, was an entryway which was separated by another door that led to a large entrance hall, with a beautiful staircase going upstairs. Off the hall were a powder room, closet, and toilet. At the other end of the kitchen there was a pantry, which held the pride and joy of the Seymon household a beautiful new refrigerator that had replaced the old icebox not long before. Next to the kitchen was an enclosed veranda, where the family ate all their meals. It overlooked the garden and was a very airy and cheerful room. The elegant large and formal dining room adjoined it, with a very large dining table. The shiny black concert piano was also there. This room was used only for more formal occasions and important holidays. Then came the living room, filled with the heavy large furniture of the day.

Upstairs were the parents' and childrens' bedrooms, as well as a bathroom. There also was a wonderful playroom for the children, with wallpaper that they were allowed to draw on, as everything was supposed to wash off easily. But as the maid found out, this was not an easy affair after all, as it took hours and hours to clean off. After this, they were told not to draw on it, but it was too late. They and their friends had too much fun doing it.

Up above this floor were the maids' rooms and a guest room, and above this was the attic. Also, there was a basement with a laundry, which also had a bathtub in it for the maids to use, whose rooms were, of course, on the top floor. Yet no one objected to this most inconvenient arrangement. There also was the large furnace as well as the dark room that held the coal for the furnace; creepy rooms that Ruth hated to go into. Then came the garage and some storerooms.

It was a large house. The cook ruled in the kitchen, the nanny took care of the children, and Nona, the cleaning woman, came once a week. The children liked to tease her as she was rather funny looking. She was a fat little woman with greasy hair and a very fascinating brown growth on her neck. Her stockings were always crumpled around her ankles and she talked funny; at least the children thought so.

It was a happy and comfortable life, but after 1933, everything seemed to change. Ruth and her brothers were taken out of public school and put into private schools. Ruth loved her school, the Mittell School, which was in a large old private home on a residential street. There were many places they were no longer allowed to go to on their Sunday outings because Jews were not wanted. Their father was often in a bad mood and deeply troubled. Ruth was a cheerful little girl, and her life did not change much. A few friends would no longer come to her birthday parties, but there were lots of others that would. Her teacher, Dr. Specht, came to school in his Nazi uniform, but was always especially nice to her as she was a good student. She was included in everything and often entertained the school with her piano playing. And yet there was a feeling of dread over everything. One of the worst things, as far as Ruth and her friends were concerned, was that the beginning and end of every class, they all had to rise and say, "Heil Hitler" with enthusiasm, or the teacher would have them repeat it. Ruth hated this!

One day their cook married the chauffeur, who worked for the businesses, and she would no longer be able to work for the family who had adored her. Now it was hard to find a new cook, as no one wanted to cook in a household with four children and four floors, as well as being Jewish. So her parents decided to move into a roomy apartment that would be easier to maintain. By now they also realized they would have to leave Germany, which would be easier from an apartment. The children were desolate as they all loved their house and did not want to leave their friends. The apartment they eventually moved to was big and wonderful and on the main floor of an elegant building that had a playroom downstairs. It had a large garden and also was on a canal with their own dock, so they could have a canoe. They soon got used to it, and their mother found help, but the parents were now seriously planning their move to America. Their fathers brother had to flee to Berlin by night because he had been accused of going around with an "Arian" woman, which was against the Nazi law. She turned out to be his wife! Other friends had been arrested and life had gotten dangerous. However, the business was thriving, as the customers were very fond of the Seymon's father and son. The store was located in a working class area, where everyone had been a communist before 1933. Many were unemployed, and when Hitler promised jobs for everyone, they all became Nazis overnight. They came to the Seymon store to buy "pancakes," the white circle with a black swastika, to sew onto their red communist flags, making it into a Nazi one.

The grandfather did not want to leave Germany. He loved his country and did not believe that Hitler would last long, and Ruth's father would not leave without his father. Ruth and her brothers had no idea all this was going on, but they did know that some of their parents friends had moved to America and had heard mention of moving to America. Ruth found this wonderfully exciting, since she had a crush on Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power, and was certain that she would meet them if she went to America. Besides, everyone there was a millionaire, and she had not met one before.

Finally, the grandfather was persuaded to leave with them. The parents spent hundreds of hours at the American consulate to arrange for visas and other papers. The Americans were not too eager to welcome them. Most of the furniture was sold, and the things they were keeping were sent off to America. The last month was spent in a pension. Cabins had been reserved on the ship and the visas were promised for October. But when the parents went to the consulate, they were told, "Sorry, the quota has been filled. You will have to wait until November."

Ruth was thirteen years old now, old enough to realize that something dreadful had happened when her parents came home ashen-faced. They had already said goodbye to many friends. Ruth was no longer in her school, and would have to go back. All arrangements had to be changed, and they had to spend another month in this dangerous country that hated them so, just because they were supposed to be Jewish. Ruth was never really sure about this; they were just like everyone else, she thought. Shed never been in a synagogue. They celebrated Christmas, their favorite holiday, and Easter, and so what really made them Jewish?

Her friends in school, and even the teachers, were delighted to have her back, but her parents were very worried and troubled, and that troubled Ruth too. But finally they did get their visas, and passage was booked on another ship, the Hansa. They were leaving on November 10.

On November 9, a high German official was shot and killed in Paris. The fury in Germany was indescribable. It was, of course, blamed on the Jews. And now everyone really got frightened, as no one knew what would happen next.

On the morning of November 10, they left the pension by taxi and drove to the station where the train would take them to Bremerhaven, which was where the ship would leave to finally take them to the promised land of America, as they all hoped and prayed. They noticed nothing extraordinary on the way there. At the station, some friends came to see the families off and were in an agitated state. Terrible things had happened the night before. Windows in Jewish businesses had been smashed, synagogues had been destroyed, and many people had been arrested. Some friends were not there. Had they been arrested? Would the family be allowed to leave? What had really happened the night before?

It was the morning after Kristallnacht!

They all did get on the train, the grandfather included, and the train took off. The two compartments were searched; the one with the children was first, and they were very frightened as the officers were very unpleasant, but Ruth kept her brothers calm. At the same time, a pleasant official just asked the parents some questions and thus kept them busy. Finally, they arrived in Bremenhaven, where they had to enter a large barn-like structure on the docks. There were long lines of people and uniformed German officials seated at long tables. Everyone had to show their papers, and the officials were as unpleasant as possible. Finally, it was the turn of the Seymon family. The officials studied the papers, barked some questions, and then the official in charge said, "The woman and children can go on board, but the men have to stay here." My mother screamed and burst into tears, but it made no difference. They were pushed out and had to climb up the gangplank to the deck of the ship. Ruth felt as if she was dying with fear. Were they going to keep her father? Would they not let him come to America with them? How would they manage without him? He always took care of everything! She could not imagine it. And her mother was crying so. An officer on the ship helped them to their cabins, and then they went back out on the deck, looking down to the dock, searching for her father and grandfather, but they were nowhere to be seen. Ruth's mother was completely frantic and kept asking whether anyone could see him. Suddenly there he was, walking along the dock, and soon came up the gangplank. But no grandfather. There was a joyful reunion, and then a friend who had shown up to say goodbye went to look for the grandfather, who was standing by the building looking for his son. There was great joy then. The friends left (and were arrested on the way back), the ships horn sounded loudly, and slowly it moved away from the dock, and from Germany, their former homeland. It was an exciting moment for the children, but a heavy one for the adults, who had loved their country and fought for it, and never dreamed they would someday have to leave it. But now, finally, they were all safe!

It was a German ship, but everyone seemed to go out of their way to be kind. The news from Germany was horrible! They couldn't quite believe that they had escaped just at the last minute. Now for the first time, they heard the real news, the news that was not controlled by the Nazi German government, and things were much worse than they had realized. Because Hamburg was a great harbor, and therefore an international city, events had never gotten quite as bad as in other places. And they had known very little about these events.

And here, on the ship, they actually met their first millionaires. Their four cabins were in first class; this was the last time they could travel so elegantly, because they had to leave almost all their money behind, so once they arrived in San Francisco, they would be penniless. In the dining room, they had noticed an elegant American couple, both tall and slender, just as the children had always imagined Americans to look. And one day, the waiter brought over to their table four pieces of delicious birthday cake, compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Dodge, the automobile Dodges, for the four refugee children. It was her birthday. Now they knew that Americans were also very kind. Ruth was sent over to say their thank yous. She had been studying English for several years, both in school and privately, and was quite fluent, and the Dodges were delighted.

On the last day of the trip, there was a great ball, and Ruth could wear her long dress, the pink organdy dress she had worn at her uncle's wedding. She felt very grown up and sophisticated, until a great wave hit the ship, just as she was crossing the floor to her family's table where a German lady and her son, who was Ruth's age, had joined them. She fell full length, in front of everyone, and this was one of the most humiliating moments of her life. But it was a wonderful and unforgettable evening, with everyone dressed in formal clothes, enjoying delicious food, music, and dancing. Ruth was the only one allowed to stay up. The captain spent a long time talking to her father.

In the morning, everyone lined up on the dock to get their first look at the Statue of Liberty, of which they had all heard. It was a foggy, cold, and gray morning. The excitement was mounting, and then finally they saw a dark shape emerging in the distance and slowly coming closer. It was the Statue of Liberty, and they were in America!

The customs people came on board to check our papers, and then we could descend the gangplank and step onto American ground. All we needed to do now was to find our luggage and the friends who were meeting us. All around us were people who talked a language we could hardly understand. Suddenly some men with cameras approached us and wanting something, but we could not figure out what. My mother, who spoke English quite well, had to come and help, and it turned out that these men were reporters. The Hansa was the first ship that left Germany after "Kristallnacht," and they wanted to take pictures of our large family and get our story, because we were the first people they could interview about those horrible events in Germany. And so, the next morning, our family was on the front page of several newspapers. Now they knew that America was a very special place and that anything could happen here. Little children, who had lived in fear for years, could not walk down the streets of New York and yell at the top of their voices, "Death to Hitler," and no one would come to arrest them.

New York City itself was the most magnificent place they had ever seen. The lights, the people, but above all, the skyscrapers! There was nothing like it anywhere else in the world at that time, and they were stunned by these huge buildings. They were taken to Times Square at night, and the thousands of lights dancing on the buildings all around them were just unbelievable like a fairy tail. They were also taken to the top of the Empire State Building, which was quite new then, and the city was spread out in its enormous size for miles below them. They had never been in an airplane, but felt that this must be something like it. America truly was a miraculous world, absolutely unique, where anything was possible. And now they were a part of it.

The family's goal was San Francisco, and they were going to cross the United States by Greyhound bus, as the parents had been able to pay for it with their German money, of which there had been plenty. Every night they were to stop in a different city, and would thus see a great deal of this vast country. The children were looking forward to seeing some Indians along the way, and perhaps a scalping or two. The older children had read the books by the famous German writer, Karl May, who wrote many adventurous books about the American Indians, though he had actually never been in America. They were wonderfully exciting books that were full of adventures, wars, and scalping.

It seemed as though they would never get out of New York when they left. It just went on and on; the biggest city they had ever seen. They traveled through lovely countryside, though rather bleak at this time, as it was the middle of November. Their first stop was Niagara Falls, arriving in the evening, so they only had a glimpse of them. They stayed in a simple little hotel for the night; no more luxuries for the Seymon family, but no one minded that. The trip was just too exciting.

The next stop was Chicago, and here friends met them. They stayed at the enormous Stevens Hotel, right on Michigan Avenue, and spent a day in this city with their friends, who had two sons. They were show Chicago, but the children were not too impressed. It couldn't compare to New York, as far as they were concerned, even though they enjoyed seeing their friends again.

Then they stopped in Omaha and Cheyenne, where they were certain they would see some Indians, but instead they only saw a vast and empty countryside, with little towns and villages here and there. It was so different from crowded Europe. There were many farms, cows, and horses, but no Indians riding by with feathers in their hair. The children were terribly disappointed. They met many very friendly and kind people on the bus, who were fascinated by this family that had come all the way from Germany. Unfortunately, their English was quite poor, except for Ruth and her mother, and they were not always quite sure what was being said to them.

The also spent a day in Salt Lake City, where they attended a concert in the Mormon Tabernacle, which was very impressive and unforgettable. They also did some shopping and were given some tokens as change, which they thought was money. However, when they tried to use them in San Francisco, they discovered they could only be used in Salt Lake City, which they found quite hard to understand.

Along the way, they saw many signs along the highway that said "Quaker State." Ruth asked her mother whether these were states where only Quakers lived; however, her mother had no idea. This puzzled Ruth for months, until she finally found out what the "Quaker State" was.

Then came Reno, "The Biggest Little City In The World." Ruth would never forget that slogan. As she was not yet married, she could not take advantage of this opportunity to get a divorce. Even in Europe, Reno was known for its divorces.

The last day of the trip was the most exciting. Through the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada, with some snow on the ground in the highest points, and then suddenly the descent into the valley, filled with sunshine and color and beauty. Olive trees, orange trees, and wonderful flowers were in bloom in November. There were also palm trees. Surely they were in paradise. This was California, and they loved it from the start.

They had not seen any Indians yet, nor any movie stars, and Ruth was feeling a bit disappointed. But their next stop was San Francisco, California, which the end of their trip. Surely some of these adored creatures would turn up.

The train stopped in Oakland, and here all the travelers headed for San Francisco had to transfer to a ferry for the last party of their trip, as the Oakland Bay Bridge had not been opened yet. San Francisco was a vision in the distance and their excitement mounted.

Their Uncle Maggi was waiting for them at the bus depot. He was a doctor, but lived in Hollywood, and was as handsome as any movie star. Ruth simply adored him. When she saw him there wearing a wonderful camel-hair coat, Ruth decided that this was perhaps even better than meeting a real movie star.

He took them to a quite beautiful boarding house on Pacific Avenue, in a very nice part of San Francisco, which was run by German refugees. He had arranged this for them, and the three rooms they had here were their first temporary home. Their new life in America had really started.

For the first time in her life, their mother had to cook. They had always had a cook in Hamburg. She also had to clean, and wash and iron their clothes. Of course, Ruth had to help. They soon found an apartment in the Marina District, and they loved that pretty area. Their friends from Hamburg had lived there, and had helped them find the apartment. It was only a couple of blocks from Marina Junior High School, where there was a large playing field. This was where her brothers learned to play baseball.

Now her father had to find a job. He had always had his own business, so this would be a difficult change for him. His English was not too good either, so he spoke French instead. With the help of their Uncle Maggis wife, he found a job with Sears & Roebuck, and they slowly adjusted to their new life.

Ruth started school in the ninth grade. With boys! That was quite a change. But it was also a disappointment, as she had expected all American males to be very handsome. These 14-year-olds were a scruffy, messy lot. The style at that time was yellow corduroy pants for boys, and they had to be dirty. Ruth thought they were all very poor. But the best thing of all was another girl she met from Germany--Marion. She was in her class and also liked to draw, and soon they were the closest of friends.

They started their adventures and their classroom traumas. They made mistakes, but that's how they learned, and very soon they felt like true Americans.