Title: Oral History Interview with Nathan Sweet
Inclusive Dates: 1979 July 27

Creator:

• Sweet, Nathan, 1887-

Call Number: Tape 775A

Quantity: 2 tape recordings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Interview conducted on July 27, 1979 by Sara Leuchter of the Historical Society staff with Nathan Sweet for the Wisconsin Jewish Archives; concerning his youth in Kapule, Russia, his escape to London, Yiddish plays he saw there, his coming to Madison, Wisconsin in 1908, the Madison Jewish community, and the anti-Semitic feelings of some of his fellow workers.

Note:

Forms part of the Wisconsin Jewish Archives.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-tape00775a

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Nathan Sweet was born on June 15, 1887, in the village of Kapule, Russia, the fourth son of Chaim (Herman) and Nechamia Sweet. As a youth, he was apprenticed to a carpenter, and he remained in the building trade until his retirement. At age 18, he fled Russia and settled for three years in London, where he enjoyed the excitement and carefree living of the big city. He was forced to leave London after receiving a ticket to join his brothers in Madison, Wisconsin. Unsatisfied with the slow pace of life in Madison, Sweet moved to Chicago for three years, where he became a bricklayer. Upon his return to Madison, he continued in the construction trade, and assisted in the building of one wing of the Capitol, two high schools, and several elementary schools. The Sweets were among the earliest Eastern European Jews in Madison, and were active in the establishment of Congregation Agudas Achim (now the Beth Israel Center). For the past year, Sweet has been living in Los Angeles with his daughter, Mrs. Lillian Katz.

Interview

Sweet has long been a subject of interest to the Wisconsin Jewish Archives, but would not consent to an interview, We were alerted to him through our connections in the Madison Jewish community and also by articles in the local newspapers. Unexpectedly on July 26, 1979, I [interviewer Sara Leuchter] received a call from Mrs. Katz, informing me that she and Sweet were in town for a few days and that Sweet was available for taping the following day.

I arranged to meet with Sweet on July 27, 1979, at the home of his son Norman in Madison. The interview lasted for two and one-half hours, and Sweet showed few signs of tiring. His daughters were present for the beginning of the session, and their conversation in the adjacent room caused a few minor taping problems, until they consented to retire to the basement. Sweet's memory was selective; he was able to recall in great detail several Yiddish plays he had seen in London, but he was unable to remember either the name of his second son or the maiden name of his wife. His recollections of Jewish life in Madison are spotty, but he does a remarkable job in conveying the anti-Semitic feelings of some of his fellow-workers. Sweet provides an interesting account of the life of Jews in his Russian village, and of the cunning involved in his escape to London.

Abstract to the Interview

The tapes for this interview have two tracks: a voice track containing the discussion and a time track containing time announcements at intervals of approximately five seconds. The abstract below lists, in order of discussion, the topics covered on each tape, and indicates the time-marking at which point the beginning of the particular discussion appears.

Thus, the researcher, by using a tape recorder's fast-forward button, may find expeditiously and listen to discrete segments without listening to all of the taped discussion. For instance, the user who wishes to listen to the topic on “TRAVELING RABBIS” should locate the place on the second track of side one, tape one, where the voice announces the 09:10 time-marking (the voice says at this point, “nine minutes, ten seconds”), and at this point switch to the first track to hear the discussion. The discussion on “TRAVELING RABBIS” continues to approximately 11:15 at which point discussion of the next topic (“MORE ON HEBREW EDUCATION”) begins.

Notice that in most cases sentences beneath each headline explain more about the contents of the topic. For example, the sentences under “TRAVELING RABBIS” give further details on what appears on the tape between 09:10 and 11:15.

The abstract is designed to provide only a brief outline of the content of the tapes and cannot serve as a substitute for listening to them. However, the abstract will help the researcher easily locate distinct topics and discussions among the many minutes of commentary.

Congregation Agudas Achim (Beth Israel Center) Records are held by the Wisconsin Jewish Archives of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Acquisition Information

Accession Number: M79-295

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by Sara Leuchter, November 14, 1979.

Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:00	INTRODUCTION
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:30	BACKGROUND OF NATHAN SWEET Scope and Content Note: Born in Kapule, Russia, on June 15, 1887. Parents born in same area, as were Sweet's brothers Israel, Moshe Mordechai, and William, and sister Sarah (Mrs. Meyer Eglash) of Milwaukee.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   04:15	FATHER'S JOB ON RANCH FARM Scope and Content Note: Father was jack-of-all-trades. Sold milk cattle in town when they did not produce. Sold fruit during the fall.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   06:25	HEBREW EDUCATION Scope and Content Note: Older sons went to Hebrew School in the city. Younger children attended cheder on the farm.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   07:05	ROLE OF JEWISH FAMILY IN VILLAGE Scope and Content Note: Jewish families in each village operated small stores which sold kerosene, sugar, salt, and pepper. Typical job on the ranch farm was cow-chasing at milking time.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   09:10	TRAVELING RABBIS Scope and Content Note: Cheder taught by traveling rabbis, hired by father. Neighborhood children came to the farm for cheder. Rabbi remained on farm through summer but returned to city for High Holidays. If rabbi was good, he would return for winter; otherwise, another was hired. Rabbi prepared boys for Bar Mitzvah at age 13.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   11:15	MORE ON HEBREW EDUCATION Scope and Content Note: One brother learned Gemorrah and became a rabbi. The neighbors helped to form a minyan on the farm. Sweet learned Chumash.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   13:15	ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE CITY Scope and Content Note: Gentiles on farm were friendly towards Jews. There were fights and arguments between Gentiles and Jews in the cities. No pogroms in Sweet's village.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   14;55	NEWS THROUGH JEWISH PRESS Scope and Content Note: Family kept in touch with world events through Jewish newspapers. Covered international Jewish news as well as events in Russian cities.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   15:50	UNCLES IN AMERICA Scope and Content Note: Family had several uncles in Madison who wrote. Sent boat tickets to Sweet's four brothers for emigration after serving in Russian Army. All brothers, except for oldest, went directly to Madison.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   17:00	NATHAN SWEET LIVES IN LONDON Scope and Content Note: Father unable to buy ticket for Sweet to travel to Madison. Instead, he lived in London from age 17 to 2O.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   17:20	ESCAPE FROM RUSSIA Scope and Content Note: Father hired guide to take Sweet to a border town, where guide bribed border police with money to buy liquor. Escaped at night with others and slept at boarding houses along the way.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   21:20	LIFE IN LONDON Scope and Content Note: Sweet's brothers wanted him to come to Madison, but London too exciting to leave. Attended dances and Yiddish theater, where he saw Tomashefsky and Adler perform.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   23:10	RECALLS LONDON THEATER SCENE Scope and Content Note: Remembered scene in which a prepared wedding table was destroyed by son of widow soon to be married. Her husband-to-be, an old rabbi, was assaulted by the angry son.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   25:00	END OF TAPE 1, SIDE 1
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:00	INTRODUCTION
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:30	RECALLS LONDON THEATER SCENE, continued Scope and Content Note: Detailed wedding scene and destruction of prepared table by Tomashefsky.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   02:50	REMEMBERS ANOTHER PLAY Scope and Content Note: Described another Yiddish play in which rabbi advised parents of Jewish girl to accept her back into the family after she eloped with Gentile.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   05:00	ARRIVAL IN LONDON Scope and Content Note: Arrived with only one trunk and surprised friends; lived with family friends who were old neighbors from Kapule who would open their house to Sweets in the city during High Holidays.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   08:10	APPRENTICESHIP AS CARPENTER Scope and Content Note: Worked briefly in London as brushmaker. Apprenticed to builder for three years at $25.00 annually. In third year, met other apprentices who made more money and worked briefly for their contractor, until father forced him to return to original contractor.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   10:55	WORK IN CHICAGO AS BRICKLAYER Scope and Content Note: Left Madison for three years to work in Chicago. Was walking around city and sighted group of builders. Asked one where he could find the contractor, and the man said, “Don't I know you?” He was Sweet's second boss from Russia. Discovered that builders had specialties and bricklayers paid six cents more per hour. Thus, became a bricklayer.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   15:30	LEAVES LONDON Scope and Content Note: Brothers sent him ticket to Madison via Canada. Mad at brothers because he did not want to leave London. Boat trip lasted six days during which he ate only herring and potatoes.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   17:05	BROTHERS' EMPLOYMENT IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Oldest brother worked at shoe factory for $4.00 per week. Younger brother also worked there but got fifty cents more because he was foreman.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   17:50	ARRIVAL IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Arrived in 1908. Lived first few weeks with oldest brother, who sent ticket to fiancee in Russia, Brothers bought tickets for parents and sister ten to twelve years after arrival of Nathan Sweet.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   19:45	FIRST JOB IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Found a job cutting ice from lakes around Madison. Boss sold ice in summer, wood in winter. Blocks cut 2' x 4' and stored until summer. Straw placed between pieces to prevent adherence of blocks. Job lasted three weeks, after which he went to Chicago.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   22:45	WORK IN CHICAGO Scope and Content Note: Met old contractor from Russia and worked as builder in Chicago. On hot day was working on skyscraper and begged for water. It arrived in a pail with no dipper and was fought over by the workers. When Sweet got it, there was nothing left in bottom but tobacco juice. He threw it out a window, quit, returned to Madison.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   26:05	WEEKEND RETURNS TO CHICAGO Scope and Content Note: Would take train to Chicago on weekends to see girlfriend Molly, whom he married. Were married for 64 1/2 years.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   27:15	END OF TAPE 1, SIDE 2
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   00:00	INTRODUCTION
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   00:30	NAMES OF CHILDREN Scope and Content Note: Had four children: Norman, Lillian, Bernice. Could not remember the name of second son.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   02:20	AGUDAS ACHIM CONGREGATION IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Was one of original members of Agudas Achim Congregation on Mound St. German Jews built Gates of Heaven Synagogue on West Washington St. as a conservative temple. Agudas Achim was orthodox. Oldest brother left Agudas Achim to form B'nai Jeshurun Congregation.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   07:25	MADISON BUTCHERS Scope and Content Note: Morris Stein and brother-in-law Shapiro (no first name) were kosher butchers who fought constantly over customers.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   08:10	B'NAI JESHURUN Scope and Content Note: Fighting between older and younger members of Agudas Achim led to establishment of B'nai Jeshurun. Did not last long and was torn down by city to build low-income housing.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   10:35	SEPARATION IN JEWISH COMMUNITY Scope and Content Note: German Jews and Eastern European Jews separated through synagogue affiliation. Not much interaction on social or business level. Most German Jews moved from Madison to bigger cities.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   12:30	WOMEN RAISE MONEY Scope and Content Note: Jewish women in Madison raised money for Palestine. Sweet's wife active in Jewish fund-raising.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   15:35	WORKMEN'S CIRCLE Scope and Content Note: Workmen's Circle, or Arbeiter Ring, hired teacher for the children. Had building on Mills St., which Sweet constructed. Only two members now surviving.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   17:50	SOCIALISM IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Sweet not much of a Socialist, because he believed in teachings of orthodox congregation. Socialists came to Madison to speak to Workmen's Circle, but Sweet never convinced.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   20:00	JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES Scope and Content Note: Abe Mintz president of Chevra Kadisha (burial society). Sweets active members of Chevra Kadisha and Hebrew Free Loan Society. Women engaged in fund-raising for Israel although Jewish community as whole not too generous.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   21:25	CAPITOL CONSTRUCTION Scope and Content Note: Helped build north wing on Capitol. Did not mean anything special to him other than having a job.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   22:50	OTHER CONSTRUCTION IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Worked for John Kelly as foreman on two high schools - one on east side, one on west side. Also built two public schools.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   25:45	ANTI-SEMITISM ON THE JOB Scope and Content Note: Encountered anti-semitism from Irish laborers while building West High School. Kelly got contract on Tenney building but did not name foreman. Laborers shocked when Sweet offered position.
Tape/Side   2/1 Time   29:30	END OF TAPE 2, SIDE 1
Tape/Side   2/2 Time   00:00	INTRODUCTION
Tape/Side   2/2 Time   00:30	ENEMIES BECOME FRIENDS Scope and Content Note: Sweet allowed to gather crew for Tenney job. His Irish enemies were working with him on West High and wanted job on Tenney building. After Sweet hired them, they became friends. Wanted him to run for union presidency, but Sweet not interested.
Tape/Side   2/2 Time   05:00	CHANGES IN MADISON Scope and Content Note: Not much change in Jewish community. As a whole, changes in society for better. Youth well off and smarter now. Times better for families. Children no longer forced to Hebrew School or to work at early age.
Tape/Side   2/2 Time   08:15	NEVER SHOULD HAVE LEFT LONDON Scope and Content Note: Never very fond of Madison, small and uninteresting. If he could have changed his life, would have stayed in London, where life was exciting.
Tape/Side   2/2 Time   09:35	END OF INTERVIEW