The Horse Adjutant
Chapter Twelve The Land of the Free
March 1959, I arrived into the arms of my bride. My first view of New York City was breathtaking. I was brimming with hope and ready for a new experience. I was no longer alone. I had a wife, her family, and some of my own as well, three aunts, two uncles, a niece, first cousins includ- ing Raymond Woldman, a United States Federal Judge. As soon as I settled down, I started to learn English. Once I was ac- climated, I started to look for a job.
Leon and Betty in the USA
The first job I found was a perfect fit for me, AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph). I was excited about the opportunity to work there. My initial interview must have gone well because I received a promising call back. All I needed to do was complete a security check. That is when I learned they did not hire anyone Jewish. Outraged, shocked, and disappointed, all at the same time, the anti-Semitism would not end in America! Before the interview was over, the fellow I was talking to suggested, “In the future, don’t write that you are Jewish when applying for jobs.” As I left, I said, “Thank you,” but I was thinking how much I detested the reasoning. I did not sleep well that night. As I tossed and turned, I pondered what I had been through and how I would have to hide my Jewish identity again. I reported the incident to the Jewish Congress, and they acknowledged my experience saying, “Leon, you are not alone.” They offered no solution. Once again I was on my own. I tried to find another job. I saw an article in the NY Times looking for a trouble- shooter in electronics at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital. To prepare for this interview, I put my plan into action and went to the local tattoo parlor. I had a black panther tattooed over my Auschwitz tattoo. Then, I filled out the forms and, under nationality, I entered ‘Polish,’ just like I did when entering the Polish Army. As I sat and waited for my turn to be interviewed, my thoughts could not help but drift back to the past. Eventually, my name was called. I stood up and was introduced to Mr. O’Donnell, an engineer and retired captain from the US Navy. I followed him into
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