Thank you for your response, Alan. It was my Step-dad who made the decision to move us to that place. Mom hated living there.
I really do not know how the Ku Kluxers discovered that Mom, Sis and I were Jewish. Mom instructed us to keep a low profile, observe others and learn to 'fit in'. My Step-dad was from an old Creole French family and the Ku Kluxers weren't very happy about him, either. Sis is his daughter and she and Mom have his family name just as I have my Dad's family name. Neither are particularly Jewish sounding.
To the best of my knowledge, we were the only Jews living in that small Texas town except for a Dentist and his family. We did not know them well and some years later after he committed suicide, his family moved away.
My only remembrances of them were being chosen by my teacher to be in the annual school nativity play when I was in 2nd grade. So I would have been about 7 years of age at the time.
She chose me to play the role of 'Joseph'. 'Mary' was played by one of the Dentist's daughters and their infant brother was the baby 'Jesus'.
There was a burro in the play, as well. I led him onstage with 'Mary' riding him. Then I helped her down and the burro busied himself eating from the straw that was spread onstage to represent the manger.
We heard the parents in the audience giggling and realized the burro was raising his tail from time to time and dropping a load. Couldn't be helped, so we did the best we could not to step in it and to deliver our lines. I remember 'Mary's' real name was Rivkah and she was called 'Becky' in school. I cannot recall her baby brother's name now. 1955 was a long time ago. It wasn't until I was in 6th grade that the older sons of the Ku Kluxers began jumping me. This ended in 9th grade.
Regarding the Ku Kluxers...... I do not know their familial nor their ethnic origins, Alan. Things such as that were never of interest to me as a young boy. I still do not care much about a person's origins. So long as they treat me with respect same as I will treat them, it really doesn't matter to me.
All the best,
Daryavesh
I really do not know how the Ku Kluxers discovered that Mom, Sis and I were Jewish. Mom instructed us to keep a low profile, observe others and learn to 'fit in'. My Step-dad was from an old Creole French family and the Ku Kluxers weren't very happy about him, either. Sis is his daughter and she and Mom have his family name just as I have my Dad's family name. Neither are particularly Jewish sounding.
To the best of my knowledge, we were the only Jews living in that small Texas town except for a Dentist and his family. We did not know them well and some years later after he committed suicide, his family moved away.
My only remembrances of them were being chosen by my teacher to be in the annual school nativity play when I was in 2nd grade. So I would have been about 7 years of age at the time.
She chose me to play the role of 'Joseph'. 'Mary' was played by one of the Dentist's daughters and their infant brother was the baby 'Jesus'.
There was a burro in the play, as well. I led him onstage with 'Mary' riding him. Then I helped her down and the burro busied himself eating from the straw that was spread onstage to represent the manger.
We heard the parents in the audience giggling and realized the burro was raising his tail from time to time and dropping a load. Couldn't be helped, so we did the best we could not to step in it and to deliver our lines. I remember 'Mary's' real name was Rivkah and she was called 'Becky' in school. I cannot recall her baby brother's name now. 1955 was a long time ago. It wasn't until I was in 6th grade that the older sons of the Ku Kluxers began jumping me. This ended in 9th grade.
Regarding the Ku Kluxers...... I do not know their familial nor their ethnic origins, Alan. Things such as that were never of interest to me as a young boy. I still do not care much about a person's origins. So long as they treat me with respect same as I will treat them, it really doesn't matter to me.
All the best,
Daryavesh