I was 12 when we moved into what was a Jewish neighborhood from our Italian one. There was a synagogue across the street. I had no knowledge of the Holocaust or any preconceived feelings toward Jewish people, as my parents never mentioned anything good or bad about Jewish people.
On the corner was a gas station that was run by a Jewish father and son. When I was 15 I got a job there pumping gas. I asked the son to let me help him do repair work, as I was a motorhead and wanted to learn. They took the time to teach me as we did all kinds of repair work there. I was going to a vocational school for auto mechanics and this helped me greatly.
The wife of the station owner had a catering business and brought all of us lunch often over the two years I worked there. I am Catholic and wore a crucifix all my life and sometimes it would fall out from inside my shirt. I remember once the owner asked me if I had any ill feeling for Jewish people before I worked for him. I had NO clue as to what he was referring to, pretty naive I guess. I remember once him asking me to go with the Rabbi to the temple across the street and do what he asked me to do. When we went in he asked me to turn on the lights as we went room to room. I remember wondering what the heck was that about and he explained when I got back.
The owner (Irv) took me to the Jewish credit union next door to get a loan, that he co-signed so I could buy my first car. Think I was the only gentile member, as the old crew sitting around looked at me a little strange. Getting long winded here but I have very fond memories of this family, as they were my first interaction with Jewish people and it was a very positive. It has lasted a life time. Shalom
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