Lili Bermant's Oral History

Lili Bermant, born in Antwerp, Belgium before World War Two, was interviewed by Emma Morgenstern on November 10, 2010 at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Once in the US, Lili competed with the returning soldiers and was accepted at Brooklyn College. Although challenging for various reasons, she loved college. Her parents were very concerned that she only date Jewish men. She herself preferred Americans to Europeans because she was trying to adjust to her new life. She eventually met her husband who was an American Jew, working as a waiter, and studying to be an engineer. Her parents wanted her to marry someone who would take care of her, and he turned out to be a good choice. When her father died young of a brain tumor, her mother went to work as a diamond broker, although she had no work experience. She ended up working until she was 82. Lili's husband had trouble getting a good job, but eventually was one of the few Jews hired by IBM in Poughkeepsie, New York. By the late 60s they were living in Maryland. Lili's husband was transferred to Brussels, which turned out to be a more interesting city than Antwerp, and where her sister also lived. Lili loved the traveling they did all over Europe and in North Africa and found herself an interesting job in an American private school in Brussels. She describes a wonderful tour of Israel that she took at one point. After three years, IBM brought them back to the Washington, DC area. After several years her husband retired and became a mediator, as did Lili. Both continued training and she ended up doing family mediation, while he got involved in arbitration in a business setting. Lili pursued a master's degree to become a reading teacher and talks about many other jobs that she held over the years. Lili tells stories about more trips to Israel, including one to bury her sister there. She reminisces about her involvement in the women's movement in Brussels where she joined a group called "Women Overseas for Equality." She remains a strong feminist and advises young women to become financially independent before marriage.