Cohen, Harriet_1974/12, Oral History

Subjects of interview include: Boat catches fire on honeymoon College experience, Life in Miami

GREATER HARTFORD JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Tape No.: 84 No. of Tapes: 1 Name of Interviewee: Harriet Bacharach Cohen Date of Interview: December 21, 1974 Occupation: Assistant Vice-President of Washington Federal Savings and Loan Bank Date of Birth: circa 1915 Place of Birth: Hartford, CT Transcript (yes/no): yes No. of Pages: 17 pages

Abstract:

Harriet’s parents, Sam and Frieda, were in the food business in Hartford. The business was started by Sam’s family. It was located on Park Street. The Bacharach family were members of Congregation Beth Israel, which was located on Charter Oak Avenue at that time. Harriet was confirmed by Rabbi Feldman and, in later years, after her marriage to Abe, became a charter member of the new synagogue.

Harriet attended Smith College and the Prince School in Boston, which was part of Simmons College. Her training was in personnel. She worked at G. Fox for Mrs. Auerbach in management training. She then worked at Brown Thomson, where she organized fashion shows, along with personnel work.

Harriet enjoyed social dancing and it was at Wright’s in Newington, a roadhouse, that she met her husband Abe. Abe, “Butch” as he was called from his college days at Dartmouth, was also in the food business. He owned the Triangle store on Park Street with his three brothers Harry, Rube, and George. It started as a drug store, one of the first discount drug and grocery stores of its kind. Later, it became the Big Lion on the corner of Market and Morgan Streets.

Harriet and Abe’s honeymoon to Havana could have had a tragic ending. The ship, the Moro Castle, had a terrible fire on the return trip. As the fire spread, they feared for their lives and jumped from the top deck into the water. They had life preservers on and swam for six hours until they reached Point Pleasant off the Jersey coast where they were finally pulled ashore. The year was 1934. Harriet’s mother, Frieda, and brother-in-law George, were notified and were there to meet them. Some of the passengers were rescued by the Monarch Bermuda ship, but others perished.

In 1948, due to Abe’s ill health, they moved to Florida. Abe died nine years later. After working with Abe’s former partner in the building business, Harriet started a career in Banking. She was very successful as the Assistant Vice-President for the Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association. Her expertise was in real estate appraising. She was the first woman in the State of Florida to receive the Senior Designation in the American Society of Appraisors.

Subject Index: Banking Education- Jewish Education- secular Oral History Synagogues- Beth Israel