Bernard Musmand and her sister, Rachelle Bennett speak about their experience living in Esch before 1940.
About the Interviewees
Bernard Musmand was born in Metz, France on March 3, 1930. After the family moved to Esch, his family above his father’s textile business on Rue de l’Alzette. Bernard attended public school in Esch until the German invasion (May 10, 1940), when the family fled to France. His parents never considered going to Palestine and ended up in the United States. At first, Bernard had to work and attend school at the same time, but he managed to build up his career from scratch as a worker in a handbag company. He then became a merchant. In 1953, he married Milicent, and they had two sons, Fraser and Jonathan. The interview was conducted in 1997 in New York (USA).
Rachelle Bennett was born on August 23, 1933, in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. She came from a liberal, fully-assimilated Jewish family. Her family fled from Nazi-controlled territory and ended up in Clermont, France, where they hid under false identities. The family immigrated to New York in 1948, where she attended college. She married twice and has 2 children and 3 stepchildren. The interview was conducted in New York (USA) in 1997.