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Breman Mseum and 100th anniversary of Rich’s Department store Ceramic bowl and Stand
It was typical Atlanta summer. Sun was blazing down with its strong radiation hitting my body and I felt so tightly embraced by it. On the way to Breman Museum located in Atlanta, not even one time I felt like I am in different city. Everything is so Atlanta; cars were moving slow and the roads were not well polished with bunch of stop signs with few traffic lights. There in Atlanta was Breman Museum, which records a big part of Atlanta history that I did not know so much even after spending 4 years in the city.
Mrs. Kats is the director of Breman Museum that I met there and she knows everything about Atlanta Jewish communities. Exhibition room has 18 artifacts and Mrs. Kats looked very excited to tell every historical backgrounds behind it. I was surprised to find out that its history going back to centuries. However, I still had hard time affiliate my experience in Atlanta to any of these artifacts of Atlanta Jewish histories. Then Mrs. Kats stopped at well polished ceramic bowl and started to tell us the story of Rich’s department used to be located in Lenox mall.
I have heard about Rich’s department store that was replaced by Macy’s before I came to Emory and I was always wondering how it would be if there was Rich’s instead of Macy’s where I frequently go. If I think of the mall, it is a place of excitement and good memories. It is a place where I bought a necklace for my girlfriend for anniversary and chocolate for Valentine’s. It is a place where I went for the first Black Friday Mall shopping at dawn with my girl friend ended up buying nice pair of jeans that I am still wearing. That is how I think of the department store and for the most people. Rich’s department store must have left good memories for good amount of people and that is what Mrs. Kats told us.
It was not only just a department store but also a civic contributor. Mrs. Kats opened up, “When the time of depression the city of Atlanta cannot pay school teachers, they issues something called script which was like IOU. Rich’s was only place in Atlanta that school teachers go and they don’t have to buy anything with cash they pay with script…Rich’s was the leader of the community.” Founded by eight peddlers, Rich’s contribution as a community leader was noticeable. When the community suffered, no matter what races or ethnic groups you belong to, Rich’s reached out to help those people in need. After she finished her stories of Rich’s department store, I can picture the whole histories of Jewish immigrants by just looking at the ceramic bowl – the spirit of Jewish peddlers, once immigrants themselves and the guardian of civic values of America.
It was typical Atlanta summer. Sun was blazing down with its strong radiation hitting my body and I felt so tightly embraced by it. On the way to Breman Museum located in Atlanta, not even one time I felt like I am in different city. Everything is so Atlanta; cars were moving slow and the roads were not well polished with bunch of stop signs with few traffic lights. There in Atlanta was Breman Museum, which records a big part of Atlanta history that I did not know so much even after spending 4 years in the city.
Mrs. Kats is the director of Breman Museum that I met there and she knows everything about Atlanta Jewish communities. Exhibition room has 18 artifacts and Mrs. Kats looked very excited to tell every historical backgrounds behind it. I was surprised to find out that its history going back to centuries. However, I still had hard time affiliate my experience in Atlanta to any of these artifacts of Atlanta Jewish histories. Then Mrs. Kats stopped at well polished ceramic bowl and started to tell us the story of Rich’s department used to be located in Lenox mall.
I have heard about Rich’s department store that was replaced by Macy’s before I came to Emory and I was always wondering how it would be if there was Rich’s instead of Macy’s where I frequently go. If I think of the mall, it is a place of excitement and good memories. It is a place where I bought a necklace for my girlfriend for anniversary and chocolate for Valentine’s. It is a place where I went for the first Black Friday Mall shopping at dawn with my girl friend ended up buying nice pair of jeans that I am still wearing. That is how I think of the department store and for the most people. Rich’s department store must have left good memories for good amount of people and that is what Mrs. Kats told us.
It was not only just a department store but also a civic contributor. Mrs. Kats opened up, “When the time of depression the city of Atlanta cannot pay school teachers, they issues something called script which was like IOU. Rich’s was only place in Atlanta that school teachers go and they don’t have to buy anything with cash they pay with script…Rich’s was the leader of the community.” Founded by eight peddlers, Rich’s contribution as a community leader was noticeable. When the community suffered, no matter what races or ethnic groups you belong to, Rich’s reached out to help those people in need. After she finished her stories of Rich’s department store, I can picture the whole histories of Jewish immigrants by just looking at the ceramic bowl – the spirit of Jewish peddlers, once immigrants themselves and the guardian of civic values of America.