Lottie Cohn
Name:
Lottie P. Cohn
Birthplace:
Germany (now U.S. citizen)
Where are you from?
Germany. I was born in Bonn and grew up in the town of Altenkirchen.
What was your childhood like?
It was nice until the Nazis took power. Once the Nazis took power I was afraid to go out in the streets. One day while walking to school, a teenage boy slapped me across the face and called me a 'dirty Jew'. I had never been slapped before and the incident sticks with me through today. After that, I started going to a Jewish school since I was no longer allowed to go to the town school with my friends and really didn't want to after that. The Jewish school wasn't bad but I missed my friends. I had one neighbor friend--we were really close--and her parents still let her play with me after no one else would. Still to this day we write to each other.
What brought you to Cleveland?
After Kristallnacht, my father was arrested and taken to Dachau. He was released after a few weeks because he had fought in World War I for Germany. He had seen enough and contacted his friend in Holland, who helped him get out of Germany. My parents had luckily collected all of the paperwork and passports we would need, and we made it out of Holland on the last boat before the passageway was taken over by the Nazis. We sailed to NYC and stayed there at first. We came from a small town in Germany and NYC was overwhelming. My parents worked with an agency to help us with a transfer to another city. My parents were given the choice between moving to Pittsburgh or Cleveland and chose Cleveland only because they had met someone on the boat from there. Cleveland was a much better fit. I went to school right away and made friends immediately.
What were your first thoughts about coming to the United States? Did those change?
Our first thought was relief. We made it out of Nazi Germany. The United States represented freedom. It still does. Every time I travel anywhere else in the world, I am always thankful and relieved when I return to the U.S.. I have never taken for granted the freedom and safety that I have here.
What challenges did you face transitioning here?
I had a difficult time with how overwhelming NYC was. I had taken English in Germany, so I was able to meet friends and follow along in school right away. My mother had also learned basic English in Germany and was able to get a job at American Greetings when we moved to Cleveland. My father never learned English and found it easier to just teach everyone else German. In Germany, he had owned his own shop. He had to learn a new trade here and worked in a factory. Both of my parents were very hardworking and always felt lucky to be here, even if things were sometimes difficult.
What is your occupation?
I am long retired, but I used to work for the American Jewish Committee and I was a Sunday School teacher. I always loved to work and learned that from my parents. My first job was at American Greetings with my mom. I worked there in the summers.
How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?
When we arrived, they were nice. We didn't make many friends in NYC but people were open to meeting us in Cleveland. I made friends very quickly when I moved here. People are just friendlier in Cleveland than anywhere else.
What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?
I celebrate the Jewish holidays with my family and cook traditional foods, but I'm more distant from German culture. When I moved to the U.S. I wanted to be as American as possible. Most of my friends from Germany were the same way. But I grew up speaking German at home with my parents.
What do you love about Cleveland?
I love how welcoming the city is and how friendly the people are. My family is here, my life is here, and I feel safe and comfortable here.
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss?
It's easy to forget sometimes that the life you're leading isn't the same as the life others are leading across the world. Many people come here because they can't live in their homes. It's not safe. We have a responsibility to take care and protect others who are just trying to live better, safer lives---especially those of us who were lucky to come here as International Newcomers and Displaced Personss ourselves.
Humera Khan
Where are you from?
New Delhi , India
What was your childhood like?
Lots of fun with loving and understanding parents and siblings who were close in age.
What brought you to Cleveland?
My husband was here and I came to join him.
What were your first thoughts about coming to the United States? Did those change?
I was excited to be coming here. Even though I was exposed to the American way of life through movies and books, reality was different. After coming here I realized I would need to establish myself in my new country. It was as if the slate was wiped clean and I would need to start afresh. I came to Cleveland in April, and was surprised to see how excited everyone got when there was a sunny day, but after one winter I could understand why!!!
What challenges did you face as transitioning here?
Had to fit into the new environment which was out of my comfort zone. Many things were different, the food, the driving on the right side of the road versus the left which I was used to. The American English versus the British English which I grew up learning. We spelled Check as Cheque and so on.
What is your occupation?
I have been working with Progressive insurance for the last 15 years. I am very involved in my mosque and community, and other interfaith work . I was on the executive at my mosque for more than 10 years
How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?
I was lucky to have some family here already so it was not too lonely, though I did miss home. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and now after more than 30 years Cleveland is home.
What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?
I keep up with my religious holidays and traditions. We celebrate our religious holidays with community events and our favorite foods !!!
What do you love about Cleveland?
It is a easy city to live in , very affordable and convenient . By March most winters, I think about moving to a warmer place but this year has been great.
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss?
The more welcome a person feels , it is easier for them to fit in and get on with life.
Johnny Wu
Where are you from?
Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Central America, Panama
What was your childhood like?
Being son of the diplomat, we get to travel all over, and also get to learn to be spoiled, but when we no longer are diplomat (dad retired) we learned the hard way and strive for the best, I moved back to Cleveland because I was born here but never experience the city. Love it, many times was going to move away be ultimately decided to stay here.
What were your first thoughts about coming to the United States? Did those change?
When first step into the US, it was quite interesting, especially Cleveland, felt like a big city but now, it’s a city just right for me.
What challenges did you face as transitioning here?
My first language was Spanish and then English and then Chinese so it wasn’t a hard transition, but the most that I experienced here was the racial issue, where when I dress in suit and tie, people tends to think I’m visiting Cleveland, which is why most of the time, I avoided dressing up lol
What is your occupation?
Owner of Media Design Imaging, we produce, direct, and deliver video production with branding/marketing and also for events.
How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?
I’ve experience Cleveland from being probably one of the warmest city (in term of people friendliness), everywhere I’ve worked on I always experience a welcoming, the only time is when I dress up, then I get to be ‘profiled’ to be foreigner.
What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?
Lunar New Year, parent’s birthdays
What do you love about Cleveland?
The diversity as a whole, many places to go to, many events to participate, many ethnic groups, many food to try out. IF someone said Cleveland is boring, that’s because they didn’t go and check around!
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss?
Make them feel at home, most of the time, any ethnic group or visitors would prefer knowing that their culture is well represented in Cleveland, so the more it connects them to their hometown, the more chances they would consider to reside in Cleveland and call Cleveland home.
Why is it important to travel abroad?
Experiencing different culture broaden one’s experience of the world and understanding different culture helps understand diversity as a whole.
My First Week in Honduras
It’s been a whirlwind of a week! After traveling Sunday and Monday, I started teaching at Good Shepherd Bilingual School on Tuesday morning. My students had gym class first thing in the morning, so after saying good morning, our class lined up and walked around the school to a field for relay races, jump rope, and soccer. As we walked down the dirt road toward the field, two little girls ran up and took my hands as we walked. In that moment, after two days of travel and countless things that I had never seen or experienced before, something clicked and felt right. As I look forward to the next few months, I know it’s not going to be easy but somehow this is where I’m supposed to be right now.
I’m teaching and living in Camasca, a very cute town on the frontera, or border with El Salvador. Here, you’ll walk down cobblestone streets, taking in colorful terra cotta buildings with metal grilles over the windows and bright hibiscus and rhododendron blooming here and there. Good Shepherd Bilingual School is very cute, with classrooms for Pre-K through fourth grade that forms a courtyard. Just outside of the gates is a playground. I’ll be in charge of teaching second grade English and spend my mornings as the teaching assistant. Lessons focus on English, Spanish, and Math. I’ve helped with English lessons, especially with pronunciation and coaxing kids into keeping up with the lesson in their notebooks.
There are 25 students in my class, all 7-8 years old. There’s a range of heights and weights of the children: a handful of children are well-fed and bright-eyed, while another handful of kids are very small, with unhealthy teeth, clearly under or malnourished. The rest of the class falls somewhere in between. The school serves leche, or milk, around 9:30 or 10 in the morning, as well as lunch around noon, so children can count on that nourishment.
My first week here has been a humbling experience but I’m ready to keep teaching and learning. I hope you’ll follow along on my blog https://rebeccascompassrose.wordpress.com/. Thanks for reading!
Community Partner: Summer On The Cuyahoga
SUMMER ON THE CUYAHOGA, Cleveland’s premier internship program, is now seeking paid college internships for its 15th summer of contributing to Northeast Ohio’s brain gain. Employers can register intern opportunities for free at www.summeronthecuyahoga to tap into thousands of talented, top-notch students from eight campuses: Case Western Reserve University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Smith University, the University of Chicago, and Yale University. Cleveland employers such as KeyBank, BioMotiv, and DDR have employed Summer on the Cuyahoga interns for years and even hired a number of those interns full-time after they graduated.
“By partnering with SOTC’s program, not only do we have access to hundreds of potentially qualified candidates, but we are able to obtain very high-caliber interns with real-world experiences,” said Jodi Marchewitz, director of resource development and intern experiences with Flashstarts, the Cleveland startup accelerator.
Watch our SOTC video here: https://youtu.be/RKe1fqTT_tA
Since expanding from the Yale-only Bulldogs on the Cuyahoga in 2003, more than 800 interns from around the world have enjoyed spending their summers immersing themselves in Greater Cleveland. The students work full-time during the day, but spend their nights and weekends exploring the civic, cultural and recreational attractions that have turned Northeast Ohio into a world-class destination for young people. More than 125 Summer on the Cuyahoga alumni have returned to The Land to start their careers, with others still clamoring for jobs here.
SOTC is the only college internship program that gives students the opportunity to live as young professionals in Downtown Cleveland, for FREE. The program provides housing for about 70 interns at Cleveland State University, as well as introductions and opportunities to network with local alumni from their universities. This creates a special connection to the region and some of its biggest advocates that often lasts well beyond their summer here.
SOTC’s ultimate goal is to have interns build professional relationships and permanently locate in Greater Cleveland. But even if the interns do not move here, they take their SOTC experience back to their campuses and hometowns, and let their communities know that our region is a great place to live, work, do business, and visit.
For more information, please contact Jean Koehler at [email protected].
Volunteering is uplifting, inspiring, and joyous!
As a volunteer for Global Cleveland, I am in awe of the courage, confidence, conviction, determination, faith, and perseverance that motivates people from around the world to cast off from their known environment toward a new life in this dynamic and complex nation.
To have the opportunity to bear witness to the achievement of citizenship and offer a humble, heartfelt welcome and congratulations is a blessing and an honor.
When I see the smiles, hugs, photos with family, friends, and mentors; the marvelous attire people wear in honor of their heritage; experience the universally understood emotions of pride, hope, optimism, and gratitude that new citizens share at the ceremony; see the eagerness and immediate opportunity to participate in democracy by registering to vote- I feel an immediate connection and kinship with my new neighbors.
The social and economic fabric of our community and our nation are enriched and energized by the talents, traditions, and experiences our new neighbors bring with them to America.
The experience is uplifting, inspiring, and joyous. As my pastor aptly put it this past Sunday,"We are all International Newcomers." It gives me the chance to experience the excitement my grandparents must have felt when they came to this country in the not too distant past. Everyone should take the opportunity to experience attending a naturalization ceremony and reflect on who and how came before you to help give you the life you have today.
Lis Kroepel, Global Cleveland Volunteer
