Mojsze, his wife Raizel and their three children lived 35 miles east of Warsaw in the small, predominantly Jewish town of Kaluszyn. Mojsze had gone to Jewish schools and supported Zionist ideals. By the early 1930s, he owned a wholesale grocery store, a restaurant and a gas station, all of which were located on the heavily traveled main road.

1933-39: I'm at the World's Fair in Paris with my sister, Ruchel. She emigrated here in the 1920s with her husband, who owns a successful tailor shop. When I return to Kaluszyn, I'm going to talk to Raizel. Maybe we should think about moving here, too. Living standards are higher. On the other hand, I'm middle-aged, my business is thriving, and I'm a leader in the community, so how can I pull up roots now and start all over again?