1632-1 Synagogues 145
h .. MRS. ROSE WEISS, October lo. 1969
Interviewer; Susan Powell
Mrs. Weiss came to Miami in ucwuer 1920, ana we are going to let her
tell you wily ail. ti, w 5.tu va:u., t.. Mlauti beach.
"Yes, 1 WtiS Very sic in New YUT'K wit“ asthma, alta t.iC uv..LOr tole me to taKe
a trip ana wnerevec 1 nit a place, 1 aglow,, otleK. .7v lit late uctober on a
dreary mail arter•noon, 1 salleu on a s..lp to Jaulcs.,riville. it aiun't go to
Miami. All my I ami l y an., my many rr•.i enu S vacate to win me bon voyage. AS t:.c
gangpiann was rl:.en, a..1 1 saw mol.e and mole water seperate the .;oath, rru.0 l tie
uuc—, 1 was torn by stoams aria mixed emotions . Hope, I earl cal, nti...t
wo,41u ttu.s trip mean in my tire: Woulu 1 rinu neap.. 1 ueUCi.atcly looxeu I•or.
could I looK alter my oaby In a Strange c.tviro uuenz. lI i was sicx7 Wnaa, would
happen to my family when I woo
"rine-L.14 1 tore tuyse.Li trum the docK, went to my stateroom, aria sarorlsea to
rim' it filled with rlower5, ca..es, ca./lulus a..0 u.nrtg�&c things. Tne tour days
of the trip passea pie asentiy. �Ja...,,s'a`waS an attractive child, ana t.ie captain
as well as so,ue of t.tc paseenge.s playea witn him. I sat at t.ie uaotaln'a taw—.
and met some charming people."
"We had to wait for four nours,after we landed, to catch the train for Miami.
Restles, the child finally began to cry without stopping. I tried all the usual
things to interest him p, including a lollipop; but he wouldn't stop.
He kept right on crying. I had to check the bags through to Miami. So, holding
the tas cyring baby, I talked to the baggage master at the depot. He tried to
play with James, but nothing helped. Fianlly, he suggested that I take him to
a lake to feed the ducks. He said that the bus was at the corner which I take
there."
• "When we arrived at the lake I bought some bread to feed the ducks. This finally
interested him and he stopped crying, playing with the ducks, saying "nice ducky".
It was hard for me to get him to leave when it was time to return to the depot.
We passed the baggage (I shouldn't read all of this because it don't mean
anything, you see?)".
"When we arrived in Miami, Mrs . Rosen and Mrs . Isador e Cohen from Miami were at
the station'to meet me. Mrs . Rosen brought a jar of homemade jam, a gift to
welcome me.The only bus which crossed thenca-rre�ray was the new causeway to Miami
Beach. We hadn't =one very far before we had a flat tire. The few people that
were on the bus had to go outside to wait for the tire to be changed."
"While standing outside the bus, I inhaled the pure salt air; already felt better."
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Interviewer: " Mrs. Idadore Chben, isn't she the mother of Mrs . Clair Weintraub?"
"Yes . The bus took us to Ocean Drive, First Stree, , on which corner stood a wee4en
frame building called the Brown's Hotel. And,the upstairs was occupied by bedrooms
while the ground floor was made for a lobby,and the floor was used for kitchens.
People could rent both bedrooms and kitchens. It was arranged for me to :ave both
bedroom and kitchen.(Mmm, bad lighting) ."
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#(that was my little boy that I took with me) .
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. . MRS. ROSE WEISS
"Mrs. Brown, a robust, good-loo'diiag woman with piled-up chestnut-colored hair,
greeted me warmly. I appreciated her affection and kindness, but all I wanted
at the moment was to wash, change my clothes and try to get a little rest. Gene
(ed.: seems it is Gene instead of James) was willing to wait a little while. We
set out bath, and looked out wondering at the blue sea. I told Gene that the fishes
were sleeping, and then he went to sleep too."
Interviewer: "Mrs. Brown, would you please tell us what buildings you remember
being around the Brown's Hotel when you and your family first came to Miami Beach?"
"I remember where I had my own apartment, Mr. Shapiro as building on Ocean Drive,
right in back of me the Fiera (?) Vista Apa . d the ? Hotel was being
built by the sane contractor that built mine on First and Collins . Then the Hibiscus
Apartments was built way before I cam, I guess. It was down on Collins, no not Collins
• . . . uh . . . ."
`Interviewer: "Ocean Drive?"
"No,' wait, wait. I think, Washington, 'way down, all the way down -- and, uh . .
(ed. mumbles) . . .."
I: "Ater you moved out of Brown's Hotel, then you had your apartment building built,
which was known as the Royal Apartments?"
ti
"Yes."
I: "And you maned that apartment building for how long?"
"Well, fourteen years. Now, wait a minute (ed. mumbles) . . ."
I: " Is that the apartment building in which you were kind enough 4 to
accept families during the war to let their children live?" t
"Yes."
"Can you tell us something about that?"
"One day, as I was walking around town, I came to the fire station at Collings Ave.
and Si$th Street. As wer were going by, Chief Stevenson came out to say hello to
me and to (Ed. mumbles) . He introduced himself and asked Gene if he would like to
go out on the truck. Of course, he said yes, leaving with a smile. The ehief said
that he heard that I'm a newcomer to the city and asked if I would like to meet the
City Clerk, Mr. Samuelson. I told him that I "� in the building, and that I
wished the fire station was wr And then I met several people with whom in was
interesting to have a long, enjoyable assosia.ion in the operatingbof Miami Beach.
Mr. Samuelson told us that the city Council meeting was upstairs, and I asked him
if I could invite some friends." •
"We went upstairs, and there I met the members of the City Council . 9 ?? ?oo977o?
was the first to greet me, and invited me to attend meetings. I took the invitations
seriously, and attented the City Council meetings for the next 38 years. (Ed.mumbles) ."
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, MRS. ROSE WEISS
I. "Mrs . Weiss, I understand that you were very active with the Parent-Teachers
Association* with our sch000ls here on Miami Beach. Would you please tell us
something about the schools?"
"When I came he re, there was a small building, six-room school . And, Miss Dean (?),
the principal there, was very nice. I brought my little boy, and Miss Bradlyy statted
a kindergarden there. Then, later, I brought my children, Melvina my daughter and
Milton my son. She was put in third grade and Milton, in second grade. And then I
got busy (ed. mumbles- . . . . the school work."
"One day, I came to school and I saw a little boy standing outside with shabby hair
and a torn slipper and (ed. mumbles). And, I went over to him (it was lunch hour),
and I said, why don't you go in to eat? He said, "I lost my di: e". And, I said,
"Well, come in, I'll lend you a dime." I took him in and I told Mrs. Dean to give
the child lunch, and to give him lunch every day, and to keep him busy in the kitchen.
(ed., membles)".
"That same day, I asked Mrs. Dean if I could take the child out early from school.
And,. I did. I took him to the barber, and gave him a haircut. He gave him a washing,
a cleaning up. Next door to the barber shop there was a store with everything, shoes .
And, I went in there and I bought him shoes, I bought him underwear, I bought him
everything else, and I brought him home, and I knocked at the door. And, a woman came
to the door. She didn't recognize her own child. And, she says "Hello, hello2 -- and
I smiled. And, the little xxist boy just went on in, and she screamed "That's not my
child :" And, from them on I continued to do welfare work. That's my first story
for welfare work. There wasn't a child on this beach who was hungry or had nothing
to wear, that I didn't supply them for."
I: "What year was this that you started this wonderful work, Mrs . Wiess?"
"Well, it would be around '21 or '22. And I got in so deep that I didn't have
interest for anything else. There were many poor people there, but I tried hard
to give people jobs . I was working with Mr. 4pixnshaw, he was very, very nice."
I: "What position did he hold?"
"City Manager (of Miami Beach). And, he told my maybe he'd give 'em a job, and so
he told the man to give them a job. And, most of the people there, in the early days,
I gave them:'-jobs --yin City Hall . That's how I got into City Hall, see? -- through
that. And then, of course, 2xxxs every Council day, I was over there watching."
I: Tell us about the Parent-Teachers Association.
"The Parent-Teachers Association, fwas Vice-President (I wouldn't take the chair) --
I think Mrs. Renshaw was President, at that time. And, I Sar did something in those
days -- I started to make Christmas baskets and Thanksgiving baskets for the poor
people here. And, I got a truck from the City and a man to help me deliver all the
baskets. Sometimes I had ten, sometimes seventy. And, Mrs . Dean and the children
used to help provide the canned goods, you know, to put in the baskets . And, Lions
Club gave me chickens and money Ot put in the baskets."
"One morning, I vas at one of the Council meetings, asixxxmamxsamsxtrxxsx I was sittin'
there, and a man came up for a liquor liscence. And I didn't like that -- because I
was at the PTA meeting where a little boy fell asleep at the fence. And the principal
asked Him, "What's the matter with you, are you sick?". He said "No, I'm sleeping".
He says, ";thy are you sleeping?" He says, "I was up all night". He says, "Why were
you up all night?". He says, " I was working for my father on the bar". Andhe bent
down ( I wonly say this because it's true), and he smelled of beer. And, that in my
mind, and I head about the liseence -- I jumped up, and I told the story and it went
MRS. ROSE WEISS — 4 —
In the papers and all over Dade
County (ed. mumbles)
it was terrific, terrific.
And, I felt so bad, so bad, ashamed that I did it -- but I killed the liscence. And,
I felt very bad about it, but it was a help."
I: Mrs. Weiss, can you tell us how far north Miami Beach was developped when you
first came?
"'Til about forty-odd street. They had the ???9" and the barn (?) and they had
other things . And they had the Polo Field. And, on Forty-first Street -- Polo
starts on Fourteenth Street, then it went to 41st St."
I: "What's your story about the Polo Park?"
"Oh the Polo Park was just lovely, and I always talk about that and laugh about that,
and the only free thing I got was Carl Fischer gave me a free ticket for polo (laughs)."
And, I had a lot of trouble with my did =-- he wanted a halter and a pie polo pill (?) .
And, so the headman on the polo field, I forgot what his name was, gave me one."
I: "What was your means of transportation around Miami Beach?"
I had a car".
I: "Were there many cars?"
"No, not quite. I have a story on that, and I'm gonna' tell it to you. One day,
I was visiting Mr. �,�in the office, and Mr. Fisher heard my voice . We
had the offices on M chigan a,d Lincoln Rd. -- it was on the second story of an old
(not old -- but one of the first) building. So Carl says to me, "Rose (he had the \ lt-�
Saturday Post in his hand) I'm reading about a man, an engineer� raff.1.4- �`do you�`u
think we ought to have tLm here?" That was around1930, when he said that. And, he
said to me, "There are so much cars here." And, I said to him, "Carl, I can't under-
stand -- you had foresight for all those beautiful things, and you didn't realize
that we need roads for cars." He says to me, "You' re right, you're right". (Laughs) .
We have so many cars now -- I wish he was here now."
I: "Who were some of the other early developpers that you were so friendly with
besides Carl Fischer and Mr. Pancos t (?)?"
and Fischer and Pancost . . . . "
I: "And, I imagine, many other people too".
"Oh yes, they cam later."
I: "Now, tell us the story about the golf course."
li
"So, I got busy, and I went to Carl, and I told him the story and he agreed with me.
He said, "I'll be happy to give you some land with Colline"(he was in partnership
with Collins). So I went to Collins and I spoke to him about it, and he didn't want
to hear about that. Later it went through, but Collins the whole
Lincoln Rd. And, then it went through, and it was so handy and nice, and now there's
a school there (I: Miami Beach High School). . . . .. . (unintelligibabe) .
I: Tell us some 6f the first Rabbis you remember being here mn Miami Beach".
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.vias. ROSE WEISS
"Well, . . . . (unintelligible). . . . you mention anything, I have a story. Now, the
Rabbi, the first Rabbi
I: After the hurricane. . . .
had after the hurricane, I had a few Jewish people in my building who had to go i..o
to the Holy Holidays (it was on on Kippur), and there was a lady, Mrs. Granite (?),
and she had a building on Washinlon Ave. by Biscayne, and she made that a worship
Temple. And, the men went there, but were cauffht by the hurricane, and then they
began to build a Synagogue. So they built a Synagogue on First st. and Washington
Avenue. And, the firtt Rabbi was Shapiro, no not Shapiro -- oh, I fortot his name --
(mumbles)."
I: "Tell me, Mrs. Weiss, about your children and what they do today, because I know
that you are very, very proud of them."
(Unintelligible)
I: "The three "B's" of Miami Beach".
(Unintelligible)
I: "Did ti x you and your family stay on Miami Beach during the hurricane?"
"Yes. (unintelligible) The editor from the Herald came to see me and he
broug t a photograher with him to take pictures of the children . . . .
I had seven babies around me like a chicken, and three (unintel .) . . . . ."
I: "Mrs . Weiss, tell us about your city flag."
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" One day I had an idea that every city has to have a flag, and I went to the City
Hall to talk about it, and I went to the Chamber of Commerce to talk about it. And,
• finally, the Chamber of Commerce said to go ahead and make a design, and they would
see what they could do. So, I dkdi. Then . . . 1 . . the fortieth anniversav, I think
it was, I was on the platform (every anniversary they have something) -- and I see
Mr. Hershemeir and the then Secretary ( what's his name) came forward with
the flag. I thought they had forgot about it. Fianlly, they gave me the flag and I
had to make a speech, you know -- and I said that I was so happy that Miami Beach
has a flag . . ."
I: "Were you a representative, did you sit on the Chamber of Commerce?"
"Yes, I was a first member. I brought in sixteen members in two weeds. (mumbles)
And, then they gave me a prize. (mumbles) ."
"So I went to Havana (mumbles) -- I took my sister with me (mumbles) -- we had a
wonderful time (mumbles).
"I am now a great—grandma at 85."
I: "You just celebrated your 85th birthday."
"Yes. I have very many friends. My family is: Mr. of
Miami, my daughter, my daughter (mumbles) . . . . Mr. and Mrs. Milton Weiss, is
Il my son, and Dr. and Mrs . Weiss is my other son, Gene. And, four grandchildren,
Mr. and Mrs. Harris, live in New York, Mr. And Mrs. have a
baby and live here on the Beach. Miss Annie Wiess, Ruth and Gene's dauzhter is
at Colorado College just now. And, Georgie Weiss is in the high school here on
Miami Beach. My theca sisters, one, Mrs . Stan Glass (?) in New York; Mrs . Jacovy
F ~
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gBS. ROSE WEISS
in , and Mr. and Mrs. Feld in North Miami. I have two nephews, Laurence Feld
and Louis Feld, living in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder and Mr. and Mrs .
Collins (?) is here on Miami (mumbles)."
"I did belong to so many organizations (mumbles). I belong now to a Pioneers Club,
(mumbles), Mt. Sinai Hospital, Old Age Home, The Hebrew Academy , the Eastern Star
and boystown" .
I; "Mrs. Weiss, we know that you have recie ved many,mmny rewards fmx over the years
for all your wonderful service that you have done for everyone else here on Miami
Beach, one of which -- in January 1955, Miami Beach T=ixpayers Ass. presented to
Mrs. Rose Weiss, who, for 35 years has demonstrated outstanding civic service to the
Miami Beach Community. We want to thank you so very muc h for letting us some into
your home to talk to you. In addition, Mrs. Weiss initiated in 1928 the Harvey
Fogg costume contest, which is now an annual event. And, she was awarded ank ward
in June of 1962 by the Miami Beach Recreation Dept."
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