Interview with Martin Kaplan, May 12, 2016

CRANE: For official purposes, today is May the 12th, 2016. My name is Janice Crane. And I am part of the interviewing team for the Jewish Kentucky oral history project, funded by the Jewi-Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence. I'm honored to be here today with Dr. Martin Kaplan. So let's begin. For the record, what was your name at birth?

KAPLAN: Martin Paul Kaplan.

CRANE: And when and where were you born?

KAPLAN: Brooklyn, New York. To be exact, I only lived there for one year.

CRANE: Okay. Where did you go after that?

KAPLAN: Queens, Flushing, New York, for one year, and then the Bronx. There was a reason for the--My father was a high school teacher, just starting out. He was transferred from a school in Brooklyn to a school in Queens and then the Bronx. So then we stayed in the Bronx.

CRANE: What were your parents' names?

KAPLAN: Uh, Samuel A. Kaplan and Clara Kaplan.

CRANE: And what was your mother's maiden name?

KAPLAN: Clara Sussman.

CRANE: Where were they from and what were their occupations? You've mentioned that your father was a schoolteacher.

KAPLAN: Yeah. He wa(clears his throat)--he was born in Russia. Was actually the Lithuanian part of Russia, at that time. And he came over here at age seven. And he went to Syracuse University too, at the College of Forestry. And then he became a schoolteacher, a year or two before I was born. My mother was born here, in U -US, lived

CRANE: And did your mother have an occupation outside the home?

KAPLAN: Uh, yeah. She became school-schoolteacher, elementary schoolteacher, uh, which she did before she got married.

CRANE: Uh, in speaking with your grandson, who happens to be here as well, 00:02:00listening to us today, Jacob Ward, he had also mentioned that your--uh, part of your family had come from Lithuania. And I was just curious as to where in Lithuania they might have come from.

KAPLAN: It was a village near Vilna. And I have the name o' the village at home but I couldn't tell ya.

CRANE: I was just, uh, sort of curious, because my family roots were also from a shtetl in Lithuania called Pushelat, like many of the Jewish people around Lexington.

KAPLAN: Yeah.

CRANE: And I was always wondering if there's just one more family that's somehow connected. Uh, did your parents' or grandparents' names change, when they came to this country?

KAPLAN: No.

CRANE: Okay. Uh, do you have siblings? And if so, what are their names and 00:03:00ages relative to you?

KAPLAN: Yeah. My brother, Ray, is seven years younger than me

CRANE: --okay

KAPLAN: --lives in Philadelphia. (coughs)

CRANE: Just the two of you?

KAPLAN: Yes.

CRANE: Okay. And what is your wife's full name?

KAPLAN: Odette Kaplan. Her middle name is Saada, S a a d a.

CRANE: And like you said, she was born in Morocco.

KAPLAN: Yes.

CRANE: Okay. And I know you were married prior to--uh, to Odette. And what was your first wife's name?

KAPLAN: Uh, Nickie .

CRANE: And her maiden name.

KAPLAN: Her maiden name was, uh--Oh.

WARD: No, was Nixon, right?

KAPLAN: No, Nixon was--'Cause they change--Yeah, it was Nixon. That's right. Yeah.

CRANE: Okay. And this is for the real test. And the names and ages of your children and your grandchildren, Jacob being one of them.

KAPLAN: Names and ages, not birth year but just age.

CRANE: Um-hm.

KAPLAN: Well, Jacob, I would say, is twenty-two or close to it--(laughs)--Lisa is uh, she was born in 1960. That would be, uh

CRANE: --you can do the year

KAPLAN: --'40--1940--1960, she was born.

CRANE: Okay.

KAPLAN: So she's--forty--fifty-six. Yeah. And Janet was born in 1951, so she would be 65.

CRANE: Those are grandchildre--? Those are

KAPLAN: --those are children

CRANE: --children. Okay. And you have more children?

KAPLAN: Three children.

WARD: An

KAPLAN: --and then, uh--because my wife has children.

CRANE: Okay.

WARD: And then Dave. What year was David born?

KAPLAN: Well, let's see. We were talking about oh! Lisa, Jacob, and David. David was born in 1971.

CRANE: Okay.

KAPLAN: So he is 46, yeah.

CRANE: How would you describe your parents', both your mother and your father's, relationship to Judaism?

KAPLAN: Well, my father was born into a Orthodox family. His parents--at least his father was very strictly Orthodox. Uh, so that's the background. I guess that's what you asked. Because my father did not continue to be Orthodox. My mother was born into a typically Orthodox family, not as

JD: --do you--do y

KAPLAN: --not as strict--

JD: --do you recall spending time with your grandparents and what it was like, uh, spending time in the Orthodox homes?

KAPLAN: I never spent much time with my--

WARD: --uh--

KAPLAN: --paternal grandparents. Uh, let's see. My grandfather lived in part of Brooklyn called Canarsie, uh, visited occasionally. He was, uh he spoke a little English, mostly Yiddish--uh, obviously. Uh, and, uh, my grandmother died when I was a--two years old, so, of course, I didn't know her. But I was never very close to that c or grandfather. And my mother

CRANE: --do you speak Yiddish?

KAPLAN: Do I? No. My parents did not speak Yiddish, even though their 00:07:00brothers and sisters, uh, did. Uh, well, at least my father's brother and sister spoke Yiddish. Uh, my mother's--my mother's parents came from Romania. And, uh--uh, but she was born here, aft after they arrived. She had five--five siblings. And that was a--I mean, nominally Orthodox. Uh, but I don't think my maternal grandfather went to the synagogue very often. Does that cover what you asked?

CRANE: Um-hm. What was Judaism in your family like, growing up with your parents?

KAPLAN: Well, I went to what was called Hebrew school. I mean, it was typical 00:08:00Hebrew school, and, uh, an hour, uh, in the afternoon after regular school, where--did--mostly r read from the Siddur. Didn't learn much Hebrew language. But that was the way it was done then. And then I had a bar mitzvah, at the usual time. And, uh, after that I never went to the synagogue, unless I was visiting an aunt or somebody who is going to the synagogue and we joined them. But my--my parents did not go to the synagogue. And, uh, my mother kept strictly kosher in the home. That was the main manifestation of Judaism.

CRANE: And holidays? Did you observe the holidays?

KAPLAN: Well, I'd say we didn't observe the holidays. In fact, on the High 00:09:00Holy Days, my father would go to school and teach, even though the high school was, uh, probably seventy-five, eighty percent Jewish and the classes were very small. They didn't call of school but, uh--And, uh, as I recall, sometimes I would go to high school during the High Holy Days, also. It varied. So you could see, I was not very observant.

CRANE: What did your parents teach you about Judaism? And how what you learned from them impact--impacted your life.

KAPLAN: I don't think, uh, I ever discussed Judaism with my parents. I don't 00:10:00think it ever came up. Except occasionally you'd talk about anti-Semitism. Uh, but, uh, as I said, si since they weren't very observant, uh, uh, there was no--uh, no, there was--there were no expectations. Uh, never--never came up, that I can recall.

CRANE: What--what did you all discuss about anti-Semitism?

KAPLAN: Well, there were incidents. My mother described a couple of, uh, incidents where he--uh, she was harassed, growing up. Uh, she grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. And, uh, that made an impression on her. I think that that 00:11:00was always in the back of her mind. Uh, and then, uh, of course, uh, when I was in high school, I mentioned the possibility that I might want to go in to engineering or science. And, of course, always came up that it was hard for Jews to get a job in, uh--in the major--uh, for instance, DuPont, which was a big company that hired chemists, uh, didn't hire Jews, or very few. And, uh, let's see. What were the other examples? Well, applying to college. I mean, I ex the only, uh, experiences I ever had--you didn't ask me--the only experience I ever had was in apply-applying to, uh--to college. 'Cause I applied to 00:12:00Columbia University and I had a top grade-point average but I wasn't accepted. And I learned that they had a quota system. They only took so many Jews from the Bronx and so many from--(Crane laughs) --you know, they didn't want to be inundated. That was always the fear, in some of the top universities. Of course, that--you know, that's totally changed now.

CRANE: Uh, that's uh interesting--uh, what is your most vivid memory of Jewish life and ritual, growing up?

KAPLAN: Did you say ritual?

CRANE: Um-hm. Yes.

KAPLAN: Well, I didn't grow up with any rituals, except, you know, I--I knew that we ate strictly kosher food. What other rituals?

CRANE: Or what's your fondest memory, growing up--Jewish memory, growing up?

KAPLAN: Fancy that you should ask me that, because I'd never thought of it, as to whether I had any Jewish memories. You know, it was accepted. All m my family was entirely Jewish--(Ward coughs) -- and, uh, I didn't know very many non-Jews, either in school or anyplace. Uh

CRANE: --I guess growing up New York makes it a little bit different, because it's more common there to be Jewish than

KAPLAN: --yes. Well, as an example, I went to a high school which was about 80 percent Jewish. Now at that time, the Bronx--the population o' the Bronx was about 50 percent Jewish--

F1: --uh

KAPLAN: --more than any other borough. I mean, New York City was about a third Jewish, at that time. But, uh--And the neighborhood we lived in was almost entirely Jewish. So, uh, that's--you know, you grew up in apartment houses and, uh, the apar-partment residents were almost all Jewish. Only the superintendent, or the super, as we called him, wasn't Jewish. So I--I don't have any other, uh, strictly Jewish memories, until I went away from home.

CRANE: Okay. Where did you attend undergraduate school? And what did you study?

KAPLAN: Well, I went, for a year, to City College-at City College of New York, uh, which at that time had zero tuition. Maybe it still does. I don't know 00:15:00much about the present City College. You know, the C the College of the City of New York, as they called it at that time, had Brooklyn College, Queens College, Hunter College, and City College--City College. And--and an interesting place. But then I decided that I wanted to go out of town. And I transferred to, uh, Syracuse University, for three years.

CRANE: And what did you study while you were there?

KAPLAN: I majored in chemistry.

CRANE: That's quite a challenge. What involvement, if any, did you have in Jewish organizations, while you were in college? Were you in a Jewish fraternity or--?

KAPLAN: No, uh, no Jewish fraternity, although they were there. There were three, uh--two or three. Uh, did I go to services? There were Jewish services 00:16:00occasionally, at a building--I don't think I ever went to--to Jewish services or had any connection--My roommates and I had--about three different roommates, while I was there. They were Jewish. As a matter of fact, the university had a habit, when they--when they, uh, reserved rooms in a--in a, uh, residence hall, dormitory, they would, uh, attempt to pair Jews together. You know, there were two students in a--in a room. And although I never heard it, uh, officially--but they did assign Jewish students together. But I don't recall any other Jewish involvement, at all.

CRANE: It's interesting. Because New York--you know, you grew up in such a very Jewish presence there.

KAPLAN: Yeah.

CRANE: And the university you picked also had a very strong Jewish presence. And so, uh, perhaps it's--it's more challenging to think of something that's uniquely Jewish, because you were sorta surrounded by that.

KAPLAN: Well, that's true. I mean, maybe you'll ask me that question. But I didn't really show much curiosity, until I lived in a place where there were very few Jews--

CRANE: --and we will get there--

KAPLAN: --which was when I was--That's when I was in the Air Force. Yeah.

CRANE: Uh, describe any involvement you had, when you were in college, in non-Jewish organizations. What was your university experience like, besides 00:18:00studying a lot to--(clears her throat)--do well in chemistry?

KAPLAN: Oh, let's see. I was a member of a few clubs, was a member o' the French Club and, uh--Let's see. There was another club. I went out for track and field. That's not a club. But, you know, I don't re remember.

CRANE: That's okay.

KAPLAN: I think I was a member of one or two clubs. 'Cause I knew I needed to have a couple extracurricular activities, when I was applying--I was applying, uh, for a graduate student or, later, m switched to medical school. But, uh, yeah, I went out--uh, I did some track.

CRANE: What was your experience like? I heard, uh, little glimpses that there might have been some political aspirations, when you were in college, this

KAPLAN: --well, no. I went out and campaigned for Henry Wallace

CRANE: --ah!--

KAPLAN: --joined a group, which went to a few places. Do you remember Henry Wallace?

CRANE: No, I don't.

KAPLAN: He was a third-party candidate in 1948, left-wing. That's when Truman beat Nixon. But, uh, nobody expected Ni Truman to do very well and this third party developed, of people who di didn't think that Truman was, uh, liberal enough. So I worked with them, for a year.

CRANE: S- so the third party was more liberal than ?

KAPLAN: --than Truman's p yeah, than the Democratic Party. Yes. I don't even 00:20:00know if the party had a name. Maybe it was the Progressive Party or--But, uh--Yeah, uh, uh, Henry Wallace. He was an interesting person.

CRANE: How well did he do?

KAPLAN: Didn't do as well. At first they thought he was going to do very well. And, you know, Henry Wallace had been vice president, for one term, until Roosevelt changed vice presidents. And then he became Secretary of Agriculture. And he was very well known. But, uh, he ended up not getting more than a f- few percent--uh, small percentage o' the vote.

CRANE: What--what do you feel was the most significant part of your college experience?

KAPLAN: Mm. That's a good question. I would say making friendships. I met a 00:21:00number of peo small number. But, uh--Also, I had--I had jobs, part-time jobs, which were interesting.

CRANE: What did you do?

KAPLAN: I don't' know how much they impressed me. But, uh

CRANE: --what did you do?

KAPLAN: I worked in the kitchen and dining--dormitory dining area, serving food, maybe cleaning up in the back too. And I worked as a--an assistant to the man who--to the--in the laboratory, where they set up experiments for general chemistry courses. And I would assist in, uh--in setting up the equipment.

CRANE: Hm. I happen to be personally aware that you are, although retired now, 00:22:00a medical doctor who specialized in allergies and immunology.

KAPLAN: Yes.

CRANE: However, I'm not totally clear where you went to medical school and where you did your internship and residency or, for that matter, how you decided on your area of specialty. So for the record, where did you go to medical school?

KAPLAN: You know, you didn't ask me why I chose medicine.

CRANE: I did, just then--

KAPLAN: --why--

CRANE: --why you d

KAPLAN: --why--

CRANE: Oh! Why did you?

KAPLAN: --why. Because I started out in chemistry.

CRANE: Oh. Okay. And, uh, I had a professor, in a basic chemistry course, who said, "Oh, you're such a good student. But why do you want to be a chemist?" He said, "Chemists"--you know--"don't make much money. Here I am. I'm an instructor." He was in the department. And he's only make a small salary. Professors were not very well paid, back then. He said--he said, "Why don't you 00:23:00go to medical school?" Well, I--that was in the back of my mind. Because I still thought--I didn't know if I wanted to do that. And I was majoring in chemistry and I thought it would be interesting to--uh, to go on in chemistry. And as a matter of fact, I did--I--I started in graduate school, at Purdue, to work for a master's in chemistry. But in the meantime, my medical school acceptance came in, late. So I switched at that point, which made my mother happy, of course--

CRANE: --I'll bet!--

KAPLAN: --maybe my--(laughs)--father too.

CRANE: So where did you go to medical school?

KAPLAN: Uh, it was called State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, in Brooklyn. That was the first year it was called that. It was taken over. The--the medical school was taken over by the state of New York. It had 00:24:00been Long Island College of Medicine, a private medical school, uh. An -and the state took over that medical school and also the Syracuse Medical School. And, uh, that became--Syracuse became Upstate and the Brooklyn medical school became Downstate.

CRANE: And you were there for four years?

KAPLAN: Four years, yes.

CRANE: And then you did residency and internships where?

KAPLAN: Well, I started my internship at, uh--it was called Long Island College Hospital, which was part o' the s medical school system. That was a internship for a year. And then I started a residency in pediatrics, at, uh, a hospital called, uh, Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, which no longer exists. And about halfway through, I was, uh--uh, I had to apply for a commission. There was a doctor 00:25:00draft, at that time. This was between Korea and Vietnam. And there was no dra the, uh, draft had been discontinued for everybody else, uh, except for doctors and dentists, because there was a shortage. So the law said that doctors could be drafted. But to avoid being drafted as a private, you applied for a commission--which is what I did and got the commission, and was in the Air Force for two years.

CRANE: And when you say you applied for a commission, does tha you--you go in as a captain or--? Uh, I mean, you go in as

KAPLAN: --I went in as a, uh, first lieutenant.

CRANE: First lieut

KAPLAN: --and then, after a while, they changed the law. The doctors all became captains. So I became a captain.

CRANE: In the Air Force.

KAPLAN: In the Air Force, yes.

CRANE: And where were you stationed?

KAPLAN: Greenville, South Carolina.

CRANE: Hm! Uh, tell me about your experience in Greenville, South Carolina, in the military.

KAPLAN: I enjoyed it. I liked the military. I even considered staying in longer. Changed my mind. Uh, I had asked to be assigned to pediatric duty. Because, uh, at that time, some o' the Air Force hospitals took care of children or other dependents. There were--and I guess they--some--military hospitals still do. But that wasn't a military hospital. It was just an airbase that had a medical unit. So I went in expecting to do pediatrics and, when I got there, they said, "Oh, we don't do pediatrics anymore. We send our children to town. But we do obstetrics and gynecology." And, uh, the--they happened to need a, 00:27:00uh--an additional obstetrician. So they asked me would I like, uh, to do obstetrics, especially since I could take care o' the babies in the nursery, as a pediatrician. So I said, yeah, that was better duty than working in the--uh, what they called the dispensary, you know, seeing all the airme-airmen as they came in with minor problems. So I--I did obstetrics, for almost the entire two years that I was in. Delivered a lot of babies.

CRANE: When did you decide to become a, uh, allergist?

KAPLAN: Allergist. Well, I considered staying i- in obstetrics. But then I ch decided to continue in pediatrics. And I went back to, uh, additional pediatric residency, in order to meet the requirements. And in my last year of pediatrics, I, uh, talked to a, uh, allergy specialist. And I ha I did my last 00:28:00year of, uh, pediatric residency in Syracuse, went back to Syracuse. And, uh, I got interested in allergy through this particular practice, especially. And, uh, I decided that I would take an extra year, uh, in allergy, so that I could do pediatrics with a subspecialty in allergy. By the time I finished allergy training, I found that, uh, it was easier to do allergy as a s as an allergist rather than as a pediatrician with allergy. So I did that. I looked for a position in allergy. And that's how I go came here.

CRANE: Describe how or if your Jewishness impacted the time you spent in the service.

KAPLAN: Yeah.

CRANE: You were no longer around all the Jewish people that you had been in New York.

KAPLAN: Yeah. You you're right. It impacted--uh, Greenville had a small Jewish population. And there were two synagogues, Reform and Conservative. And, uh, I started going to the Reform synagogue and met some people. And the other impact was that--uh, that I met my future wife while I was in the military. She was a nurse at the hospital where I was doing my where

CRANE: --in South Carolina.

KAPLAN: In Greenville, South Carolina. And, uh--and we got married, uh, shortly after--well, just within a week or so after, uh, I completed my duty. 00:30:00And, uh--and she had decided to convert to Judaism, which she did through a rabbi--a Conservative rabbi in--in Greenville. So we were married by that rabbi.

CRANE: Okay. So before we get too much into your adult and your professional life or your move to Kentucky, is there anything unique we should know about your family background, your childhood years, or the time you spent in college or medical school or the military, that you haven't already shared, that you would like to?

KAPLAN: Well, there must be.

CRANE: You can always just--

KAPLAN: --I mean, there were a lot of little (laughs)--you know, I--I can remember little stories here and there. But as far as an important, uh, influence

CRANE: --the stories are always good.

KAPLAN: Well, there are little stories like how I became a Yankee fan and, uh--and, uh--Let's see. Well, medical school had--you know, there were always interesting occurrences. W

CRANE: --how did you become a Yankee fan, first?

KAPLAN: Well, the rabbi at the Hebrew school where I was attending was able to get a bunch o' tickets for the Giant game, the New York Giants. Uh, or the New York Giants were--in New York then. Now they're in San Francisco. So I--I went along with a lot of my fellow students. And I sat next to one who--and I 00:32:00kn- knew very little about baseball. I think I was eight years old or nine years old. I was sitting next to this student friend who kept telling me how much he hates the Giants. See, uh, we were watching the Giant game. The Giants had Mel Ott and other top players. He said, "I hate the Giants. I love the Yankees." So I went home and decided, "I'm going to be a Yankee fan too." So from then on, I became interested in baseball and have followed the Yankees ever since

CRANE: --good for you!

KAPLAN: --loyal fan.

CRANE: All right. When did you move to Kentucky?

KAPLAN: Nineteen fifty-nine.

CRANE: And what brought you here?

KAPLAN: Well, when I was in my, uh--uh, I had a, uh, allergy fellowship in Washington, DC. And, uh, as I was there, I decided to look around, see where I 00:33:00could go into practice. I didn't necessarily, uh, want to stay in New York. In fact, I had the feeling I'd like to leave New York--New York City. So I--uh, I looked at, uh, certain ads, uh, doctors who wanted an associate. And, uh, then I went to a--a convention, an allergy convention. I think it was in Chicago. And, uh, I got in touch--well, before I got there, I got in touch with two--I think three physicians who were looking for an associate, including Lexington. I talked to all of them. I decided I'd like to see what the practice in Lexington was like. And I--I came here, flew here, first without my wife, 00:34:00jus just me. An and, uh, then later--well, I think I decided that that was a good position for me, here in Lexington. And then later, my wife and I flew, uh, here. And, uh, we confirmed that we'd like to live here. My wife was happy about it. 'Cause she was from South Carolina. She thought, "Kentucky, well, that's, uh--that's like being back in the South."

CRANE: Definitely not New York.

KAPLAN: (laughs) So, uh--Yeah, I was considering a practice in Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, which is not far from New Yor--And, uh--and so I've been here ever since. I joined a practice. I don't know if you ever knew Maurice Kaufmann. That was before you saw me in practice.

CRANE: Um-hm.

KAPLAN: Uh, his son is still active in the Jewish Community.

CRANE: I remember him. Okay. So you were born in New York. You went to college and medical school in New York.

KAPLAN: College

CRANE: --New York

KAPLAN: --well, New York state.

CRANE: R

KAPLAN: --I went to college at Syracuse. Yeah.

CRANE: Okay. New York and Kentucky are very different, including the fact that, unlike Kentucky, New York has a very significant Jewish presence. So what were your considerations in moving here, if any? Were you concerned about what it was gonna be like? Or was your experience in South Carolina enough to make you feel comfortable leaving the big c the big city an ?

KAPLAN: --oh, I looked into it. Because, uh, as I said, I became more interested in Judaism in South Carolina. And then, getting married, my wife 00:36:00being a converted Jew, it was imp--uh--portant for me--"I'd better find out about how to continue interest in Judai "So I did look into it. Uh, I mean, like I'm sure, when I was here, I, uh, asked about, uh, synagogues here in Lexington and Jewish population and so on. And it was satisfactory.

CRANE: What kind of adjustments did you have to make, from living in New York to living in Kentucky?

KAPLAN: Well, I really don't recall adjustments. It was easier living here. I liked it from the beginning. You know, it's, uh--was easy to get around, you 00:37:00know. There were no four to five-hour rides on the subway, here in Lexington. So, uh--but, as far as adjustments, uh, of course, I--I had, uh, to adjust being away from family. But I don't recall that it bothered me very much. It bothered my mother a whole lot. In fact, she couldn't understand it. When she told a friend or relative that her son had moved to Kentucky, they were astounded. Kentucky, no one knew about how especially a Jew would move to Kentucky.

CRANE: Tell me about your medical practice. What was the structure like? You started with, uh, Dr. Kaufmann?

KAPLAN: Yes.

CRANE: And was it just the two of you?

KAPLAN: No. He was in practice with Lloyd Mayer. Did you know Lloyd Mayer? Uh, they had been practicing together. And the three of us were practicing for two or three years. And then things happened and, uh, Lloyd Mayer left the practice and set up his own. He continued in solo practice, uh--No, no. H he was in solo practice for a year--then he took o uh, for a number of years. Then he took on an associate. Uh, Dr. Kaufmann and I were practicing, just the two of us, for about ten years. And then we took on an associate--and then later another associate in the practice. Uh, you know, we've had additional MDs in the practice ever since.

CRANE: I suspect that being a specialist means that many of the patients you saw were referrals from other physicians in the community.

KAPLAN: Yeah, not only from Lexington, all over eastern and central Kentucky. Excuse me.

CRANE: Since you were new to the community, how did you go about establishing relationships with other physicians in the area?

KAPLAN: Well, through my senior partner. I mean, I--matter of fa I made an effort to visit a number of the physicians who were good referral sources. And, uh, you know, the number of MDs in Lexington was much smaller, at that time. And, uh, I got to know almost--almost all o' them, at meetings and, uh, you know, just working together with patients.

CRANE: Explain the positive or negative effects that being Jewish had on your practice, if any.

KAPLAN: I don't think it had any effect. I m no one ever questioned--If there 00:40:00were doctors who didn't like Jews, they wouldn't sent patients to us. But they would

CRANE: --did the Jewish--other Jewish doctors in Lexington send you more patients?

KAPLAN: Uh, you know, there were so few. There was Dr. Moosnick. Uh, did you know him--Rosie Moosnick's father?

CRANE: Uh, Franklin.

KAPLAN: Franklin, yeah. He would refer a few patients. And, uh

CRANE: --uh, he was lots of people's doctors, back then.

KAPLAN: Oh! He was very much admired in the community, not just the--not just 00:41:00the, uh, Lexington community--uh, I mean, not just the Jewish community but the whole community. There was--there were a few--very few Jewish doctors, at the time. Of course, the University of Kentucky Medical Center was just getting started. And then, of course, the number of Jewish doctors increased--as it has to the present day--but--and those in practice too. There was one doctor--Rankin. Forget his first name. He was a Jewish doctor, an internist. And, uh, he became--uh, he was pretty well known in the community. He became, uh, president of the, uh, Fayette County--Now it's--It was called Fayette County--now it's the Lexington Medical S Society. And I remember his wife 00:42:00saying to me--(Ward coughs)--"Look at what"--so-and-so--"Rankin has accomplished. A Jew has become president o' the Medical Society." I mean, she thought was phenomenal. Maybe--Well, I don't think that, uh, even by that time--That wou -would have been fifteen years or so after I arrived, twenty years. Uh, I don't think there was very much anti-Semitism in the medical community. And, of course, it was becoming much less in every community, you know, and, uh, part of Lexing-Lexington society. But he became president o' the Medical Society. Franklin became president o' the Medical Society two years 00:43:00later. And, uh

CRANE: --were they the only other Jewish physicians that were around then?

KAPLAN: Thinking. No, there--there couldn't have been more than four or five. Of course, there were the three of us--

CRANE: --uh--

KAPLAN: --Kaufmann, Mayer, and Kaplan, all Jews, in allergy practice. And, uh, not too long after that, Ken Gerson went into practice. Did you know Ken Gerson? He was a--he was a Jewish allergist.

CRANE: I don't remember that name.

KAPLAN: Uh, so there were the four of us. Uh, now--now there are no Jewish allergists in Lexington, just--You know, allergy is a small practice. You know, 00:44:00there may be twelve allergist, all together, in--in Lexington. And, uh--(clears his throat)--I don't think an of 'em are Jewish now.

CRANE: What was it like having, uh, Jewish partners in your practice? Was that more--I mean, more special or?

KAPLAN: --no, I don't think it affected the practice at all. And, uh, in fact, it wasn't too many years after that we started taking on--we--we had Dr. Goiser, who only stayed with us a few years. And then we had--Larry Hemmings came, a few years after that, and then, after that, Jack Hill and Neven Gardner, who re both retired very recently, last summer. None of 'em were Jewish. And I don't think, uh, it made any difference whether my associates 00:45:00were Jewish or not.

CRANE: Describe the importance of connecting to some part of the Jewish community, when you arrived in Lexington. You mentioned just a little bit about your wife, at the time, uh, converting and you wanting to stay connected, because that was sort of the right thing to do, to

KAPLAN: --oh, right away, uh, I mean, we looked up--we joined Temple Adath Israel right way, upon arrival. And, uh, I became active, and my wife too, not too many--uh, qui shortly after that. I also joined B'nai B'rith, which was more active then, and became president within a couple years.

CRANE: What was B'nai B'rith like then?

KAPLAN: Well, we had about 120 men or 30 men, at--at the peak. And we met--It wasn't, uh, extremely active. I mean, we met three or four times during the year, with evening meetings. And we had a couple other activities. We had--uh, some of us would--were a volunteer group that would go to the, uh, VA hospital, the one on Leestown Pike, to, uh--to talk to patients. There were a few other activities. And, uh, I think my wife joined Hadassah, uh, at that time.

CRANE: I know you were also the president at the temple, at one time.

KAPLAN: Yeah. I became president relatively young.

CRANE: And what was that like?

KAPLAN: Uh, it was, uh--I enjoyed it, for the most part. I mean, there were--there were some problems, especially when I first became president. I don't know if it's something that should be mentioned publicly.

CRANE: You c

KAPLAN: --do you remember Rabbi Leffler?

CRANE: I sure do. You could discretely share whatever you want.

KAPLAN: Do you remember when there was, uh, an uprising against Rabbi Leffler? Do you go that far back? (laughs) I mean, there was a group--the--the temple board decided to dismiss him. But then there was a g organized group from the congregation that decided they wanted to keep him. So it went to the 00:48:00congregational meeting. And a decision was made to keep Rabbi Leffler. And that was the year that I became president.

WARD: Uh--

KAPLAN: Some o' the major figures in the temple either resigned or cut their dues in protest. But, uh, it really didn't affe--uh, uh, well, you are not a member of Adath Israel, I don't think, so you probably don't know too much about it. But, uh, Rabbi Leffler stayed a few more years. Then he was again asked to leave. And this--this time he--

CRANE: --he was there twenty years?--

KAPLAN: --didn't protest. He was there twenty years, yes.

CRANE: What are the concerns, if you remember, uh, that some o' the congregants had that were opposed to keeping him?

KAPLAN: Well, the ones that were, uh, spoken about most were the--they said he 00:49:00didn't get along with children very well, in religious school he was not--and it's qu it's true. He was not the type--the warm type personality that new how to deal with children. And, uh, then there were other beefs. Yeah. I liked him, although he was not the warm type rabbi that, uh, we've had since then.

CRANE: How many rabbis has the temple had, since you've been there? Rabbi Leffler was there when you came?

KAPLAN: No. There were two before that.

CRANE: Uh

KAPLAN: --there was one who was there for about a year, after I arrived. And he went to St. Louis. And there was a Rabbi Rothman, who c stayed for two or three years--and then Leffler, for twenty years. And since then, you probably 00:50:00know who came after that, Adland and--you know, an

CRANE: --oh, that's right. And after--there was John Adland and after him was Marc Kline?

KAPLAN: Marc Kline, yes.

CRANE: And then

KAPLAN: --well, Rabbi Roberts was a, uh, interim rabbi--

CRANE: --oh, that's right--

KAPLAN: --and now our current--our current rabbi.

CRANE: According to the Temple Adath Israel Web site--it has you down that you are still an active member of the temple. So what is it that motivates you to continue to be active at the temple?

KAPLAN: Well, I have a profound interest in Judaism, and, uh, both from the 00:51:00standpoint of faith in its teachings and, uh, a desire to associate--be with other Jews. That's, uh, my organization.

CRANE: What was Judaism in your home like as an adult, living in Lexington?

KAPLAN: (sniffs) Well, we, uh--most of it, I think, was connected with Temple Adath Israel. Y you know, because whatever it's, uh, doing, we would attend. And so this was always on the calendar. Uh, I mean, we, uh--let me see. My 00:52:00wife did not keep kosher. We, of course, raised children at the temple. So we participated in their religious school activities. Uh, we celebrated the holidays. We lighted candles on Friday night.

CRANE: That's pretty good. Uh--and your--your present wife, she's also a, uh, active member of the temple.

KAPLAN: Yeah, she is, and Hadassah. Are you a member of Hadassah? Because 00:53:00that's her major interest.

CRANE: Tell us about that. Tell me a little bit about her involvement in Hadassah.

KAPLAN: Well, she, uh--I think she joined right away, after we got married. She had not been active--her--her first husband was not Jewish. She was born Jewish, of course, but her first husband was not. And she did no--although she maintained an interest in--in Judaism, all the years, she was not active in anything. Uh, but, after we got married, uh, she learned about the temple and about Hadassah. And she would attend meetings. And then, uh, she's a member of 00:54:00the board. And then she was asked to be president. And she hadn't been that--member that long. But, uh, she was asked to become president, which she did, for two years. That was about six, eight years ago. But she's continue to be active since.

CRANE: I find it amazing that Lexington, Kentucky, is such a small little place, compared to the United States as a whole, and there are so many leaders--Hadassah leaders that come out of Lexington, at a national level. I mean, there's been, uh, Judy Saxe and, uh, Marilyn Moosnick, and--

KAPLAN: --Gail Cohen--

CRANE: --Gail Cohen. And, you know, I've read lots about Odette. I mean, 00:55:00there's lots of women who have very strong Jewish connection, uh, and go, uh

KAPLAN: --it is--it is unusual. I think they have 300, 310 members in Lexington--uh, considering the size, is, uh, amazing. Uh, the Jewish population in Lexington is about 2,000, maybe 3,000. 'Cause they really don't know. A lot of those are hidden. Uh, and Louisville is 10,000. Louisville doesn't even have an active Hadassah chapter now.

CRANE: What do you attribute this to?

KAPLAN: Well, leadership, uh, people like Judy Saxe, who, uh, became active many years ago. And, uh--yeah, what--what you've said is recognized by Hadassah 00:56:00people--leadership, all over. On a national--on the national level, they know that a Lexing--Lexington is very active in Hadassah, at a proportion to the population. And I think it has to do with those who--who lead and, you know, set the tone.

CRANE: What supports and challenges were there, uh, that you had to face, in raising your children in Lexington?

KAPLAN: Excuse me. What challenges and what else?

CRANE: Uh, what supports were there to raise Jewish children in Lexington? What were some o' the supports that were around? Obviously, the temple. And what were some o' the challenges that you all had to deal with?

KAPLAN: Well, of course, the supports had to do with the temple, and then the, 00:57:00uh--uh, the community center, Federation, uh, with the sh--the, uh--you know, the children's day camp, during the summer. Uh, the supports--and you're talking about Jewish supports.

CRANE: Um-hm.

KAPLAN: I'd say it was the temple, more than any, uh

WARD: Uh

KAPLAN: --they went to religious school.

CRANE: What was your relationship with, uh, the Federation? (Ward sniffs)

KAPLAN: We uh

CRANE: --were you all involved?

KAPLAN: --I was on--I was on the board about six years. Yeah, I might say it 00:58:00was the--the summer camps. My son went to Camp Young Judea, which is a subsidiary of, uh--(clears his throat)--of Hadassah, although I think it's become independent now. And that's where he really developed a closeness to Judaism. He went to a--after he, uh--after he was too old for--for, uh, Young Judea, he went to a camp for older kids, I think sophomores in high school, in--in New York--it's called--upper New York state. It's called Tel Yehuda--where he had so--So, uh, he really developed a--a closeness to, uh, Judaism that way.

CRANE: Were you involved in other organizations or groups, uh, within the greater Lexington community? Were you active in?

KAPLAN: --non-Jewish groups?

CRANE: Um-hm.

KAPLAN: I really haven't been--other than medical. I mean, uh, Medical Society and the allergy groups. And I was on the voluntary faculty of--for UK, for many years. Means I donate time to, uh, help teach medical students and residents, you know, like an afternoon a week.

CRANE: How did you get involved in that?

KAPLAN: Oh, there was, uh, always an open invitation for specialists who wished to assist in the, uh, teaching program to do so. I don't think very many do. 01:00:00But, uh, it was no problem to, uh--Oh, uh, uh, I must say, though, that it was easy for me, perhaps, because I joined the pediatric allergy teaching program, which was led by Ken Gerson, who I mentioned before. He was on the part-time faculty, for a while. Then he, uh, had his own practice. But later, I switched to a different--to an adult allergy clinic--uh, Dr. Bang--uh, for a number of years. So, uh, uh--I mean, this was a community effort, t- to do that.

CRANE: Were there other Jewish doctors that you, uh, met, through your volunteer work at the university--

KAPLAN: --uh

CRANE: --as the Medical Center grew?

KAPLAN: I don't think that that led to it. Uh, uh, in the early years, I knew all of the faculty--pediatric faculty doctors. I don't think any of 'em were Jewish--up to the present time. But, uh, uh, that--that was it. I just--you know, by just being there, uh, I did meet some other Jewish doctors. Well, there were Jewish dentists. I don't know if I met them, though, through the medical school--you know, Stan Saxe and Milt Gellin. I think there were Jewish dentists on the faculty.

CRANE: How did your relationship to Judaism and your practices differ from that 01:02:00of your parents?

KAPLAN: Uh, well, my--uh, uh, I've been much closer to organized Judaism than my parents ever were. I--uh, as explained before, my parents had no connection to--to any synagogue or Jewish organization, that, uh, I can recall.

CRANE: And how is

KAPLAN: --I mean, the main connection was with family, who--your Jewish family. So, uh, tha I think tha that was it--

CRANE: --and how is yours different from that of your children's?

KAPLAN: Well, you know, uh, two of my three children I mentioned David before 01:03:00and then Lisa--And, uh, you know, so Lis Lisa is Jacob's mother.

CRANE: I know tha

KAPLAN: --and, uh, she's been--you know, has sent the children to--to, uh, Jewish school--think they still call it Hebrew school--in, uh--in Louisville. So, uh--so two of my three children have been active in Judaism. My other daughter has not shown much interest.

CRANE: And where's she?

KAPLAN: She lives in Louisville also.

CRANE: So all three of your children.

KAPLAN: My chil yeah, they all live in Louisville, or close, uh, the vicinity.

CRANE: Uh--That's not too far away.

KAPLAN: No. I'm fortunate that way.

CRANE: How has your Judaism and your practice changed, over the years? Or has it?

KAPLAN: How has? Wha? Excuse me.

CRANE: How has, uh, your Judaism, your personal spiritual beliefs and practices, changed over the years, from when you grew up to moving to South Carolina to moving to Lexington to? You know, I know that your--your family were raised Orthodox, you're members of a Reform temple. But I don't really, 01:05:00uh, know whether you feel more connected or less connected than you did. I'm just curious as to how you feel it has changed, over time.

KAPLAN: My connection to Judaism?

CRANE: Um-hm.

KAPLAN: Well, I thought I, uh, brought that out, the fact that, uh, until--until I went into the military, my Judaism was just a given. I mean, it was--I accepted it. Didn't perturb me that I was Jewish. I can't say that I had any special feelings one way or another. It was just an ac an acceptance, part of my life--uh, but not in an active fashion. Uh, as an adult, especially 01:06:00since moving to Lexington, it's been a much more important part of my life. And, uh, I mean, uh, J Judaism, to me, is a, uh--has a spiritual a aspect which answers many of my questions, thoughts about life in general--and then an interest in the actual, uh, history and- and, uh--Or, uh, uh, you know, I read books about Judaism. Certainly closer than I ever was before. It's important to me.

CRANE: What has been the role of Israel and Zionism, in your activities and of 01:07:00your identity as a Jew?

KAPLAN: Well, you know, I became aware of the Holocaust after World War II. Trying to think. 'Cause my grandparents came over here a long time before World War II but I recall them--uh, at least my mother's parents, uncles, and aunts stating that, uh, they--they never get close touch with family members. Back then, you didn't make long distance phone calls. I guess you could have written letters. But they didn't keep in very close touch. And then, uh, when the war was over, they realized that there was, uh, no contact at all. And they would just pass such remarks as "Well, they're all gone," you know, because of the 01:08:00Holocaust. But it was never discussed--uh, probably not--uh, maybe not in presence, 'cause I was younger then. Uh, my thought--Of course, I've always been a strong, uh, r supporter of Israel, from the very beginning and, uh--and believed in the Zionist concept, at a time when not all Jews believed that. And, of course, since--since my marriage to Odette, I've been even closer. Because she has family in Israel. We've been there several times.

CRANE: Did her family leave Morocco and move to Israel?

KAPLAN: Uh, her brother and sister did. And it's mainly their--their 01:09:00children--Well, her brother didn't move there till much more recently. But her sister, uh, went to Israel even before--Well, Odette go

WARD: --uh--

KAPLAN: --arranged for her to go there, at the same time that she left for the US. By that time, Jews--and by the--uh--see. She left in the early sixties.

F1: Uh

KAPLAN: --in the fifties and sixties, uh, Jews in Morocco were deciding that they had to leave, even though they weren't treated as badly in Morocco, perhaps, as other, uh, Near Eastern and North African, uh, countries. But still, i- it was not very pleasant for them, especially after Israel became a state. And they started leaving. And, uh, my wife was concerned that her 01:10:00sister would not fare very well without her. And, uh, they were--they were raised by their grandfather, actually. And she arranged for her--for her sister to go to Israel, even though she was just a young teenager. Uh, and, of course, the s sister has twelve--(laughter)--uh, "twelve"--uh, has five children. And it's their children who, we've--you know, we've gone to their weddings. And, of course, through them we know other Jews living in Israel. So, of cour--that m means that we're a lot closer than most Jewish families, because of family in Israel.

CRANE: Did your family come from--uh, come over here dur after the Bolshevik Revolution? When did they leave Russia, or Lithuania?

KAPLAN: No, they were, uh, much older than that. My father left Russia in 1906, when he was seven years old. And, uh--and all the siblings, some came before him, some with him. Uh, my mother's parents came here shortly before she was born, in 1904. So they came, you know, maybe 1902. So that was long--

CRANE: --and they all settled in

KAPLAN: --and they all and so that was long before--uh, before--well, somewhat before the Bolshev--uh, Revolution, yeah, fifteen years before.

CRANE: Hm. Looking back, what, if anything, would you change about your 01:12:00relationship with Judaism?

KAPLAN: Well, this would be divided into two areas. Since I've been in Lexington and since--since I was married and before, I wouldn't change anything. I--I don't think I have any regrets about my life or absence of connection with Judaism before I was in the military, about age twenty-five to twenty sev uh, twenty-seven to twenty-nine. Uh, yeah, uh, it just isn't something I have any regrets or--or thoughts about. It's just part of life.

CRANE: Are there any stories that you would like to share, that are important 01:13:00to you? Your grandson's sitting over there. And I personally love stories and think it would be really nice, if there was something you could share, for the record--a great tale.

KAPLAN: Doesn't have to be about Judaism then, does it?

CRANE: No. Just a special story.

KAPLAN: Well, when I was, uh, uh--shortly after moving to Lexington, I was back in New York. And I called a friend in Manhattan. Uh, and he wasn't home. But his son--uh, I think was six or seven years old at the time--answered the phone. 01:14:00And I don't know where his mother was. But I said, "Well, I'll talk to you." I said, "Just tell your--just tell your father that, uh--that Martin from Kentucky called." He says, "Kentucky? Do you know Daniel Boone?" You know, there was a program, a TV--a weekly TV show, at that time, about Daniel Boone. Fact, there was a famous actor--is it Fess Parker?--who played Daniel Boone. And it was really a program that the children like to watch--you know, recurring program, week to week. So, of course, the children knew Daniel Boone, in Kentucky. So I got a kick outta that.

CRANE: Okay. Is there anything else you would like to share, about your 01:15:00practice, funny stories, serious stories?

KAPLAN: Mm. There must be stories. Let me see. About Judaism, about?

CRANE: --a special vacation.

KAPLAN: Well, you know, uh, always enjoyed travel. And, uh, travel to Israel 01:16:00has always been delightful to me. You know, the first--

WARD: --uh--

KAPLAN: --the first trip I made to Israel, uh, that was before I was married to Odette. I was still married to Nickie. And, uh, we had heard that the rabbi who married us, in Greenville, had retired--I think he went somewhere else first but then he retired and moved to Israel. So we decided to look him up. It was Nicky and me an- and our son, David. Uh, David was about seventeen. The other--our other two children, Lisa and Janet, I guess, were off on their own by that time. So we looked him up and we went to a--a place called French--French 01:17:00Village, I think it's called--on the outskirts of Jerusalem. And we visited. And it was delightful to return--to see the rabbi who had married us. And he was in Israel. And he had this--

WARD: --uh--

KAPLAN: --this k apartment. And we could overlook the Arab part of Jerusalem from--uh, from his apartment. And he said that they had a--they had a woman who would help them in the house, and very faithful, but she had to leave, a week or two before that, 'cause she was getting a tough time from her family because she was working for Jews. Now this was not--I'm sure that this is not, uh, typical 01:18:00of all--because many East Jerusalemites, I'm sure, work in West Jerusalem. But--so it wasn't that unusual. But it struck us that this was--You know, this was way back, 1988. And there was already such feeling between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem--probably still--uh, probably always was, from the very beginning. But I recall that incident. And, uh, I remember meeting a cousin--second cousin in Israel, oh, no more than five years ago, who I had never known. Another cousin of mine had found out about her. And, uh, it seems that that--that, uh, 01:19:00woman's grandmother and my grandfa--we--father were brothers and sisters. And she was a Holocaust survivor and came to Israel way back, I think--She came here about 1950, to Israel. And the family never knew about her. I mean, she just--there was no way of her communicating, I guess. Uh, and, uh, I've been back a couple times since and have met her. She lives outside of Haifa.

CRANE: She's your second cousin.

WARD: Uh

KAPLAN: --she--she's a little--a few years younger than me--well, about ten years younger. Let's see. Ho how would you call it? If her--if our grandparents were brothers and sisters, that makes us at least some kinda cousin. I've always called it second cousin.

CRANE: The way I understand it, uh, you had the same grandparents, you're first cousins. If you had the same great grandparents, you're second cousins. So if they were siblings, then you are second cousins, 'cause you share the same great-grandparents.

KAPLAN: Well, they wer we didn't share grandparents or great-grandparents but there was a mother--

WARD: --uh

KAPLAN: --brother-sister connection there. Uh, well, I'll call it second cousin. (laughter)

CRANE: Uh

KAPLAN: --w we always enjoy--we enjoy seeing them. But the amazing thing to me is that they've lived there for sixty years and, uh, we never knew about them. Uh, apparently, uh, you know, when they came to Israel--could they have made a 01:21:00connection or, uh ? Well, there was no connection. They had--uh, you know, my grandparents had been here for fifty years, so--you know, sight unseen. Uh, they just never made any connection after that. That was always interesting to me. Uh, we, uh, enjoy seeing 'em, for that reason.

CRANE: Do you know, uh, your great great grandparents' names--your great?

KAPLAN: --great-great-grandparents.

CRANE: Your--your great-grandparents, uh.

KAPLAN: No. I don't know if I ever--I ever knew them. You know, my--my grandfa--my father never talked about his, uh, experiences in Russia. Well, he probably didn't remember much. He was only six or seven when he came here. And I never questioned him. I--I wondered why I didn't try to get more information. 01:22:00But a first cousin of mine looked into it. You know, now people are always going to Ancestry.com. You can find out things. I don't know if you can find out about Lithuania. But, uh, uh, we have the name of the ship that they came over from Hamburg. Uh, uh, I guess they traveled to Hamburg, Germany, and then took a ship. We know the name o' the ship. We know the name of the, uh--of the village that they lived in in Russia, with some history of that village--well, a couple pages history, of everything that went on in that shtetl and even before it became a shtetl. So, uh--But I haven't looked further. You know, a lot of people are on--go to Ancestry.com now.

WARD: You need to share that with your grandson.

KAPLAN: Yeah, what about it, Jacob? (Jacob laughs) We'll look it up.

WARD: We'll check it out one day.

CRANE: Well

KAPLAN: --I'll t I'll let you kn I'll show you what I have. You know, it never occurred to me to, uh--to share that.

CRANE: I have so enjoyed this. And thank you, so much, for the opportunity to listen to your stories and share your experiences with us.

KAPLAN: Uh, it's been a good experience for me too, t--well, thanks for, uh--for choosing me.

[End of interview.]