ABSTRACT

Ken was born into a New York City middle class Jewish family where political issues were always discussed and “FDR was the equivalent of gospel.” Rita’s father “worked his way up from the East Side” to settle in Mount Vernon in Westchester with his family. They were Jewish, “nonreligious and completely apolitical.” Rita says, “I was born politically when I met Ken, who talked always about world events and civil rights.” Even while working his way through school, Ken had found time to campaign for Henry Wallace for President and Vito Marcantonio for Congress.