Interview begins with discussion of Appel's father, Abraham Appel, who left Kaluszyn, Poland, as a young man to escape conscription by the Russian army. Abraham (whose last name was originally Ubfal or Apfal) immigrated to New York and later moved to Charleston, South Carolina, after hearing others from Kaluszyn had settled there. Appel recalls his father's descriptions of the poverty in Kaluszyn: homes with dirt floors and chickens loose inside. Despite their hardships, each Friday, Abraham Appel's family swept the dirt floors and chicken droppings, lit candles, and had a meal (bowl of potatoes) to usher in the Sabbath. Appel discusses his mother, Ida Goldberg, also from Kaluszyn. Ida's brother, I.M. Goldberg, was the first family member to immigrate to America. He settled in Charleston and brought over his siblings, including Ida. Appel and his sister, Fannie Appel Rones, discuss their mother's street smarts, business savvy and regret that she never received a formal education. Conversation about Ida Goldberg continues with recollections of her devotion to the children, constant cooking and cleaning, the hours she spent picking the freshest fish and produce at the market, and her devotion to Orthodox traditions. She learned to speak English at night school, but both Appel parents spoke Yiddish at home. Appel discusses his Jewish education and childhood role models. He mentions Rabbi Axelman's guidance in Hebrew lessons, Nat Shulman's generosity and involvement at the Jewish Community Center, Seymour Barkowitz's devotion to Appel's bar mitzvah preparation, and Chip Gilpin's guidance in the Boy Scouts (Troop 21). He talks about growing up on St. Philip Street and remembers Jewish families walking to synagogue on Saturdays. His family attended Beth Israel for a time and later switched to the conservative Emanu El. He recalls German Catholic neighbors who were less than friendly to the Appels, and weighs in on the perceived class differences between Charleston's uptown and downtown Jews. Appel describes his Charleston school days and migration to Atlanta where he found more of a social life, i.e., more single Jewish girls. Appel dated several non-Jewish girls in Charleston, but told them upfront they could never have a serious relationship. He describes meeting his wife, an Alabama Jew of German descent, and the relationship between the two families. Interview ends with Appel's views on keeping kosher, Orthodox Judaism, and different personality types among his siblings.
