Interview begins with discussion of Ferguson's great uncle, Joel Spigel, the first family member to immigrate to the United States. Originally from Prussia, Spigel came to America (ca. 1850s) with plans to earn enough money to send for his seven siblings. However, Joel's younger brother, (Ferguson's grandfather) David Manuel Spigel, was the only one to follow. Ferguson notes that the family name, originally spelled Spiegel, was changed during immigration when the first "e" was dropped. The Spigel brothers settled in Newberry, South Carolina, and opened a business crafting and peddling jewelry and eyeglasses. David Spigel married Theresa Mittle and the couple relocated to Spartanburg, SC, (ca. 1903) where the family has been for three generations. Ferguson discusses the role Judaism has played among several generations of her family. She recalls that her paternal grandparents were active in the Spartanburg synagogue and observed holidays, yet did not strictly adhere to the laws of Conservative Judaism (for example, they did not keep kosher.) Ferguson notes that although her own mother was not Jewish, Ferguson herself was raised as a Jew and had the first Bat Mitzvah (1964) in Spartanburg. Her mother, Geneva Fulk Spigel of North Carolina, was raised a Moravian Christian but was an active participant in the temple and a true believer in the Jewish faith. Ferguson notes a faction of the Spartanburg temple never considered her to be truly Jewish, as her mother was not born Jewish. Interview continues with discussion of Spartanburg's Jewish population, Ferguson's positive recollections of Rabbi Staubert, and description of anti-Semitism she experienced over the course of her life. Ferguson makes the point that she is very open-minded and never let anti-Semitic behavior bother her. She describes changes in the Spartanburg synagogue during her lifetime and notes that the atmosphere at temple has grown more Orthodox in recent times. Misc. discussions include description of close ties between the Spigels and other Jewish families in Spartanburg (particularly the Price and Poliakoff families) and mention of her father's career as a doctor and her grandfather's skill as a jeweler. Ferguson notes that her grandfather never allowed German or Yiddish to be spoken at home and would not discuss the old country, preferring to keep the past as the past.
