Pressman family papers

Zysia (Siegmund) Pressman (b. 1892) married Hinda Dombek (b. 1892) in 1913 and they had two children, Hermann (b.1914 in Frankfurt am Main) and Sonia (later Fuentes, b. 1928 in Berlin). Zysia and Hinda lived in Poland until 1913 when they moved to Germany. They settled in Berlin in 1919 and Zysia rented and managed a men's clothing store and factory, the Siegmund Pressman Herren Kleider Fabrik. On April 1, 1933 Zysia’s store was officially boycotted along with other Jewish-owned businesses and Hermann became concerned for his family. Hermann fled to Antwerp, Belgium to live with his cousin, David Mendelsohn. A few months later he was joined by his parents and sister. In April 1934, the family immigrated to the United States aboard the Red Star Line's SS Westernland. They arrived in New York City in May and settled in the Bronx. Sonia later attended Cornell University and the University of Miami School of Law. She became the first female attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and a founding member of the National Organization for Women (NOW).