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International House was, at that time, right after World War II, not only a great place
to live and a great place to learn about traditions and customs around the world, but
also one of the greatest matchmaking institution imaginable! Innumerable marriages
resulted from meeting and living there. Some marital unions were very surprising
in that the background cultures were so different: a man from India marrying a girl
from Arizona; a Norwegian Lutheran marrying a Jewish girl from Palestine; another
Norwegian marrying a girl from Turkey. And an Austrian marrying a gal from Central
America. But most surprising of all: there have hardly been any divorces in that group
of highly-unlikely marriages! I've often wondered what made those marriages hold
together, and I think it was the I-House experience which held it together, because it
was there that we learned to get along. Because our goal was peace, we learned to have
peace in our families.
Taken from an interview by Jeanine Castello-Lin
in September of 2009. Additional editing by Ingrid Borland
Scandinavian skit, Tea Dance, 1948.
Seated at center: Hans Rausing.
Santa Lucia. From left to right,
front row: Berit [Heyman]
Weidenhielm, unknown; back row:
Elsa Meier, Ingrid [Bergstrom]
Borland and unknown.
