The Golden Land: The Story of Jewish Immigration to America by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Age: grades 6-8 and up. Library section: 10 A: Youth, Religion and Values. This cool book chronicles the great migration of Jews from eastern Europe from about 1881-1933. Its text begins in 1492 with the Spanish Inquisition in which Jews were expelled from Spain. It then moves to 1654 with the first community of Jews in America, and continues through the great migration, and ends with recent Jews in popular culture.
But the neat thing about this book is that the historical text is juxtaposed with period black and white photos that tell us so much about life back then, and also with facsimiles of artifacts of the periods. For example, an envelope holds a facsimile of George Washington’s letter of welcome and tolerance to the first American synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island. Another artifact is a tiny prayer book brought to America by a steerage passenger. Yiddish theater posters, the poem, “The New Colossus,” handwritten by Emma Lazarus and placed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, a copy of Irving Berlin’s lyrics to God Bless America – these and other artifacts slip into the book in special pockets.
While my ancestors came to America in 1764 from Germany, my husband’s Jewish forebears came in 1906 from Ukraine. Both families fled to America for religious freedom. In Ukraine, pogroms – murderous attacks by Cossack soldiers and gentile townspeople – were getting so frightening that my husband’s grandfather, his wife and two infant sons left their home for America on a leaky, rusty old ship, no doubt in steerage. We have a photo of the boat and a copy of the ship’s manifest listing each member of the family. Both are fascinating family documents. It was such a risk leaving their native land; but it was either that or perish. I imagine their life and leave-taking was much like in Fiddler on the Roof. By leaving when they did, they avoided the final extermination of all the town’s Jews in 1941 by the SS Nazi troops.
They had a relative in Ohio, so that became their destination. Seventy-six years TO THE DAY that they arrived at Ellis Island in 1906, our son was born in 1982. Cue the Twilight Zone music! Through perseverance, hard work, and education, the family prospered. America is truly the land of opportunity, even today.
Unless we are Native Americans, our ancestors ALL came to the Unites States at some point. If their choice, journey, and grit intrigue you, this book will help you appreciate the risk they took to come here. Please remember to put all the artifacts back where they belong before returning the book. Enjoy!! ( )