Important Documents of Education and Influence
These things tell about Jewish history and experiences. They have been passed down to us to remind of us of how our ancestors lived and how we have come to this time and place.
Great Grandfather's Dog Tag
US
My mother, Val
This was the way soldiers were identified during the war. This dog tag belonged to my great grandfather. He fought in World War II and was wounded, so he also got the Purple Heart.
I am named after my great grandfather Samuel.
Stamp Book
United States
Grandpa
My Grandpa gave this to me to start my stamp collection.
My Grandpa wanted me to begin collecting stamps. I'll pass this stamp book on to future generations.
Speech that describes a German-Jewish immigrant's life in the mid-20th century
United States
Great grandma Meta
My great grandmother was asked to write a speech for the Jewish Federation of Women. She shares her hardships when leaving Germany, going to Nashville, TN. and struggling to make a living during the Great Depression. They faced challenges trying to keep Orthodox practices and keeping kosher. It describes them raising children while running a boardinghouse to help other Jewish immigrants.
This artifact not only tells us about being a Jewish immigrant and a bit of family history. It also tells us how they helped sponsor the rest of our family out of unsafe Hitler's Germany and save other Jewish immigrants.
Yiddish Newspaper
Connecticut USA
My dad
My dad was tearing down a house in Connecticut. He had to clean out the attic. He found this newspaper there and kept it ever since.
It is a newspaper which was published on East Broadway in New York in Yiddish.