Personal Keepsakes
These artifacts are very valuable and the students look forward to owning them one day.
Star of David Pendant
Mexico
James L.
This Star of David pendant/necklace was given to my father\'s dad by his father in 1955 on the day of his bar mitzvah in Queens, New York. My grandfather passed this pendant along to my dad 10 years ago because he loves him and wants him to be close to G-d. My father has worn this special pendant everyday. This Star of David is important to me because it has been passed down by my great grandfather Ben, to my dad, and he will pass it on to the next generation.
This Star of David has become a premier Jewish symbol. This six point star symbolizes G-d\'s rule over the universe in all 6 directions. This simple and elegant Star of David is worn as a pendant by many Jews to express their faith, their own Jewish identity, and even to keep G-d close to their heart
Dog Tags
U.S. Army
My grandfather
My late grandfather Saul Brownstein enlisted in World War II and received dog tags to identify him if he was injured or killed. Luckily he was not injured or killed. I am proud my grandfather enlisted in the US Army to protect our country and to fight the Nazis.
The dog tags show that Jews voluntarily enlisted to fight in World War II and to fight the Nazis.
Great Grandpa Arthur - Picture
Germany
Nanny Karla
This is the only picture I have of my great grandfather when he lived in Germany. He was one of ten children who lived during the war and escaped Nazi Germany with the help of his neighbors. It is important to my family because when my great grandfather escaped our family was split up all over the world. Some of the children were taken to Auschwitz. Also, everything they had was left behind. It symbolizes our history and how the Nazis ruined the lives of so many Jews.
This picture shows our presence as Jews in Germany during the time of the war. He was a soldier before the Nazis came and was loyal to his country even though his country wasn\'t loyal to him.
Great Grandmothers Necklace
Hungary
Nancy K.
This necklace was given to my grandmother by her mother in 1966, before my great grandmother died. It is made out of 14 carat gold. It is a design of a Hungarian dancer. She came to the United States when she was sixteen years old and this was one of the few things she brought with her. After my great grandmother died, my grandmother wore the necklace all the time. She recently gave it to my mother so that my mother could have it and eventually pass it on to my sister or me.
My great grandmother came to America for a better life. Her brother had come here two years before her. He was only 21 years old and he came alone. He worked for two years to make enough money to pay for my great grandmother and her mother and brother to come to the U.S. Because of my great great uncle\'s hard work, my family came to the United States in the 1920\'s and were not living in Hungary during the Holocaust. My great grandmother cherished this necklace as a symbol of her family\'s journey to freedom.
Certificate of Naturalization
Ellis Island, New York
Allan W.
This Certificate of Naturalization was given to my grandfather by his grandfather. It is significant to my family because it states when my great, great grandfather immigrated to the United States from Austria. He entered through Ellis Island on March 5, 1914.
This certificate is significant to Jewish Heritage because it is how we are here today. Without my great, great grandfather immigrating to the United States I might not have been here doing this project. If all of the Jewish immigrants had not left their countries when they did, the Holocaust could have wiped out a lot more of the Jewish population.
Family Photo
Riga, Latvia
Grandfather Gil
This picture is of my grandfather\'s family in 1921 in Riga, Latvia. The picture was taken on their way from Russia to America. My grandfather\'s family lived in Riga, Latvia for almost 2 years on their way to America. This picture is a piece of my family\'s history and was taken before my grandfather was born. It is important to my grandfather since no one in the picture is still alive. It includes his parents, grandparents and cousins. It is a memento from a time in his family\'s history that he heard many stories about.
This picture shows a journey my grandfather\'s family took from Eastern Europe to America in the early 1920\'s. This was a common immigration path for Jewish families from Eastern Europe at this time. The family came through Ellis Island in New York and then went to San Francisco where a cousin had a farm. My family\'s heritage is based in Russia. My grandather knows Yiddish because of his family\'s roots and unfortunately this Jewish language is dying. Most Jews in America come from immigrant families.
Immigration Papers from Turkey
Turkey
Great Grandfather
When my great grandfather came to the United States from Turkey in 1903, this was the paper that the authorities handed him and his family.
Since they couldn’t spell or pronounce his “real” name – Eleazar Gormanzano – they wrote down Louis Gorman instead. This has great meaning to my “Poppy” since it is how his family began and reminds us all of where we came from.