Nov 24, 1980


Dearest Susan,
	I shall try to recall everything
about our coming to America in 1920-
First of all you must realize that
Immigrants flocked to the U. S.A
in waves - mostly due to some
political or economic upheaval
in Europe, where life became
very intolerable and as a last
resort people flocked to America
to better their life - And as you
know History repeats itself -
You saw when the Asians flocked
here only 2-3 years ago -
And now we have the Cubans 
and Haitians - The Same
story - people run away from
their land of birth either because
they are politically oppressed
or they are starving -
When my mother and I came
to America in 1920, we were also
part of this wave - we ran away
from Russia both for Political
reasons (Pogroms and persecution)
and because we were starving -
my father came here in 1913
because he could not find
a means to earn a livelihood
for his wife and child -
At that time there was very 
little open discrimination against
Jews - The ethnic air was Tolerable.
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt in 1904
sent a Protest to the Russian Czar
for the Pogrom the Russian Government
promulgated upon the Jews in
Kishinev - at that time there
were covert anti-semitism 
such as Hotels in certain 
areas were restricted - no Jews -
Certain Apartment Houses were
restricted but Jews found 
a way to get around
these restrictions - Even
our former summer Home 
at Lake Mahopac was
originally restricted - but
in general, the U.S.A was
more Tolerant than in
any country of Europe -
	When my mother and I
came into Bessarabia we
found a lot of organizations
to help the Refugees from
Russia - I can safely 
say that up to the time we
boarded our ship the Zealand
in Antwerp Belgium we were
helped by the HIAS -
(Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society)
We traveled Third Class - and
the accommodations were Tolerable
in the women's division - Inasmuch 
As I was a child of 12 years I 
was allowed to stay with my mother.
The food was Horrible and 
we subsisted for 14 days on
Bread, Tea and Herring -
The part of the ship reserved for
the men was really Horrible,
Typical Steerage - One Smelly
bathroom - mattresses on
the floor - and rats 
scampering around - The
food was worse than in 
the women's division - The
men all smoked - so when
I came into their so called
Social Hall - I thought
that I was in Hell -
	We arrived in N.Y. on a Friday
morning - My father and his 2 
sisters came to the ship in a 
hired motor boat - and with
the help of a rope we were
given a Shabbus Challah -
Sat. morning we were taken off the
boat placed on a Tendis [spelling?] (Small
ferry - like boat) and brought
to Ellis Island - It was a 
fortress Type of Building -
And we were herded into a
very big room where there were
about a 100 Cots - we were
Assigned a cot - and men,
women and children all slept
in that room Sat and Sun nite -
We were marched into a Huge
dining room where we were
fed - fairly well - bread, milk -
margarine (not because it was 
cholesterol free) but because it was
cheaper - some meat -
On Sunday Afternoon we were
entertained - of course, the 
Entertainment was in English and
no one understood a word - But
we enjoyed the prospect of being
introduced to America with Song
and Dance -
	The following morning we were
again herded into larger steel
Cages (Did you ever see the 
movie Hester St.?) We were told
to wait until someone will ransom
us - sure enough, around 11 Am
they called our names and we 
were brought together with my
father - They asked him to pay
$35.00 - What that was for 
no one ever found out - Later
on it was found that the 
Irish Immigration men kept
that money for themselves - It
was nothing but graft -
Fortunately, my father had the 
money on him and we were
released into his Custody -
You would think we were prisoners.
	My father hired a Taxi and
we were taken thru the lower part
of Manhattan to the Bronx - I
was very impressed by what 
I saw thru the Taxi window.
People were dressed nicely and
warm - (It was January) - The
people appeared to be well fed
and carefree -
When we came to the Bronx it was nice
and clean - no garbage in the 
streets and soon we were in
Aunt Sarah's Home - They lived
in a 2 bedroom Apartment - very
nicely furnished and spotlessly
clean -
	After resting a few days we began
to search for a place to live -
At that Time there was a dearth
of vacant apartments - It was 
only 2 years after World War I
and there was no buildings as 
yet - my father and I tramped
over Manhattan and the Bronx
searching for a vacant apt.
Nothing - Soon we were sent
to an address at the Lower 
East Side of Manhattan where
there was a vacant apartment.
We rushed there - we found
a small 3 room apartment
with one room which was the 
bedroom without a window.
No Hot Water - no Bath Tub -
Just a Toilet in the Hall -
But fortunately an apartment
became vacant in the Building
where Aunt Sarah lived and 
we were able to acquire it -
Living conditions in New York
at that time was hard - wages
were low - Clothing was expensive
and food was not so expensive 
as now - but the need was
small - There was no radio, no Television
no Telephone.  No one owned a
car with the exception of the 
very rich - There was no welfare.
People managed to get along on 
the meager earnings -
No one used oil - Homes were 
heated with Coal - Electricity
was cheap - Not every home had
electricity - Some homes used 
illuminating gas for heating 
and light -
	There were 3 Jewish news papers
in N.Y.  The Forward - 
The Morning Journal, and The
Day - as I said before there 
was no overt Anti-Semitism.
It was pleasant living in N.Y.
You could walk all alone 
at night or during the night
without fear of being molested.
We did not know of the 
word mugging at that time.
It was possible to take a 
stroll in the park during 
the night without being
attacked or molested -
	It was Paradise as far
as I was concerned - Living
in Balta was hell or Purgatory.
Living in New York was 
heaven - Love Grandpa Bernie



[Susan Lewak is Bernard Mishuris' granddaughter, daughter of Audrey Lewak.
Transcribed to digital format Jan. 7, 2000 by Dave Lewak, son of Audrey]