We have used the same menorah every Hanukkah. It’s made of Star of Davids stacked on top of each other like a triangle, and it has a rainbow glaze coloring. I think that my parents bought it at a novelty shop. Every year, my brother and I take turns lighting the candles for each night of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Hanukkah lasts eight nights because thousands of years ago, instead of candles, people used oil. And they say that with the right amount of oil, the fire stayed lit for eight nights. We would watch as the candles melted from the glow of the fire. The menorah has a place for nine candles, the center shamash and one for each night. Each night we light the number of candles with what night of Hanukkah it is with the shamash. Part of my mom’s and all of my dad’s families immigrated from Eastern Europe. They are Ashkenazi jews.  We have the most information about my mom’s grandmother’s immigration story.  She was one-years-old when she came here. We think it was around the year 1911. They didn’t have birth certificates. Her mother traveled alone through Europe and then by ship from Holland with her one-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twins.  They arrived at Ellis Island and then settled near Boston where my great-great grandfather was living.  My great grandmother always thought she was born in Hungary, but it turns out after a lot of family research that she was actually born in Romania.

– J

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more