My family’s immigration history is not well documented. I know my father’s grandparents immigrated from Russia. However, due to the fact they never learned English and my father never learned Yiddish the details of their new life in America have yet to be fully discovered by younger generations of my family. One thing I know for certain, is where my family’s American story begins: in the small New Jersey town of Perth Amboy. Perth Amboy is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey on the shores of the Raritan Bay. The section of Perth Amboy known as the waterfront was once home to a thriving Jewish community with yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers, garment shops, and kosher bakers lining the streets. All my life I have listened to family members praise this location. Perth Amboy is the epicenter of my family’s American history: most of my family was born in the city’s hospital, many of them lived there for their whole lives, and several family member’s owned businesses there. This map shows what the city looked like in 1914, which would have been around the time my grandfather was born. (Image courtesy of Rutgers University Special Collections)

– Samantha Ginsberg

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