The definition of an heirloom, according to Webster's Dictionary, is “any treasured possession handed down from generation to generation”. For the most part, when people consider something an heirloom, it has both a high monetary and sentimental value. My rolling pin, however, is not an expensive item, but it is still precious to my family. It is not just any rolling pin, it was my great-grandmother’s rolling pin. It was passed down from her to my grandmother, and then to my mom. As a little girl, my grandmother lived in a small Russian town called Kodyma. During this time, intolerance of Jews led to many pogroms in that area. As a result, my great-grandparents wanted to immigrate to America, so they could be safe from religious persecution. They were able to get to a boat to the United States, but there was not enough money for all of them to go. My great-grandfather went to America alone to earn money there, so he could bring my grandmother and great-grandmother to America as well. It was around that time that my great-grandmother bought this rolling pin, making it close to a hundred years old. Both of my great-grandparents died before my mom was born, so I do not know much about them, but I still use the same rolling pin that belonged to my great-grandmother. It might seem strange that an object such as a rolling pin would help me feel connected to my family’s past, but it is reassuring to know that when I am baking, I am holding the same rolling pin that she held.
#Rolling pin #Jewish #Grandmother #Great-Grandmother #Great-Grandfather

– Sarah Kaye

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant