In the early 1900s, my grandparents were living in Egypt. Soon enough, 1927 came, and there was talk of Hitler and his nazis. At this time, many Jews (European and not) fled their homes to go to America. My grandparents were well aware of this and knew that it would be in their best interest to flee Egypt and come to America; for the fear that the nazis would invade Egypt soon. In 1928, my Grandparent fled Egypt and came to America with nothing but the apparent essentials. When my grandparents came to America, they had no money and started a new life from the bottom. The only thing that had of value was the Torah that they had brought from their homeland. The Torah was a priceless thing, but my grandparents had no intention of making money off it. They brought it from Egypt because they always wanted to be reminded of their religion and who they were as a people. It is a tradition for a bat/bar mitzvah in my family to read from this Torah. Reading from this Torah at my bar mitzvah a few years ago made me feel not only connected to my religion but also connected to my Grandparents and their history. I am glad that we have this almost artifact from my grandparents, to remember them and my great-grandparents home. Also, to recognize who they were before the nazis. For me, this Torah represents more than just the Jewish law, but the sacrifices my grandparents made to leave Egypt and come to America, and their perseverance even in their darker times.

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