The picture above, taken in 1942, is a portrait photo of my great grandparents on their wedding day, Ernest Isidore Shabes (Left) and Ella Cohen-Shabes (Right). Ella was born a US citizen, in Yonkers, New York, above her family's kosher butcher shop. Ella’s parents had come from a small Jewish village in Russia called Mogilev. They traveled in steerage on a ship to Ellis Island. Her family's original name was Kagan, but was changed to “Cohen” at Ellis Island. Ernest immigrated from Vienna, Austria-Hungary in 1938. Ernest served in the United States army in World War Two. He came from an extremely wealthy Jewish family of kosher meat packers. Ernest was one of nine children, and when the war came, the family lost everything from the nazi invasion. His older brothers bribed officials to bring him into the United States, where his name was changed from Ernest Schabes to Ernest Shabes. He was introduced to Ella by a friend who also immigrated from Austria-Hungary. Currently it is being kept in my grandmother's apartment, who still lives in Yonkers.

– AJT

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