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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Decision

I can only begin to imagine the conversations. He was 27. She was 26. Their youngest child, a fifth son, was still a babe in arms, the oldest only nine. Did they discuss it by candlelight at a kitchen table? Or was it so big a dream it could only be whispered about in bed before they fell asleep? Eventually the decision was made. Jacob would go to America. Leah would stay behind in Russia with the children. It was 1887. They were young and strong. Leah was the eldest of 16 children. Her mother had passed after delivering eight children into the world. Her father’s second wife had borne eight more. Leah was a capable woman. Jacob would work hard and send for them as soon as he was able.

The die was cast. Jacob went to Boston. He worked as a presser in a coat factory. He was paid by the piece. Year round he worked with the iron and the steam. Each coat became a coin. Each coin that could be saved above keeping body and soul together brought his wife and children closer. At last there was enough. It took four years. Four years of trusting that it would all work out, that every sacrifice was worth the distance and the time.

In 1891, Leah packed up their belongings and she and the boys traveled by horse and wagon, then by train, to the port of Hamburg, Germany. She had brought oven toasted bread and tea to keep them going. They boarded a steamship to Liverpool, England, then another ship from Liverpool to Boston. The two weeks in steerage meant potatoes and salt herring. But it was only two short weeks after four long years.

Think of the reunion! The relief, the joy and yes, the need to become reacquainted as a family. In this age of e-mails, telephones, digital photographs and truly instant messaging it’s difficult to wrap our minds around the sacrifices Jacob and Leah made as a couple, for their children to have a better life. But it turned out to be the right decision.

Jacob and Leah would have three more children in America, two girls and one last boy. Around 1902 they posed for a family portrait from which I extracted these images. They couldn’t know that Leah had only five more years on this earth. She would die at 46. Jacob would outlive Leah by 14 years. All eight of their children would reach adulthood. Between them there would be 18 grandchildren, then dozens of great-grandchildren, one of whom is my husband Chuck. And still more great-great-grandchildren and so on and so on.

It was the right decision. But just imagine those first conversations as the dream took shape.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

you are one heck of a word painter!

just beautiful.

Anonymous said...

that gave me goosebumps girl.

if you ever do video from your camera use goggle it's much better than youtube. my videos from the video camera do fine on youtube but not the camera videos. the mouth won't line up like in godzilla movies.

purpleronnie said...

you are an amazing story-teller Lee - I am inspired.

Roo said...

wow, you can sure borrow my halo ;o)

Pink Granite said...

Hi All---

Thank you so much for the compliments you sent my way! Both Chuck and I are so pleased that you were moved by Jacob and Leah's story. It really is an inspiring tale! Their courage and perseverance knocks my socks off!
;o)
- Lee

Anonymous said...

Lee,

What a wonderful story.

And... you may have answered a question for me. You say it took two weeks, in 1891, to travel across the Atlantic.

I love how you were able to extract their images out of the group photograph and make singular portraits. Kudos!

Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors"

Fiona said...

What an amazing story, I have goosebumps. Just the fact that one has 18 children in one family is mind boggling. You certainly tell facinating stories keep it up. Nana Fi

Pink Granite said...

Hi George -
One of the five sons who made the journey remembered a great many details and shared them with the family - including details of the crossing.
Thanks for the kind words!
;o)
- Lee


Hi Nana Fi -
I find the amount of work involved for them to just get from sunrise to sunset staggering! And that's before you add children to the mix!
I count myself lucky to be able to honor their memory in this way.
Thanks!
;o)
- Lee