Many American Jews have ancestors who left their towns and villages throughout Europe to come to America around the turn of the 20th century. They were fleeing poverty, famine, religious persecution, bleak futures without education, pogroms, and more. We know they sailed from various ports along the Atlantic, most likely in steerage class. Thousands landed at Ellis Island. But how did they travel hundreds of miles over land to get from their towns to port cities like Antwerp, or Rotterdam, and what was sailing in steerage really like? In this lecture, we will learn about their arduous journey, including details about why citizens of various countries decided to leave, the strict examination process in Antwerp and lesser-known facts about conditions at Ellis Island, circa 1900.
In partnership with the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland.