BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

An inspiring biography -

BUBBY’S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx is a wonderful true story. It is the history of seven generations of a Jewish immigrant family. Dating from the late 1800s and their medieval shtetl existence in rural war-torn Belarus, Russia we follow this family’s journey across the European continent, and half the world, into the modernity of the political scene of 20th century New York City. This non-fiction saga is written in the form of a narrative, and as much as possible in the vernacular, in order to capture the charm and picturesque wonderment of surprise that was heard in the original telling of these stories. The book begins in 1979 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in Bubby’s kitchen. Bubby (the Yiddish word for grandmother), is describing her life as a little girl, in turn-of-the-century Belarus to her young grandson. She tells him the stories of their family’s history and how she and her sister, all alone and barely more than little girls, came to Ellis Island, and how they assimilated into American life. The stories Bubby tells her grandson, and others I have included that he was too young to hear, are some of the most charming, heartwarming and heartbreaking stories that you could imagine. Some of these stories are poignant, others are funny and some are unbelievable; but all are true and historically accurate. My family’s names are on the memorial wall at Ellis Island. Through these stories, historic background and interesting descriptions of life in the shtetl and the Jewish experience of assimilation in the United States are told through the eyes of real people.

Besides being a good story, BUBBY’S STORIES is a condemnation of war and intolerance. The book ends with "It Could Be Kindness," an original poem that was written by the author based on the inspiring and powerful words, wisdom and ideas that were espoused by her parents.

1126394884
BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

An inspiring biography -

BUBBY’S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx is a wonderful true story. It is the history of seven generations of a Jewish immigrant family. Dating from the late 1800s and their medieval shtetl existence in rural war-torn Belarus, Russia we follow this family’s journey across the European continent, and half the world, into the modernity of the political scene of 20th century New York City. This non-fiction saga is written in the form of a narrative, and as much as possible in the vernacular, in order to capture the charm and picturesque wonderment of surprise that was heard in the original telling of these stories. The book begins in 1979 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in Bubby’s kitchen. Bubby (the Yiddish word for grandmother), is describing her life as a little girl, in turn-of-the-century Belarus to her young grandson. She tells him the stories of their family’s history and how she and her sister, all alone and barely more than little girls, came to Ellis Island, and how they assimilated into American life. The stories Bubby tells her grandson, and others I have included that he was too young to hear, are some of the most charming, heartwarming and heartbreaking stories that you could imagine. Some of these stories are poignant, others are funny and some are unbelievable; but all are true and historically accurate. My family’s names are on the memorial wall at Ellis Island. Through these stories, historic background and interesting descriptions of life in the shtetl and the Jewish experience of assimilation in the United States are told through the eyes of real people.

Besides being a good story, BUBBY’S STORIES is a condemnation of war and intolerance. The book ends with "It Could Be Kindness," an original poem that was written by the author based on the inspiring and powerful words, wisdom and ideas that were espoused by her parents.

31.99 In Stock
BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

by Roslyn Rothstein
BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

BUBBY'S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx

by Roslyn Rothstein

Hardcover(Hard Cover ed.)

$31.99 
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Overview

An inspiring biography -

BUBBY’S STORIES: Belarus to the Bronx is a wonderful true story. It is the history of seven generations of a Jewish immigrant family. Dating from the late 1800s and their medieval shtetl existence in rural war-torn Belarus, Russia we follow this family’s journey across the European continent, and half the world, into the modernity of the political scene of 20th century New York City. This non-fiction saga is written in the form of a narrative, and as much as possible in the vernacular, in order to capture the charm and picturesque wonderment of surprise that was heard in the original telling of these stories. The book begins in 1979 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in Bubby’s kitchen. Bubby (the Yiddish word for grandmother), is describing her life as a little girl, in turn-of-the-century Belarus to her young grandson. She tells him the stories of their family’s history and how she and her sister, all alone and barely more than little girls, came to Ellis Island, and how they assimilated into American life. The stories Bubby tells her grandson, and others I have included that he was too young to hear, are some of the most charming, heartwarming and heartbreaking stories that you could imagine. Some of these stories are poignant, others are funny and some are unbelievable; but all are true and historically accurate. My family’s names are on the memorial wall at Ellis Island. Through these stories, historic background and interesting descriptions of life in the shtetl and the Jewish experience of assimilation in the United States are told through the eyes of real people.

Besides being a good story, BUBBY’S STORIES is a condemnation of war and intolerance. The book ends with "It Could Be Kindness," an original poem that was written by the author based on the inspiring and powerful words, wisdom and ideas that were espoused by her parents.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780692137383
Publisher: Roslyn Rothstein
Publication date: 11/24/2018
Edition description: Hard Cover ed.
Pages: 478
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

My parents and grandparents came to the United States through Ellis Island at the beginning of the 20th century. Their courage in the face of all the adversities they met and the good nature and sense of humor they maintained despite it all was what inspired me. My mother used to say that if she could find America, we could do anything. I still believe she was right.
The youngest child of Jewish immigrants from shtetels in Belarus, I was born in the Bronx. A first-generation American, I became a non-fiction story writer and poet. A poet at heart, I exorcise the demons of anger against social injustice by writing political polemics in poetry. Fascinated by history and being a nerd who enjoys doing research, the writing of BUBBY'S STORIES grew almost organically out of my family's history.
A longtime resident of Westchester County, New York, I am the mother of two wonderful children. Now retired, I was grateful to have had a career that afforded me the opportunity to take care of seniors as the Director of Resident Services in a large senior residence and to always be able to help people.
BUBBY'S STORIES is my first book. I am currently finishing my second book called MY BUBBY'S YIDDISH: A Yiddish Dictionary from the Shtetl to the New World. I am also working on a book of political poems called RHYMES & RANTS AGAINST THE DARK.
Looking back I can see that my life has been a continuum of my parents' and grandparent's saga.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Not a Children’s Book…………. 9

Bubby’s Kitchen…………. 11

On the Other Side the Ocean…………. 17

Hasha, She Was the Oldest…………. 24

Kurisa, the Chicken…………. 35

Gedalia’s Father-in-Law…………. 38

Bubba Rivka…………. 45

The Doctor…………. 49

The Librarian…………. 56

The Shtetl Week…………. 63

The Thirty-Six…………. 74

Hunia – Charlie in English…………. 84

Pinsk…………. 107

Shnippistolk…………. 113

Warsaw …………. 115

Ellis Island…………. 139

The Lower East Side…………. 150

Disha…………. 158

Brooklyn…………. 159

Coney Island …………. 161

The Flappers…………. 168

Fox…………. 180

Sam…………. 184

The Mikvah…………. 189

Bobruisk…………. 195

Bread for the Trip…………. 214

The R.M.S. Berengaria…………. 223

Fresh Off the Boat…………. 232

Atlantic Park…………. 236

Americans Now…………. 243

The Doughboy…………. 246

Minford Place…………. 256

News From Cuba…………. 262

The Goody-Goody Greenhorn…………. 265

The Golden Age of Jewish Boxing…………. 267

Times Were Hard…………. 273

A Yankee Born…………. 279

One Bottle of Milk…………. 284

A Citizen Now…………. 297

Jennings Street…………. 309

Wheat Germ and Waffles…………. 321

The Smelly Pot…………. 331

The Coughing ………… 337

Statistics – Just Numbers…………. 348

Back to Manhattan…………. 354

First Tuesday After the First Monday in November…………. 356

The Days of Awe…………. 371

It Could Be Kindness (an original poem)…………. 375

Our Legacy…………. 378

Family Tree…………. 383

Bibliography…………. 387

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