From the source: “One in a series of eight films that traces the history of America as a nation of immigrants. With a population that includes two million Jews, New York is the biggest Jewish city in the world. Many are the children and grandchildren of people who fled Eastern Europe before World War I and came to the city’s Lower East Side. Though no longer persecuted, most still lived in extreme poverty, working in thousands of sweat-shops in appalling conditions. All were determined that their children would not have to slave the way they did and many felt that education was the way out of the ghetto. From sweat-shop to prosperity in a lifetime was an immigrant’s dream and in many cases the dream came true. Today most Jews no longer practice the orthodox religion, but many have retained their Jewish traditions and have strong emotional links with the state of Israel.”
Published in 1976:
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Eric is a 4th generation Lower East Sider, professional NYC history author, movie & TV consultant, and founder of Lower East Side History Project.