Tom Brokaw coined the phrase “The Greatest Generation” to describe the generation of Americans who lived through the Great Depression, fought World War II, and built post-war America. That was a Great Generation, and many Jews played a significant part of it. Many of those Jews were the children of immigrants who came to America from Eastern Europe between 1880-1920.
They fled Europe fleeing pogroms, entrenched antisemitism and poverty. They came to America seeking economic opportunity and freedom. They left everything and eve-ryone they knew, endured the perils and suffering of a journey across the ocean to a become strangers in a strange land. They survived ellis Island, lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in tenements and worked in sweat shops to feed their fami-lies. They did this for their children who became a critical part of the Greatest Genera-tion. Learn more about the trials, tribulations a triumphs of these amazing immigrants, our grandparents and great grandparents who were the Real Greatest Generation.