Jewish Americans changed their names, but not at Ellis Island
- Written by Kirsten Fermaglich, Associate Professor, Michigan State University
Immigrants and inspectors in the registry room for legal inspections at Ellis Island.
A well-worn joke in American Jewish culture goes like this. A Jewish immigrant landed at Ellis Island in New York. The procedures were confusing, and he was overwhelmed by the commotion. When one of the officials asked him “What is your name?” he...
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